that one girl who reviews

Broadway’s & Juliet is an inspiringly fun tale that spins Shakespeare’s tragedy into something powerfully uplifting for everyone involved. This uniquely imaginative retelling of the classic Romeo and Juliet explores a world where Juliet didn’t kill herself in the name of love, but instead, lived in spite of.

The musical, which debuted in 2019 and went to Broadway in November 2022, is composed of 30 pop hits all produced by Max Martin. It is currently shown at the Steven Sondheim theater.

Perhaps it was the tired and tacky feel to the original Romeo and Juliet plot that got us here or maybe it was modern feminism, but either way, it seems that there was always meant to be a life for Juliet after Romeo. 

The highlight of the play comes not from Romeo and Juliet themselves, as one would expect, but instead from Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, who are navigating this retelling in real time, working as a team to create a story that feels authentic to both of their lives. 

Betsy Wolfe, who plays Anne, delivers an enchanting performance as a woman who longs to be seen and appreciated by her husband who seems to love his work more than his family. Her input on Romeo and Juliet provides a freshness and emphasizes Juliet’s independence as a young woman. 

In addition to this, Wolfe hilariously weaves her way in and out of scenes with impeccable comedic timing and personality. 

Her counterpart, Austin Scott who plays Shakespeare, also provides a superb performance as the ignorant husband who doesn’t understand why his wife isn’t satisfied staying home alone with the kids all the time. While his character is quite annoying (not to his fault or detriment), the progression and development within Shakespeare is admirable and well-paced.

Juliet, played by Rachel Webb, is fiercely independent, as well as a little naive when it comes to life. Her vocals truly shine during her solo songs and provide some excellent humor, such as singing “Oops… I did it again,” after accidentally getting engaged to another man only days after Romeo’s demise. 

Anne and Juliet are direct reflections of one another – while some artists separate their lives from their work, Anne pours her heart into Juliet, just hoping that Romeo will see her for all she’s worth. 

Wolfe and Webb successfully mirror each other throughout the play while also letting one another shine in their own right. 

Although Romeo’s part is surprisingly small within the musical, Ben Jackson Walker completely steals the stage for the scenes he is in. His killer rendition of “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi for an even more thrilling plot twist has been and will forever be engraved in my mind. 

Walker and Webb, even with their limited stage time together, have dynamic chemistry and provide a love story that is infinitely better than whatever Shakespeare was thinking when he originally wrote Romeo and Juliet.

The songs in the play were also another highlight and actually enhanced the viewing. Using “It’s Gonna Be Me” by NSYNC to have François declare his love for May couldn’t have been done more perfectly. Or the usage of “I Want It That Way” by The Backstreet Boys for why Anne wants the play reinvented. 

While the characters of Romeo and Juliet are purely fictional, the story itself serves a greater purpose to the narrative of the play. No one deserves to have their life written for them. 

Everyone deserves the chance to write their own story.