& Juliet, featuring the songs of Max Martin, began previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre October 28, with opening night set for November 17.
“The catalog of Max Martin is absolutely the best music to choreograph,” shares & Juliet choreographer Jennifer Weber, adding, “It is like he has made the soundtrack to basically everyone’s lives.”
Watch the video above and dance along with cast members Virgil "Lil' O" Gadson, Joomin Hwang, Jasmine Rafael, and Tiernan Tunnicliffe to the song "Roar."
Lorna Courtney stars as the titular Juliet, joined by Tony winner Paulo Szot as Lance, Tony nominee Stark Sands as Shakespeare, Betsy Wolfe as Anne Hathaway, Justin David Sullivan as May, Ben Jackson Walker as Romeo, Philippe Arroyo as Francois, and original U.K. cast member Melanie La Barrie as Nurse.
& Juliet irreverently rewrites the ending for Shakespeare's heroine, the lovestruck teenager of Romeo and Juliet. Rather than committing suicide after the death of Romeo, Juliet chooses life. Featuring a book by Emmy winner David West Read (Schitt's Creek) and music by Grammy winner Martin, the score is filled with familiar pop songs from the last three decades, such as “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling."
Rounding out the company are Brandon Antonio, Michael Iván Carrier, Nico DeJesus, Nicholas Edwards, Virgil Gadson, Bobby "Pocket" Horner, Joomin Hwang, Megan Kane, Alaina Vi Maderal, Daniel J. Maldonado, Joe Moeller, Brittany Nicholas, Veronica Otim, Jasmine Rafael, Matt Raffy, Tiernan Tunnicliffe, and Rachel Webb.
Luke Sheppard directs the Broadway production, reuniting his full West End creative team, including choreographer Jennifer Weber, scenic designer Soutra Gilmour, costume designer Paloma Young, lighting designer Howard Hudson, sound designer Gareth Owen, video and projections designer Andrzej Goulding, and hair designer J. Jared Janas. Bill Sherman serves as musical supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger, with Dominic Fallacaro as music director. Casting is by Stephen Kopel and Carrie Gardner.
The Broadway run follows the musical's sold-out North American premiere at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre, which also featured the Broadway production's principal cast. In the lead-up to its Broadway run, & Juliet released its first single "Roar," originally recorded by Katy Perry, ahead of the original Broadway cast recording's release by Atlantic Records.
