Character guide
May
from & Juliet
May is a supporting character in & Juliet, the 2022 jukebox musical set to Max Martin's songs, portrayed as Juliet's nonbinary best friend from Verona.
- Show
- & Juliet
- Broadway premiere
- 2022
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Max Martin
May: role facts
- Originated on Broadway by
- Justin David Sullivan (2022)
- Notable performers
- Arun Blair-Mangat created May in the 2019 Manchester and West End premiere, and Jo Foster later played the role in the West End.
- Voice type and range
- Tenor (pop), G3 to Bb4
- Songs May sings
- Domino (with Juliet, Anne, and Angelique)
- Blow (with Juliet, Anne, Angelique, and company)
- I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman (with Juliet)
- I Kissed a Girl (with Francois and company)
- Whataya Want from Me (with Francois)
- Everybody (Backstreet's Back) (with Shakespeare, Romeo, Francois, Lance, and company)
- It's Gonna Be Me (with Francois)
- Shape of My Heart (with Lance and Francois)
Who is May?
May travels with Juliet to Paris as her loyal best friend, offering support and comic relief while navigating a budding romance of their own along the way. Confident and independent minded, May's storyline gives the show one of its more grounded explorations of identity, running alongside Juliet's larger journey of reinvention.
May's presence broadens the show's themes beyond Juliet alone, letting the musical explore questions of self acceptance and belonging through a character finding their own place in the story.
May's role in & Juliet
May is a supporting role that requires strong pop vocals and comic presence, contributing to several of the show's ensemble numbers and duets. The character has been praised in various productions for representation that feels organic to the show's larger themes of characters rewriting their own destinies.
Audiences remember May as a warm, funny presence who rounds out Juliet's circle of friends, giving the musical's central theme of self determination a second character to carry it.
May: frequently asked questions
Who played May in & Juliet on Broadway?
Justin David Sullivan originated May when & Juliet opened on Broadway in 2022, making their Broadway debut in the role. Sullivan is a nonbinary performer who uses he, she, and they pronouns.
Who does May end up with in & Juliet?
May ends up with Francois Du Bois, the young Frenchman Juliet is set to marry. After May and Francois share a sudden kiss, set to Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl, Juliet calls off the wedding, Francois confesses his feelings for May, and the two begin a relationship in the finale.
Why did Justin David Sullivan withdraw from the Tony Awards?
Sullivan withdrew from Tony Award consideration in February 2023 because the Tonys' acting categories are divided by gender into actor and actress awards. As a nonbinary performer in a nonbinary principal role, Sullivan declined to be considered in either the featured actor or featured actress category.
What show is May from?
May is a supporting character in & Juliet, which opened on Broadway in 2022.
Is May a lead or supporting role?
May is a supporting role, appearing as Juliet's nonbinary best friend.
Who wrote the music for & Juliet?
The score is built from songs written or co-written by pop producer Max Martin.
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