Show guide
& Juliet
& Juliet imagines what happens after Shakespeare's tragedy ends, giving Juliet a second chance at life and love set to a jukebox of Max Martin's biggest pop hits.
- Broadway premiere
- 2022
- Music by
- Max Martin
- Genre
- Jukebox
- Setting
- 1590s
& Juliet: quick answers
What is & Juliet about?
- & Juliet asks what would happen if Juliet did not die at the end of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, rewrites the ending, and Juliet runs off to Paris with her nurse and friends to take charge of her own life.
When did & Juliet open on Broadway?
- & Juliet opened on Broadway on November 17, 2022, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, after runs in Manchester, London, and Toronto. The production has announced it will close on January 3, 2027.
Is & Juliet a jukebox musical?
- Yes. & Juliet is a jukebox musical built on songs written or co-written by Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, including hits recorded by Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, and Katy Perry, with a new book by David West Read.
Where and when is & Juliet set?
- & Juliet opens at the first performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and then follows the rewritten story from Romeo's funeral to Paris, with Shakespeare and Anne writing themselves into the action and modern pop songs throughout.
Has & Juliet played in London's West End?
- & Juliet premiered at the Manchester Opera House in September 2019, then opened at London's Shaftesbury Theatre on November 20, 2019. It won three 2020 Olivier Awards, including Best Actress in a Musical for Miriam-Teak Lee as Juliet.
The story of & Juliet
& Juliet opens with William Shakespeare performing Romeo and Juliet for the first time, only to have his wife, Anne Hathaway, interrupt and demand a happier ending for its heroine. Together they rewrite the play on the spot, and Juliet wakes up at Romeo's tomb, alive, furious, and ready to build a life of her own rather than die for love.
Juliet heads to Paris with her nurse Angelique and her friends May and Francois, discovering romance, identity, and independence away from Verona, while Shakespeare and Anne bicker over the story's direction from the sidelines. The show plays with the original tragedy's conventions to make a case for self-determination, especially for its female and gender-nonconforming characters.
The music and the makers
& Juliet is a jukebox musical built almost entirely on songs written or co-written by Swedish producer Max Martin, one of pop's most successful hitmakers, whose credits stretch from Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys to Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. The book is by David West Read, who reworks those familiar pop songs into new dramatic and comedic contexts.
The score's high-energy, radio-ready pop sound sets it apart from more traditional Broadway scores, turning songs like Since U Been Gone and Roar into character-driven moments rather than simple hit parades. That approach gives the show a party atmosphere while still using the songs to advance Juliet's story of self-discovery.
& Juliet on Broadway
& Juliet opened on Broadway in November 2022 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, following earlier runs in the UK. It received nine Tony nominations at the 2023 ceremony, including Best Musical, with Lorna Courtney earning a nomination for her performance as Juliet.
The show built on the growing popularity of jukebox musicals that reframe an existing songbook around an original story rather than a biographical one, joining shows like Mamma Mia! and Moulin Rouge! in that tradition. Its playful, contemporary take on a classic tragedy has helped it find a broad, multigenerational audience on Broadway and beyond.
& Juliet: frequently asked questions
When was & Juliet written, and where did it premiere before Broadway?
David West Read was approached to write & Juliet's book in 2016. The musical had its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House in September 2019, then transferred to London's West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre that November, three years before opening on Broadway in 2022.
Is & Juliet a jukebox musical?
Yes, & Juliet is a jukebox musical built entirely around songs written or co-written by pop producer Max Martin, rather than an original score.
Did & Juliet win the Tony Award for Best Musical?
No. & Juliet received nine nominations, including Best Musical, at the 2023 Tony Awards but won none of them. Kimberly Akimbo won Best Musical that year.
Is & Juliet closing on Broadway?
Yes. In September 2026 the production announced a closing date of January 3, 2027, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, where & Juliet opened on November 17, 2022.
When did & Juliet open on Broadway?
& Juliet opened on Broadway in November 2022 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
Who wrote the music for & Juliet?
The score is drawn from songs written or co-written by pop producer Max Martin, with a book by David West Read.
What is & Juliet about?
It reimagines the ending of Romeo and Juliet, following Juliet as she survives, travels to Paris, and builds an independent life instead of dying for love.
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