'& Juliet' review: Shakespearean Jukebox Musical is like pure gold

Shakespeare's Juliet singing "Oops…I Did It Again" by Britney Spears is certainly a startling juxtaposition and unexpected. While there's every reason to be skeptical of a Shakespearian jukebox musical, "& Juliet" does it remarkably well. It's the most fun you'll have in a Broadway theater right now.

"& Juliet" features 32 songs by Max Martin and a rotating band of collaborators (officially credited as Max Martin and Friends), spanning from the 90s to today and featuring songs made popular by Robyn, the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, P!nk and more. The poster includes a note that Martin has had more number one hits than any other artist in this century, and boldly asserts "He's basically the Shakespeare of pop music." If nothing else, its catalog is unquestionably impressive – and its songs make for a surprisingly fantastic jukebox musical.

The book of "& Juliet", by David West Read ("Schitt's Creek"), takes us on a metatheatrical journey as Anne (Betsy Wolfe) battles with her husband William Shakespeare (Stark Sands) to rewrite "Romeo and Juliet" with a happier ending for Juliet. Instead of dying, Juliet (Lorna Courtney) learns here that her beloved is a melodramatic jerk with many other lovers, and so she flees to Paris and soon finds herself embroiled in yet another romance.

This all might have seemed like a high school English class assignment, but Read manages to pull it off make it work . He clearly has respect and knowledge of the source material, but also isn't afraid to point out how ridiculous the piece really is. (As we're reminded here, Romeo and Juliet had only known each other for four days.) While it keeps the characters true to the original, there are slight tweaks for modern sensibility, such as when Anne shifts the Juliet's age of 13 (yikes) to her mid-twenties.

"& Juliet" draws on a rich but also very specific theatrical heritage: it's like if "Six, "Something rotten! ", "Head Over Heels" and "Moulin Rouge!" all had a baby. "& Juliet" is an Elizabethan jukebox inspired by Tudor chic, packed full of jokes and well-researched historical Shakespeare references (including the fact that Shakespeare left Anne only her "second best bed in her will), and uses beloved pop songs to spread a palatable feminist message.

The structure of the musical seems perfectly Shakespearian, although more in keeping with Bard comedies. From the moment we meet the characters, it's quite obvious who will end up with whom and that everything will end well. In fact, the musical could use more conflict, and although this is acknowledged by Shakespeare at the top of the second act, Read fails to do anything substantial about it, leaving some of the action to be feel labored.

What the series lacks in plot, it more than makes up for musically. It's a jukebox, but it's smart, using songs in deft, humorous, and unexpected ways (including some good puns on character names). The songs are frequently chosen for the verse lyrics instead of the choruses, an approach that makes the songs feel fully integrated into the scenes and true to the characters. The show never takes itself too seriously: it even pokes fun at the simplicity of some of Martin's lyrics, especially his hollow, generic love songs.

Visually the show is a bit mixed. Jennifer Weber's choreography combines classic drag moves and trendy TikTok dances, often resulting in little more than just jerky arm movements. The decor (by Soutra Gilmour) and the video and projections (by Andrezy Goulding) seem generic: Gilmour does next to nothing with the Parisian decor, other than including an (anachronistic) miniature Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge windmill and a subway sign.

Paloma Young's gorgeous costumes, however, mix corsets and doublets perfectly with Doc Martens and joggers. The costume design is one of the strongest elements of the series and will no doubt inspire many fans.

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