What if Juliet survived and saw what her life could be like…after Romeo?
By: Gianna Liantonio
On September 12, 2026, I went to see the broadway musical & Juliet at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. This show exceeded my expectations in more ways than one. The entire cast and storyline was incredible with the humor, dialogue, set design, and characterization.
I enjoyed that Shakespeare, played by Cory Mach and his wife Anne, played by Alison Luff were characters in this show. It opens up with Shakespeare announcing that he finally finished the ending of Romeo and Juliet, but everyone protests and begs for a different ending. With the help of Anne, she envisions a different ending for Juliet where instead of joining her late lover, she embarks on a journey of self discovery and longing to see a world outside the same four walls. Throughout the show, they were writing and re-writing the play within the play, making playful cameos within this new version. The Shakespeares’ witty banter was a highlight indeed!
Juliet, played by Gianna Harris, was absolutely phenomenal; their energy and stage presence blew me away, in addition to their incredible voice. This new ending brings Juliet to Paris with her best friend May, played by Michael Iván Carrier and her nurse Angelique, played by Chrissy Metz, who is best known as Kate Pearson in the T.V. drama This is Us. This was Metz’s Broadway debut, and I was more than happy to witness it! She owned the stage with her humor, voice and facial expressions that said it all without uttering a word.
The character of May, who was added by Anne because “Juliet needs a best friend,” is so right! Their dynamic was so fun to watch throughout the show, and also showed how each character embarked on a different journey of self discovery and love, May being a non-binary character who does not fit within a certain box.
The songs chosen to tell the story were incorporated so well, relating to the different scenarios and characters. & Juliet is a jukebox musical, which means they use songs already made to have them relate to the story and situations. Juliet singing the lyrics “My loneliness is killing me” was very fitting as this is the moment where Juliet decides if she wants to die to be with her lover Romeo or live on despite the despair she feels. This show turned a tragic romance into a comical coming of age story of finding who you are despite what society demands of you. Juliet learns to love herself and find out what she wants out of life, the song “Roar” illustrated it so well!
The songs with entrancing choreography that make you drawn to the colorful stage makes you feel like you are at Broadway and a concert all in one. The stage had me captivated the entire time with the lights, colors and transformations between scenes. I liked the touch of there being a jukebox on stage, as it is a jukebox musical!
Francois Du Boise, played by Makai Hernandez, is an aspiring musician who must marry or join the army like his brothers. He feels like he can’t tell his father Lance, played by Reece Britts, what he really wants to do with his life. Like Juliet, he is under strict expectations by his family, seeming to be no way out, serving as a foil for each other.
In case this story didn’t have enough twists and turns, plot twist! Romeo comes back and gives Juliet an even harder choice of going back to how it was or choose a new path for her life that is not written in the stars. Towards the end, Juliet sings “Roar” by Katy Perry as an anthem for her finding out who she is and who she can be.
Within the show, Anne and William go through their own journey, seeing how the writing truly reflects real emotions and events that transpire outside of the quill and ink. This show was truly breathtaking, filled with heartfelt, funny and surprising moments all wrapped up in one, illustrating a journey of discovering your identity after feeling lost for so long. The energy on stage transferred to the audience, everyone bopping along to these great hits.
All in all, this show is a must see, especially now as it will have its last performance on January 3, 2027. Go see it now!
