& JULIET – REVIEW OF 2025 PRODUCTION AT ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE

Reviewed by James Karas

& Juliet is a boisterous, vibrant, exuberant, highly energetic, loud and occasionally too loud musical that completely enthralled the audience at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The excitement that it infused in the audience was palpable from before the show even started to the dancing, screaming, wildly applauding and standing ovation at the end.

The logo for the show says a great deal. A large, multi-coloured heart dominated by red contains the title of the show. Gold coloured earphones are superimposed. The message is clear. We will get the life of Juliet after Romeo. William Shakespeare (George Krissa) and his wife Anne Hathaway (Julia McLellan) appear and he reminds us of the ending of his Romeo and Juliet and we learn that she did not die. Mr. and Mrs. Shakespeare bicker throughout the musical. He was married to his work, paid scant attention to Anne after he Hathaway (there is a pun there) and in his will he left her his second-best bed. Anne is a strong character, a feminist and argues with William to the audience’s huge delight.

Juliet (Vanessa Sears), her Nurse a,k.a. Angelique (Sarah Nairne) and her friends April (a disguised Anne Hathaway) and May (Matt Raffy) leave Verona and go to Paris. They are described as April, May and July-ette). In Paris Juliet finds fun and a lover, Francois, (Brandon Antonio). He “loves” her but he is also attracted to May, a transgender person. Juliet’s Nurse/Angelique falls in love with Lance (David Silvestri), the father of Francois. In this version, Romeo (David Jeffery) appears because he did not die after all and he will try to rekindle his love for Juliet. His reincarnation is part of the argument between Shakespeare and Anne. 

Vanessa Sears as Juliet and cast - Toronto Company. 

Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz

The plot has some humour but it is mostly a scaffold on which to allow the cast to sing the songs of Max Martin and Friends, as the program bills them. The feminist elements of the musical are popular but I found the musical to be a rock concert performed as described in the first sentence of this review. The cast could not go wrong with an audience that they had in the palm of their hands.

Most of the musical numbers are showstoppers and are done like concert pieces with the ensemble joining in as dancers or singers with some extraordinary long phrases and high notes that captivated and thrilled  everyone.  Krissa and the ensemble start us off with “Larger Than Life.” Shakespeare and Anne sing “I want it that Way” with the ensemble and the concert goes on with a few quiet moments (like Angelique and Lance in bed). But when Sears sings “Roar” with the ensemble she reaches operatic dimensions. And there is the powerful “It’s My Life” and the show goes on. And there is more than singing, dancing and comedy. It is showmanship of lights and glitter  that almost rarely slow down. 

They shine on the stage and the audience, and a colourful flash of lights surrounds the players and the entire theatre. The lights are accompanied by vigorous dances choreographed by Jennifer Weber. Take a bow to Scenic Designer Soutra Gilmour, Costume Designer Paloma Young, Lighting Designer Howard Hudson, Sound Designer Gareth Owen and Video Designer Andrzej Goulding. They all have one aim: spare nothing to produce an overwhelming spectacle that will not allow for a moment’s rest for more than two hours.  
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& Juliet by Max Martin and Friends (Music and Lyrics), David West Read (book), continues at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St W, Toronto, Ont. For tickets and more information go to: www.mirvish.com  

James Karas is the Senior Editor, Culture, of The Greek Press. Toronto