“& Juliet” is an Elixir of Joy and an Evening of Fun

by Pat Lindsey        

                         The Fabulous Fox is ending its 2024-25 season with all the glitz, energy, and spectacular color of all the other shows combined in ‘& Juliet.’

It’s pure fun guaranteed to lift spirits and put everyone in a good mood.

It’s a jukebox musical packed with 32 hit songs from the last three decades selected by Swedish hit-maker Max Martin. Several of the songs are Baby One More Time, I Kissed a Girl, It’s My Life, Since U Been Gone, and Roar. Those songs coupled with a book by Emmy winner David West Reed of Schitt’s Creek fame and a fresh take on the play, “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare have resulted in an exuberant romp for a tragic tale.

It all begins when Will Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, is not satisfied with the tragic ending her husband has written for his play, “Romeo & Juliet.” She begs him to give her a chance to put her quill to paper and make the ending happier. With wine glass in hand, Anne proceeds to show the audience what could have happened if Juliet had not killed herself when she found Romeo dead.

The beautiful Juliet, played by Rachel Simone Webb, gives outstanding performances each time she effortlessly delivers song after song and dance after dance. Britney Spears and Katy Perry have nothing on her. Juliet’s best friend is May (Nick Drake), who advises Juliet to leave home to escape her parents and start a new life. It’s only a matter of days before Juliet meets Francois, the new love of her life. And not long after they meet, Francois (or Frankie, as Juliet refers to him) proposes to Juliet. Juliet accepts and begins singing, “Oops, I Did It Again.” The plot thickens after that, but only enough to add some modern-day love and introduce us to Romeo (Daniel J. Maldonado), who is brought back into the story

Will Shakespeare (Corey Mach) and Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks) are believable as a bickering married couple, although Anne would never have been allowed to speak up for herself in the 16^th century. They both demonstrate a strong-will when they sing “I Want It That Way.

The puns keep coming throughout the show and Will unabashedly lets the audience know which ones he wrote. The familiar songs guide the story and dialogue. This show is filled with humor, but its essential ingredients are the world-class singers and dancers, a party-like set, and gorgeous costumes.

“& Juliet” is playing at The Fabulous Fox now through June 1. Tickets are available through Metrotix at 314-534-1111.   Don’t miss all the fun.

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