Unlike typical musicals where the lights go down, signaling to the audience the show is starting, “& Juliet” ensemble members wandered around stage, interacting with the audience and setting the scene before the lights officially dimmed.
“& Juliet” follows the story of what could have happened if Juliet didn’t die at the end of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Incorporating Shakespeare himself and his wife Anne Hathaway, the two work together to rewrite the play, weaving twists and turns with every musical number.
The musical’s modernity showed not only through the song selection, which included ‘90s singalong hits like the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” and Britney Spears’ “Oops! I Did It Again,” but also through the comedic timing of Kathryn Allison, who plays Angelique, Juliet’s nurse, and Joseph Torres, who plays Romeo.
While the show was written in 2019, the comedy felt like it could have been written in 2010. Despite cringey moments where the characters would take the songs literally, turning pop hits into awkward moments, the actors hit the mark on the delivery of lines and bouts of awkward silence, making the jokes land harder than they should have.
C12 Casting company made an impressive choice casting Fabiola Caraballo Quijada, a recent high school graduate and winner of the 2025 Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress, for the role of Juliet. At 19 years old, Caraballo Quijada’s Juliet is her national tour debut, a remarkable feat for someone so young. Caraballo Quijada’s performance was breathtaking as she hit powerful high notes hanging from a chandelier, finding that mix between a belt and head voice, crowning her a true triple threat in the world of theater.
One plot point that made the show special was Hathaway’s decision to write in a best friend for Juliet, May, played by Nico Ochoa. As a nonbinary character in the play, May brings emotional heaviness and modernity to the musical, falling in love with Francois with the support of her friendship with Juliet. Ochoa’s rendition of “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” brought tears to audience members.
The many subplots of the musical keep the audience on their toes, as focus shifts between the love affair between Lance, Francois’s father, and Angelique, the problems of marriage between Hathaway and Shakespeare, and the love quad between May, Francois, Romeo and Juliet. While the subplots sometimes take away from the true message behind the show, “& Juliet” does a fair job of piecing the storylines together into a coherent story.
The show’s main message, beautifully displayed by Crystal Kellogg (Anne Hathaway) and Caraballo Quijada, is that women should seek autonomy. Juliet’s closing solo, a rendition of Katy Perry’s “Roar,” reinforces the idea that Juliet doesn’t need Romeo or Francois — she can be herself unapologetically.
“& Juliet” ended with confetti spilling from the ceiling, which gave Bass Concert Hall the feel of a big party. While the comedy felt a little outdated, the performances exceeded expectations with strong voices and high energy consistent throughout the show.
3 ½ starcrossed lovers out of 5
