Musical '& Juliet' offers a joyously fresh take on an old tale

What happens when one of the lovestruck teenagers from Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” is free to make another choice? In Broadway in Boston’s production of "& Juliet" (through Nov. 17),  Rachel Simone Webb, who plays the title character,  gets a chance to ditch the double suicide and explore life without Romeo. Juliet goes on a hilarious journey with friends to find out what she wants, or maybe she doesn’t know what she wants, and that’s okay, too.

As theatergoers made their way to their seats in the Citizens Opera House at the performance Wednesday, Nov. 6, cast members came onstage, waved and quickly launched into singing. In the first 10 minutes or so, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into. But soon — the cast, with their impressive vocals, colorful garb and impeccable comedic timing — drew me into the riotous fun.

This is no ordinary Shakespeare fare, although Shakespeare, portrayed by Corey Mach, shows up in the play. He and his wife Anne Hathaway (a lovingly pushy Teal Wicks who also doubles as Juliet’s friend, April) disagree on how the story of “Romeo & Juliet” unfolds. So, the two discuss alternatives while the cast acts out their wishes. For Hathaway, who shares that she spends much of her time waiting for her famous husband to spend time with her and the kids, it’s essential that Juliet’s life is more than just the adoration and affection of a man.

David West Read, a writer and executive producer on the Emmy-Award-winning show “Schitt’s Creek,” wrote this modernized Elizabethan tale set to pop music by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson and more. While this could certainly make for a strange experience, the thoughtful direction by Luke Sheppard, Read’s sharp writing, and apropos music selections make this unfamiliar storyline easy to vibe with since the audience can sing along to the tunes. Hands swayed and heads bopped to popular songs such as “...Baby One More Time,” “I Want It That Way” and “Roar.” All the music and lyrics were written by hitmaker Max Martin and collaborators, with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Bill Sherman, and additional orchestrations and arrangements by Dominic Fallacaro.

In Read’s “& Juliet,” themes of love, identity and empowerment are on offer aided by the music selections. In this story, after the death of Romeo (a very funny Michael Canu), Webb’s Juliet — whose voice is effortlessly beautiful — heads to Paris from Verona for a little fun with her friends April and May (a fabulous Nick Drake), and her nurse Angélique (Kathryn Allison). They head to a ball where there’s dancing, lots of singing and a secret smooch with a Frenchman named François (a talented Mateus Leite Cardoso) that could prove ruinous.

In Paris, Allison’s Angélique meets an old flame, Lance, the excellent baritone bass Paul-Jordan Jansen. Both actors shine in a hot scene with hilarious choreography by Jennifer Weber. Watching their jubilant performance was a real treat. Some other standout moments include “I Kissed a Girl,” a duet between Drake and Cardoso, a lovely rendition of Celine Dion’s “That’s The Way It Is” with Webb and Wicks, and a  shining moment for Webb’s Juliet in “Roar.”

The creative team — including set designer Soutra Gilmour with lighting, sound and video projection designs by Howard Hudson, Gareth Owen and Andrzej Goulding, respectively — crafted a bombastic show with pyrotechnics, props and moving projections. (Starry moonlit nights, maps with rues and boulevards noted, and sparks.) Paloma Young created an attractive wardrobe for the cast: think pants with ruffles, corsets over satin green shorts, a fabulous sequined outfit for Juliet, and large skirts over sweatpants. The live seven-piece band led by conductor Andre Cerullo added to the show’s irresistible edge.

Packed full of puns, great music from the last few decades and a fresh take on an old tale, “& Juliet” proved to be a joyous, exhilarating voyage with a satisfying end.

Broadway in Boston’s “& Juliet” runs through Nov. 17 at Citizens Opera House.