Shakespeare remix ‘& Juliet’ a humor-filled musical at Cadillac Palace in Chicago

What exactly is “& Juliet,” the musical now at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre until Dec. 15? If you guessed that it focuses on the female half of one of William Shakespeare’s most famous romantic/tragic couples, you’re right. But it’s more than that. To put it succinctly, the plot focuses on Shakespeare and his wife in a no-holds-Bard comedic, musical battle for Juliet’s future. That’s if she doesn’t die as originally written, with Anne Hathaway (William’s wife) urging her hubby to revise the entire play, but especially Juliet’s demise.

What you may not know about this nine-time Tony Award nominee (including for Best Musical) is that “& Juliet” incorporates songs from recent years that were written or co-written by Swedish record producer and songwriter Max Martin. If Martin’s name doesn’t ring a bell, his songs likely will, since they were turned into hits by the Backstreet Boys (“I Want It That Way,” “As Long As You Love Me”), Britney Spears (“Baby One More Time,” “Oops! … I Did It Again”), Katy Perry (“Roar,” “I Kissed a Girl”), Kelly Clarkson (“Since U Been Gone”), Celine Dion (“That’s the Way It Is”), Justin Timberlake (“Can’t Stop The Feeling”) and more. David West Read’s creative Tony-nominated script integrates more than two dozen songs into a very funny show. In my opinion, there’s so much humor here, “& Juliet” isn’t just a jukebox musical – it’s a joke-box musical.

As “& Juliet” begins, it’s opening night of the first-ever public performance of “Romeo & Juliet,” with William (Corey Mach) having just finished writing the closing scenes. But his description leaves Anne (Teal Wicks) unimpressed. Seeking a more exciting future for the heroine, Anne overrides William’s objections, and convinces him that if they work together on the play, it could be “something very special.” With Anne in control of William’s quill pen, she seeks to give Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb), Juliet’s non-binary best friend May (Nick Drake), Juliet’s nurse Angelique (Kathryn Allison) and a second best friend April (played by Anne [Wicks] herself) a female empowerment storyline they can be proud of.

Fleeing her parents’ plans to put her in a convent, Juliet and the others head for Paris where a shy young Frenchman – François Du Bois (Mateus Leite Cardoso) – is being forced by his father, Lance (Paul-Jordan Jansen, who wowed audiences at Paramount Theatre in Aurora in the title roles of “Sweeney Todd” and “Beauty and the Beast”), to hold a ball so François can find a woman to love and eventually marry (“You are running out of options and I’m running out of patience.”). If his son cannot find someone, Lance will force François to join the military.

Which of these characters will find love? What other character(s) will Shakespeare incorporate from his original play? Which of the male characters will be involved in a boys’ band called DE BOIS’ BAND? Those answers and more await you.

Why did I enjoy “& Juliet” so much? Several reasons:

• The fun storyline that, like “Something Rotten,” takes liberties with the character of Shakespeare himself, the self-centered playwright, for example, making sure to call the audience’s attention to many of the phrases he was the first to introduce into the English language.

• The impressive singing talents on display from Webb (a powerful voice that Whitney Houston fans will love) and Wicks (bringing every ounce of emotion into an Act II number where she mourns the possible failure of her marriage to William).

• The hilarious script that: reminds us there’s a famous celebrity with Anne’s name, informs one character with a strong accent that none of the other actors are using accents, and even uses the opening notes of songs to clue music-savvy audience members to how yet another Max Martin number is matching up with the storyline (like the spot-on use of “Since U Been Gone” when Juliet faces someone from her past).

• The way the script makes us care about a possibly happy ending for not just Juliet, but also Angelique, the Shakespeares, François, Lance and especially May, Drake delivering an emotion-filled solo (Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman”) in Act I and a heart-breaking duet with another character (Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me”) in Act II.

• Amazing dance sequences choreographed by Jennifer Weber.

The musical “& Juliet” may not have won any of the nine Tonys it was up for in 2023, but under the direction of Luke Sheppard, this touring production is funny, sweet and deserving of a longer run. For now though, you don’t have much longer to run to this combo of 21st century pop music and Shakespearean characters who vividly live on.

• Paul Lockwood is a communications consultant at Health Care Service Corporation in Chicago, as well as a local theater actor, singer, Grace Lutheran Church (Woodstock) and Toastmasters member, columnist and past president of TownSquare Players. He and his wife have lived in Woodstock for almost two dozen years.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: The musical “& Juliet”

• WHERE: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago

• WHEN: Through Dec. 15

• INFORMATION: BroadwayInChicago.com