& JULIET On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 8

[inception]

Posted: 11/1/22 at 3:40pm

Sutton Ross said: "^Correct. How miserable."

Well to be fair, you may be underestimating how much fun some people can have with colonoscopies.

Using the rating system someone else posted recently:

Colonoscopy *****

& Juliet ****

Full disclosure: I have not yet seen & Juliet, so that is a hypothetical rating. 

Also, none of my "colonoscopies" were performed by a licensed medical professional. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:10pm

HAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

LOVE IT. 

[BritCrit]

Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:39pm

To respond to a few things -

1. David Bedella already had two Oliviers when he won for & Juliet (for Jerry Springer: The Opera and In The Heights). I never got to see him in the show, but the actor playing Lance was pretty fun to watch - I agree that most of the other characters are more interesting, but Lance's boisterous, French-accented comic energy is really enjoyable.

2. I don't really think & Juliet is a "Smash the Patriarchy" play, but I can see why

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Feminist critics may take an issue with a "Girl Power" story that ends with Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway reconciling, and Juliet agreeing to give Romeo a second chance. But Shakespeare and Hathaway DID stay together, so there must have been something that worked about their relationship. I think that Romeo becoming more self-aware later on is a nice change from "insincere Prince Charming" tropes and the idea of a "second first date" for Juliet and Romeo makes sense with them being Hathaway and Shakespeare's avatars....

3. I do agree with criticisms of the musical being overstuffed - it sometimes felt like Juliet was a supporting character in the story that bears her name. However, she gets most of the big numbers, and Miriam Teak-Lee generally nailed them.

4. Abandoning the tragedy of the source material is generally a sensible idea - this is after all a musical where characters can travel the 600 miles from Verona to Paris inside a single musical montage. But a bit more of Juliet's parents would have made their toxic influence clearer, and given "Stronger" greater impact...

5. For all the messiness, I do feel like & Juliet's emphasis on "deconstructing and reconstructing" Shakespeare is a good way of reimagining him for the fanfic age (Let's not forget that almost all of Shakespeare's plays were adapted from existing books, plays and poems, so you could say HE was a fanfic author). There is potential to do this sort of story without the songs, but where's the fun in that?

6. For all the issues with the story, the soundtrack is one of best "Jukebox Musical" soundtracks - It captures the joy of the original songs and even finds emotional weight in them...

[BritCrit]

Posted: 11/1/22 at 7:48pm

I have actually had professional colonoscopies. And trust me, & Juliet is 1000x better than a Colonoscopy, even at its worst...

Updated On: 11/1/22 at 07:48 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 12:24am

I went tonight and I had a blast. There is really not a single bad seat in the house. (I was extreme right rear orchestra).

For what it’s worth, this is probably one of the best constructed jukebox musicals I have ever seen because it takes an EXTREMELY disparate group of pop songs and reorchestrates them into something that, to the unfamiliar, May think is an original Broadway score. There are quite a few plot lines to follow and some of them are cheesy, but this show is just so much fun that you can suspend yourself and just enjoy being in that space.

The cast - holy crap - is uniformly excellent. I could truly see Lorna, Betsy, Paulo, and Melanie up for Tony Awards. Lorna just has one HELL of a voice on her and she more than proves her mettle with some of the best vocal pyrotechnics I’ve seen on a stage in recent time. I think as of right now, she might be the only candidate who can give Victoria Clark a run for her money.

I agree with those who think this may be Betsy Wolfe’s winning moment. Not only she is of GORGEOUS voice but she even made a comedic meal out of the most mundane of lines. Paulo and Melanie were both pure ham in the best way, and goes without saying that Paulo has a voice that could melt icebergs.

Shockingly, everyone came out of the stage door and was nice and signed/took pics. It was a small crowd (like 20 of us).

[Owen22]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 5:48am

Jmuep2 said: "I saw the preview last night, super-excited because this show hits a lot of my buttons. But EGADS, I can't describe how much I hated it. It lost me before the show even started -- the casual way the performers came out showing off for the audience and by the time Sands made in his entrance, all I could think is "I liked this better when Borle played is in SOMETHING ROTTEN! Can't I just watch that again?"

My biggest problem is the horrible direction. The director seemed to give no direction other than "be as silly and goofy as you can be." That might work for a song, but for an entire show, it felt exhausting. Moreover, these actors aren't capable of that. I've seen high school improv students with better comic timing than Wolfe and Sands (along with better chemistry.) I felt humiliated for Szot and based on what I saw, I don't believe for a second La Barrie is a professional. I've seen more credible performances from a fish. The only two performers who didn't get the "just act stupid" note were Arroyo and Sullivan. Not coincidentally, theirs was the only storyline that carried any emotional weight -- though I didn't buy it for a second.

The choreography was horrible and the director really doesn't know how to stage a musical number. Essentially it seems the director knows when a moment should land, but doesn't know how to achieve that without turning up the bass or having a confetti canon explode.

There are things about the book to like, but there are also problems with it -- but again, the goal just seems to be silly. Nobody seems to care that the book actually undercuts the "down with the patriarchy" vibe that the show so desperately wants to project.

By the end of it, I genuinely felt embarrassed for everyone involved.

While some of the numbers were fun, I genuinely think I would've enjoyed a colonoscopy more."

I assume his terrific direction is the same on Broadway as it was in London, so I've got to come on here and defend my man Luke Shepherd and what an amazing job he did in crafting and shaping this show. It's the best jukebox I've ever seen on stage (the best jukebox musical I've seen ever is the film Rocketman) and the reason it works is because of Luke!

[Jmuep2]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 6:00pm

I’m not sure what a professional colonoscopy is, but your phrase implies there’s an amateur one. And I fully suspect that to be worse. 😂
 

BritCrit said: "I have actually had professional colonoscopies. And trust me, & Juliet is 1000x better than a Colonoscopy, even at its worst..."

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 6:09pm

BritCrit said: "I have actually had professional colonoscopies. And trust me, & Juliet is 1000x better than a Colonoscopy, even at its worst..."

 

As opposed to what?  Those amateur "do it yourself at home" colonoscopies??

 

[JaredBway]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 9:10pm

Can any recommend where to sit for this one?

[veronicamae]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 9:53pm

JaredBway said: "Can any recommend where to sit for this one?"

I was in Orch M center and they were primo!

[JaredBway]

Posted: 11/2/22 at 10:04pm

veronicamae said: "JaredBway said: "Can any recommend where to sit for this one?"

I was in Orch M center and they were primo!"

thank you

[Tippy2]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 1:08pm

This show is so much fun!  What a blast.  The cast is top notch.  I think it's gonna be a hit.  I bought tickets the other night on stubhub for cheap!  Looks like that might a trend at the moment but after seeing it I don't think seats will stay cheap for long.  Word is going to get out.  

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 1:32pm

Seeing this next week and I really, really hope I can change my tune about this show. 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 1:47pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Seeing this next week and I really, really hope I can change my tune about this show."

I look forward to reading your review. IIRC, my sentiments were about the same as yours re: the London production.

[musikman]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 11:03pm

I suppose take this with a grain of salt because I really dislike jukebox musicals as a principle - and sorry to be the voice of dissent here - but this did nothing to change my view of them. The show is very well produced, and polished, and slick, but it’s just another example of cringey, shoehorned-in songs amidst a weak book.  The main character is very much a supporting player here, which is harmful to the audience caring about her (though I will say Roar was pretty exciting!).  There are too many plot lines, and I think there needs to be some more variety in the choreography. 
 

There are some really fun moments, the cast is super talented, and there’s some INSANE singing up there, but overall I just left with the same feeling of MEH and “what separates this from some cheesy 90 minute show you’d see in Vegas?” 
 

All that said, I think this will definitely be a big crowd pleaser for a decent amount of time.  I don’t see this becoming a massive hit a la Mamma Mia, though.  Audience definitely went crazy for it, though I’d say the younger set was much more entertained than the older folks in the crowd.  
 

Wishing the show all the best, though, because it definitely has the best intentions at heart.  

[inception]

Posted: 11/4/22 at 1:02am

musikman said: "
There are some really fun moments, the cast is super talented, and there’s some INSANE singing up there, but overall I just left with the same feeling of MEH and “what separates this from some cheesy 90 minute show you’d see in Vegas?”
 

Welp, in Las Vegas it is actually Katy Perry singing her big hits like Roar etc.

 

[Sauja]

Posted: 11/4/22 at 7:47am

I’m generally really down on jukebox musicals. Mamma Mia never worked for me. I’m meh on Moulin Rouge. But somehow, this utterly daft pop confection won me over head to toe. The absolutely killer cast certainly helps, but I have to say that the book while overstuffed, manages not only to be hilarious but to hit some very sincere moments. May’s storyline had me over the moon. I adored this even though I really expected it not to be for me. 

[Voter]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 7:06pm

I really want to see this show. I am going to do the TodayTix rush soon. Just wondering if anyone has done it and how were the seats? 

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 9:07pm

quizking101 said: "I went tonight and I had a blast. There is really not a single bad seat in the house. 

Unless you sat in every seat in the house, this is an incredibly ignorant thing to say. 

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 6:03pm

It’s his life: Daniel J. Maldonado will be on as Romeo all week, and tonight marks his Broadway principal debut! A Queens native, he notably worked on the Boston tryout of Moulin Rouge! back in 2018.

Break a leg, Daniel!

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 11:14pm

Just got home from tonight’s performance and we had a BLAST. This show has so much energy. It’s fun, polished, great script, great cast, but BETSY F*CKING WOLFE IS EVERYTHING. Wow. Every line that came out of her mouth was FLAWLESS. I don’t mean to drudge up old issues but she would have taken Broadway by storm as Elsa and I’m sooooooooooo happy she’s in a role that proves how amazing she is. Wow. 

[JaredBway]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 11:32pm

Does anyone know what the first row of seating is?  I see the seating chart has AX and BX then A, B, but AX and BX are greyed out.  What are they actually using for the first row for & Juliet, I think I'd rather be a few rows back.  

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 11:55pm

As someone who fell in love with the London cast album in late 2019 and used it to try and get me through the earliest days of the pandemic, tonight felt like a true full-circle moment. The next cult classic has arrived on Broadway: her name is & Juliet.

Yes, the show remains somewhat messy, with the artificial and shoehorned book moments notably standing out. But that same libretto manages to find sporadic moments of true heart and levity — a rarity for a jukebox musical, and for that I praise one David West Read.

The show is, above all, a love letter to Max Martin's indelible legacy on pop music. It ain't over yet, but it's a damn good story to tell through song. I will say that as of tonight, most of the changes made since the UK were very minor and specifically in the first half...

A single chorus was cut in both "Show Me Love" and "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." "Stronger" was shortened a bit. The final "...me" in "Overprotected" can be heard, providing a more smooth musical transition into "Confident"; gone is the little scene with Juliet mispronouncing "Madeline" as "Vaseline." "Interval" becomes "intermission", and after Anne's May comments to Shakespeare, he now responds "Please continue" instead of "Carry on." Shakespeare also has a new rhyming couplet before May and François's second run-in which leads to "I Kissed a Girl", and some soft underscoring has been added right before "One More Try." "CAN'T STOP THE FEELING!" was slightly rearranged and eight bars were cut, before "Got this feeling in my body...". I thought a lot of these were good changes, but not anything most people would notice. 

I'm in love with most of this cast — a group willing to sell the material and not work very hard for laughs. Every principal got entrance applause tonight. Lorna is in excellent voice (MTL could never) and took me along on her journey from her first entrance. Juliet goes through so much in this show — empowerment, heartbreak, and pretty much everything in between — and Lorna handles this beast of a role with such grace and positivity. I don't know how this season is going to shake up, but she's made her case for a Tony nom. Betsy too — it was my first time seeing her in a show! Her Anne is more "dry" and quicker with her one-liners than Cassidy is, and not too over-the-top. "That's the Way It Is" broke my heart in act two. 

Mel has yukked it up a little bit since London, which best suits her manic Angelique — and she still owns "F**kin' Perfect." Again not too campy — similar to how Olly Tompsett has progressed overseas.

Stark and Paulo... meh. One feels a bit too cloying in his role, and the other is just out of place in this show no matter how much hamming he's doing. Tompsett and Dave Bedella did the same roles better.

I liked Philippe and Justin, even though they have (IMO) the most undercooked plot line of the show. 

I must single out Daniel J. Maldonado, who made his Broadway principal debut tonight and absolutely killed it. Yes indeed, he's "super dope"! His "It's My Life" easily outdoes Walker's recorded version, and he had me hooked as well from his first entrance early on. Best Romeo since Jordan Luke Gage. Everyone, if you can, please see the show this week for Daniel alone.

Ensemble, design, orchestrations all remain top-notch. Michael Ivan Carrier was on as a swing and gave me Chris Medlin vibes, he was the character that says "Female empowerment! Sick!" during those first few minutes. Dom Fallacaro conducted tonight, well done. Some pyro was added to "Roar" and the button of "Blow", in addition to the button of "Everybody" (which got a great hand tonight and made many audience members sway their hands back and forth). Lots of confetti, as expected.

I spoke with Read and the show will freeze on Thursday. Max is out of town but he should be back soon. Daniel's fiancée, Bill Sherman, a few ensemble members from A Beautiful Noise, Brittany Nicholas, and Katy Geraghty were all in the house this evening. I met most of them and they were all super sweet.

I had a nice time and will lean positive with this review — but I must give the strikingly similar SIX brownie points (and the edge) for more originality, especially in the well-crafted score.

Never thought I'd say this... but take a chance on this pink confection before it becomes the next talk of the town and tickets become nearly impossible to get. This was my "one more try" with this show and I'm glad I gave it a second chance, in true spirit. 

I might catch this again sometime down the line.

 

 

 

 

 

Updated On: 11/9/22 at 11:55 PM

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 8:24am

Paulo Szot is everything for me. Such a baffoon, and you can tell he is having the time of his life. 

[SoCalDirector]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 6:12pm

I originally bought a ticket for World. I was notified by the production that the team that seat which was number seven to be obstructed view and they moved me to the second seat in row B on the side. I don't think my original seat is even there anymore. I do think row a is not great because you have to look up. I'm very tall and Robert was pretty good except for some soft will be blocked because of the angle