For the third show of the 2026-2027 Broadway season, the Washington Pavilion brought us & Juliet, a story about what could’ve happened if Juliet woke up, saw Romeo dead, and decided to move on instead of ending her life as well. The premise seemed simple enough, but I had no idea what this musical was really about. The journey it took me on was both hilarious and tragic, with plenty of unexpected turns along the way.
I knew the basic premise was that Juliet survives and continues her journey without Romeo. What I didn’t know was that the bigger story actually revolves around Shakespeare and his wife, Anne, who serve as the narrators while writing this new version of the play in real time. That little twist completely changed how I viewed the production, and the banter between these two absolutely made the show.
The playwright, the wife, and the show-stealing banter
Shakespeare, played by CJ Eldred, and Anne, played by Cassie Silva, walked us through the life and heartache of being married to a famous playwright. Shakespeare might’ve been busy creating some of the greatest stories ever told, but that left Anne at home raising their children and dealing with the inevitable neglect that comes with being married to someone whose attention is constantly somewhere else. This particular night, however, the babysitter had been acquired, and the night was hers for the taking.
Cassie Silva quickly became my favorite character of the entire evening, with Eldred in second place. Their back-and-forth exchanges brought some of the biggest laughs, and the dynamic between them gave the production a personality that extended well beyond Juliet’s story. Watching Shakespeare attempt to control the direction of his play while Anne increasingly challenged his decisions was an absolute treat. It also gave the audience a second story to invest in, one that was just as entertaining as the tale unfolding within the play itself.
A rising star takes center stage
But second place had a very close contender, because Juliet, played by Fabiola Caraballo Quijada, was phenomenal. And that’s particularly impressive when you consider her story. Fabiola is fresh out of high school and fresh off winning the 2025 Jimmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress. This is her national tour debut, making the opportunity to see her in this role even more exciting. Needless to say, I have high hopes for this lady and a career that hopefully continues to grow.
The amount of dancing and running around Fabiola did was insane. And that can be said for the entire cast, given the sheer number of ensemble songs and choreography throughout the production. There was rarely a moment when the stage felt still, with performers constantly moving, interacting, and contributing to the larger spectacle. The cast had to balance comedy, vocal performances, and some seriously demanding choreography, often all within the same sequence. It takes a talented company to make that much movement look so effortless.
A soundtrack straight out of our childhood
One of my favorite parts of the show was the trip down memory lane. The songs, primarily pulled from the ‘90s and early 2000s, brought back plenty of memories, with a healthy dose of Backstreet Boys making their presence known. As someone who enjoys live music and spends a good amount of time at concerts, this soundtrack was right in my wheelhouse.
At first, you might think throwing seemingly random pop songs into a Shakespearean story would simply be an excuse for some nostalgia. You would be completely wrong.
The music is built around the catalogue of Max Martin, the songwriter and producer behind an incredible number of pop hits spanning multiple decades. His work has helped shape the soundtracks of generations, from Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys to Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, and beyond. & Juliet takes those familiar songs and gives them entirely new jobs within the story.
When pop hits become part of the story
When you read the song list in the Playbill, which actually had a physical copy this time, praise the Lord, you might find yourself wondering how any of these songs are going to link together. How do you take a collection of pop hits from completely different artists and make them work in a Shakespeare-inspired musical? Somehow, this production manages to do exactly that.
The songs fit so perfectly that it was almost uncanny. They weren’t simply musical breaks inserted to give the audience something familiar to sing along with. Their lyrics, themes, and emotional direction helped move the narrative forward. In fact, I was so impressed with how naturally they fit that I found myself thinking that if the lyrics were simply spoken instead of sung, they still wouldn’t have felt out of place or forced into the story.
One of the best examples came during the Act I finale, with Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” The song was an excellent fit for the moment, particularly because it called back to a line from earlier in the show. The payoff was already fantastic, but Eldred’s reaction, essentially tooting his own horn over the moment he, Shakespeare, created, made it even funnier. It was one of those little performance details that elevated an already great scene.
And that’s what & Juliet does so well. It knows when to lean into the familiarity of a song and when to use that familiarity to make a joke, advance a character, or deliver an emotional punch. You come in recognizing the music, but you leave appreciating how cleverly it’s been incorporated into something entirely different.
Not your typical Shakespearean tragedy
Of course, the music would only get the production so far if the story itself couldn’t keep up. Fortunately, the writing delivers.
The overall story takes your typical Shakespearean twists and turns, but with one very important difference: this time, audiences get an ending they can actually be happy with, without the heartbreaking tragedy we have come to expect. Juliet’s decision to move forward rather than allow her life to end with Romeo becomes the starting point for a much larger story about independence, friendship, love, and making your own choices.
What I particularly appreciated was how the different plotlines developed alongside one another. There were several stories happening throughout the production, but none felt out of place, unresolved, or like they had simply been added to fill space. Each character had a purpose, and the different relationships contributed something to the larger narrative.
The Shakespeare and Anne storyline was especially effective here. Rather than simply using the couple as a framing device to introduce the next song or scene, their relationship gave the production another layer of emotional depth. Anne’s frustration with being overlooked and Shakespeare’s struggle to maintain control of the story provided plenty of comedic moments, but there was also something genuinely relatable underneath the humor.
The pacing never felt rushed, nor did I find myself thinking that something should have been removed. With a two-and-a-half hour runtime, including intermission, that’s saying something. The production managed to keep the story moving while giving its characters enough room to open up. I never found myself checking the clock or wondering how much longer we had to go.
Broadway meets the concert stage
And while the writing and performances were the foundation, the production itself was also top tier.
I can honestly say I‘ve never seen smoke machines, large sparklers, or confetti at a show at the Pavilion, especially in musical theater, but this production brought all three. The staging, lighting, and special effects took an already energetic musical and made it feel more like one of the concerts I frequently attend. There were moments when the stage was practically bursting with movement and spectacle, and the effects added another level of excitement without distracting from the story.
It was a different kind of theatrical experience than what I typically expect when walking into Mary W. Sommervold Hall. Not that Broadway productions at the Pavilion are lacking in production value, but & Juliet brought a particularly concert-like presentation to the stage. Between the music, choreography, lighting, and pyrotechnic moments, it was easy to forget that I was watching a story that began with one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies.
Curtain call
When the final note was played and the audience began making their way out, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I’d enjoyed this show. I went in knowing the basic premise and expecting some familiar music. I walked out having experienced a hilarious, surprisingly emotional, and exceptionally-well produced musical that managed to bring all of those elements together.
The music from my childhood was woven into an amazing narrative that called out neglect, encouraged making your own choices, and reminded us that love doesn’t always look like the story we originally imagined. Juliet’s story didn’t have to end with Romeo, and perhaps Shakespeare’s story didn’t have to end the way he originally planned, either.
There are still opportunities to see & Juliet at the Washington Pavilion through November 15. If you have nothing going on this weekend, I highly recommend checking it out. Whether you come for the Broadway production, the comedy, the familiar pop hits, or simply to see what happens when Shakespeare gets a little creative, there’s plenty here to enjoy.
And if you find yourself singing Backstreet Boys on the way home, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
