& Juliet (Cast Album)

 

(Image Source: Amazon dot com)

(Plot Source: Wikipedia)

Every once in a while, I peek into what is going on in The West End, to those who do not know it is London's biggest theater output and sometimes a musical may premiere there before coming here. One show that is getting a ton of positive press over at The West End that many wish will come to Broadway stages and tour is a show called "& Juliet". A tale of the Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, retooling the classic narrative of the star-crossed lovers to which Juliet survives and finds a new life, and maybe new love. I went to Wikipedia and got the plot synopsis as this show is not available over here in the states and I only had the album to go off of. So how does this change the bard's famous love story, let's have a listen.

This show takes us to alternate timeline where Shakespeare and his wife, but mostly his wife pen a new tale for Juliet. The plot has romance, and many twists and turns while having overlaying themes about love for both the characters of the classic play and those writing it. The plot has many wonderful modern ideas infused into this classic tale while keeping things light and fun. The tone is heartfelt with plenty of room for inspirational self-discovery, comedy, and romance. Reading the plot had me interested, but what of the music that followed with it?

This is a jukebox musical with pop songs from the late 1990's and early 2000's, with some songs from a more recent time. Hits like "Larger Than Life", "I Want It That Way", "Oops I Did It Again" and even "Teenage Dream" and "Love Me Like You Do" are sprinkled throughout this show. Combining a time long gone with music we can still hear on the radio or in grocery stores to this day. These are all well performed by the cast and had me listening time and time again. Each performer brings their all and is completely invested into bringing these songs in a new way to the stage. 

Some of these songs have never seen the stage but they fit because the instrumentation and performers sync well into combining them. Songs about love, break ups, self-discovery, and more fill this album to make it more than just a glorified mix tape. It makes me beyond curious and interested to see how they fit into the plot and are used. A sign of a good cast album is making the listener want to see the show, and after listening I would enjoy seeing this show make it stateside. This show stands out with jukebox powerhouses like "Moulin Rouge" and the countless biographical musicals summarizing a musician's career. I do love when a jukebox musical uses an original plot and this one combine familiar and new in a way that just works.

The album has sold me on the show, I may know these songs, but a good jukebox musical reminds you why these songs are so great. The styles, performances, and the mashups used work so well, and are so well performance. The different pacing and tempos can add a new flavor to a song that brings it a breath of fresh air. Combining it with the fun plot seems like a great night at the theater, and I hope it comes our way or at least is given a proshot. 

This is the first time I ever have covered a show from the West End, but certainly won't be the last. My eyes have been opened to see what some shows entail, such as the "Back To The Future Musical" and others that either premiere there first or never make it to the states. Different styles of cast recordings in some cases with shows like "Mary Poppins", show how many possibilities await, and I can not wait to find more. All the songs of this album may be familiar but are so well performed with such great instrumentation that they are a pure delight.

I had so much fun with "& Juliet" and there are plenty of songs to listen to, a good amount all standing out. Using the works of multiple artists work in this shows favor, making the song a showcase of the artists, and in this case the more the merrier. There are some fun twists and turns in this show that lead to many fun moments, and many sweet ones as well. A tale of love, what matters, growing as a person, with plenty of great representation in it. The bards work glows and is given such a great plot and fun soundtrack that make this an absolute blast. I hope to see this someday, and until next time, I hope your day is a showstopper.