The cast of the North American premiere production of & Juliet has been announced! Roaring into Toronto this summer, & Juliet is London’s newest hit musical and will bring its multi-award winning irreverence, hilarity and joie de vivre to North America. With a book by David West Read, the Emmy Award-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” and music from legendary five-time Grammy Award winning songwriter/producer Max Martin, & Juliet uses some of the most beloved pop songs of the last three decades to tell a multi-generational story of self-discovery, empowerment and love.
This highly anticipated musical will play a limited eight-week engagement from June 22 to August 14, 2022 at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
The Cast will feature Lorna Courtney as Juliet, a recent graduate from the University of Michigan’s highly regarded musical theatre program who already has two Broadway credits: Dear Evan Hansen and Ivo van Hove’s 2020 revival of West Side Story. This will be her first professional leading role.
Joining Courtney will be Paulo Szot (South Pacific, Chicago), Betsy Wolfe (Falsettos, Waitress, Bullets Over Broadway), Stark Sands (Kinky Boots, To Kill a Mockingbird, Journey’s End, American Idiot), Justin David Sullivan, Melanie La Barrie (UK production of & Juliet, Matilda, Wicked, Once on this Island), Ben Jackson, and Philippe Arroyo.
The ensemble includes: Brandon Antonio, Nico De Jesus, Nicholas Edwards, Katy Geraghty, Virgil Gadson, Bobby "Pocket" Horner, Joomin Hwang, Michael Iván Carrier, Alaina Vi T.Maderal, Daniel J. Maldonado, Joe Moeller, Brittany Nicholas, Veronica Otim, Jasmine Rafael, Matt Raffy, Tiernan Tunnicliffe, and Rachel Webb.
This hilarious new musical comedy flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. & Juliet asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as Juliet ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love — her way. Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.”
All 30 songs in the show come from acclaimed songwriter and music producer Max Martin, and collaborators. Martin has had more #1 hits than any other artist this century. In fact, Martin is the songwriter with the third-most number-one singles on the Billboard chart’s history, behind only Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The list of artists he has worked with as a songwriter and/or producer is long and impressive: Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Usher, Avril Lavigne, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay and many others. Martin is not only the source of all the songs in & Juliet, he is also one of the lead producers of this musical.
The book is by David West Read, the Emmy®-winning writer (and Toronto native) from “Schitt’s Creek,” for which he also served as executive producer. West Read’s plays have been presented on Broadway and in theatres across North America and include The Performers, The Dream of the Burning Boy and The Great Pretender.
& Juliet is directed by Luke Sheppard, who has quickly become one of the most sought after directors of musicals in London. His highly acclaimed production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights was a long running hit in London. Other productions include Spring Awakening, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4, Working, Cash Valentina and Peter and the Starcatcher.
Choreography is by Jennifer Weber, a New York-based director and choreographer whose original creation The HipHop Nutcracker has become an annual touring production and was filmed as a PBS special. She has worked at prestigious venues and festivals around the globe, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow and the Stanislavsky Music Theatre.
The set design is by Soutra Gilmour, whose numerous designs for productions in London’s West End and on Broadway have received wide acclaim. Costumes are by Paloma Young. Lighting design is by Howard Hudson. Gareth Owen is the sound designer. Bill Sherman is the musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger. J. Jared Janas is the hair designer. Casting is by Stephen Kopel and Carrie Gardner, CSA, with Canadian Casting by Stephanie Gorin, CSA