{"id":120361,"date":"2025-12-16T13:48:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T18:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=120361"},"modified":"2025-12-17T11:57:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T16:57:43","slug":"scrutiny-mirvishs-canadian-juliet-runaway-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/12\/16\/scrutiny-mirvishs-canadian-juliet-runaway-hit\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Mirvish\u2019s Canadian & Juliet Is A Runaway Hit"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"George
George Krissa as Shakespeare and cast – Toronto Company of & Juliet (Photo: Dahlia Katz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

David and Hannah Mirvish & Associates\/& Juliet, music and lyrics by Max Martin and Friends, book by David West Read, music supervisor, orchestrations, & arrangements by Bill Sherman, choreographed by Jennifer Webber, directed by Luke Sheppard, Princess Alexandra Theatre, closes May 17. Tickets here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Canadian production of & Juliet opened on Sunday, and from the first moments it became clear that Toronto has another runaway hit on its hands.<\/p>\n

This staging by Luke Sheppard<\/strong> is a triumph \u2014 bursting with energy, heart, and unapologetic theatrical joy \u2014 and it seems destined to run forever at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.<\/p>\n

It is that rare commercial musical that satisfies both the eye and the ear, delivering spectacle while grounding itself in a story that feels refreshingly contemporary.<\/p>\n

What powers this juggernaut is its irresistible combination of Max Martin<\/strong>\u2019s pop catalogue and David <\/strong>West Read<\/strong>\u2019s sharply comic book.<\/p>\n

\"(L
(L to R) Vanessa Sears as Juliet, Julia McLellan as Anne, Matt Raffy as May, Sarah Nairne as Angelique of & Juliet (Photo: Dahlia Katz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Creators<\/h3>\n

Martin, the Swedish songwriter-producer behind some of the biggest tracks of the last three decades, has been responsible for more No. 1 hits than almost anyone alive.<\/p>\n

His music has shaped global pop culture \u2014 from Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys to Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and C\u00e9line Dion \u2014 and & Juliet transforms these songs into narrative engines. Rather than feeling like retro jukebox inserts, each number lands with surprising dramatic precision.<\/p>\n

Balancing this musical architecture is Read\u2019s smart, cheeky, thoroughly modern script.<\/p>\n

The award-winning Canadian writer, best known for his work on Schitt\u2019s Creek, reimagines Shakespeare with both irreverence and affection. He asks a simple but radical question: what if Juliet (Vanessa Sears<\/strong>) did not die?<\/p>\n

From that premise springs a playful theatrical experiment in authorship, storytelling, and agency, as Anne Hathaway (Julia McClellan<\/strong>) barges into her husband\u2019s (George Krissa<\/strong>) rehearsal room and decides that Juliet deserves a life of her own.<\/p>\n

Read\u2019s writing is both self aware and warm hearted, leaning into humour without sacrificing emotional truth.<\/p>\n

\"Julia
Julia McLellan as Anne and George Krissa as Shakespeare – Toronto Company of & Juliet (Photo: Dahlia Katz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Story<\/h3>\n

The plot, buoyed by this narrative framework, becomes a celebration of choice, independence, and the refusal to be written out of one\u2019s own life.<\/p>\n

Juliet seizes control of her destiny and steps into a world of possibility, travelling with her friend May (Matt Raffy<\/strong>) and Nurse Angelique (Sarah Nairne<\/strong>) to Paris while Shakespeare and Anne argue over the shape of the tale in real time.<\/p>\n

It is a show that wants to welcome everyone, and it does so by weaving in multiple strands of contemporary identity: a trans\/same sex coming-of-age story \u2014 May and Fran\u00e7ois (Brandon Antonio<\/strong>) \u2014 a romance for an older couple \u2014 Angelique and Lance, Fran\u00e7ois\u2019 father (David Silvestri<\/strong>), and friendships that matter as much as romance.<\/p>\n

There is something here for every audience member \u2014 wit for those who know their Shakespeare, and a heartfelt message of empowerment that resonates across generations.<\/p>\n

Oh yes, and Romeo (David Jeffery<\/strong>) who really isn\u2019t dead.<\/p>\n

Spectacle For Musical Theatre Lovers<\/h3>\n

The production\u2019s visual world, courtesy scenic designer Soutra Gilmour<\/strong>, lighting designer Howard Hudson<\/strong> and video designer Andrzej Goulding<\/strong>, is astonishingly complex, an endlessly shifting theatrical landscape where something is happening everywhere you look.<\/p>\n

The set is built from modular platforms, flying elements, and a lattice of scaffold-like structures that allow scenes to slide effortlessly from Shakespeare\u2019s rehearsal room to Verona\u2019s streets to the glittering clubs of Paris, all without ever stopping the show\u2019s momentum.<\/p>\n

Rather than literal scenery, the designers use movement, colour, and projection to sculpt space \u2014 LED screens bloom into pop-art backdrops, light pulses like an extension of the score, and the ensemble themselves become part of the architecture as they reposition elements in full view, creating the sense of a story being rewritten in real time.<\/p>\n

Lighting functions almost as a scenic character \u2014 bold saturations, sharp beams, and rhythmic cues shape mood and location with breathtaking immediacy. Projections expand the world far beyond the physical stage, deepening the show’s pop-theatrical hybrid energy.<\/p>\n

The costumes by Paloma Young<\/strong> work in tandem with this kinetic environment, marrying Renaissance silhouettes with modern streetwear and high-glam pop flourishes; every character seems to step out of a mash-up between Shakespeare and MTV.<\/p>\n

Quick changes happen in view, woven into choreography, and the colour palette \u2014 bright pastels, jewel tones, metallics \u2014 stitches the performers directly into the visual world, making clothing a form of scenic storytelling.<\/p>\n

Together, the set, lighting, video, and costumes create a dazzling, constantly transforming universe that matches the musical\u2019s exuberant pop spirit beat for beat.<\/p>\n

\"Vanessa
Vanessa Sears as Juliet – Toronto Company of & Juliet (Photo: Dahlia Katz)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Acting<\/h3>\n

Sears gives the performance of her life. She is practically never off the stage and is absolutely radiant as Juliet. She sings up a storm, dances like a whirlwind, acts like an Oscar winner \u2014 in short she is perfection.<\/p>\n

McClellan and Krissa have great chemistry together as Anne and Will. I don\u2019t know how old McLellan is, but the lady is a stupendous dancer for someone not in the flush of youth, and both she and Krissa can belt out a tune.<\/p>\n

Raffy and Antonio are suitably sweet while Nairne and Silvestri bring smiles as the older generation. Jeffery as Romeo has the hardest role to play because he is a nerd which he does very well.<\/p>\n

The Curmudgeon<\/h3>\n

I would be less than honest if I didn\u2019t let my curmudgeonly side speak out. Everything I have written above is absolutely true but here comes the BUT\u2026<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t recognize one song and they all sound the same.<\/p>\n

99% of the songs are all canbeltos \u2014 meaning sung at full voice and loud.<\/p>\n

While vigorous and energetic, the choreography is very repetitive.<\/p>\n

Sorry, & Juliet fans, but it had to be said, but then, I did say it was from my grouchy side.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n

In the end, this Canadian production understands exactly why & Juliet has already conquered audiences around the world.<\/p>\n

It marries pop exuberance with theatrical craft, delivering a show that is wildly entertaining.<\/p>\n

Toronto has embraced it wholeheartedly, and judging by the reaction on opening night, & Juliet is poised to become one of the city\u2019s defining commercial hits.<\/p>\n

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David and Hannah Mirvish & Associates\/& Juliet, music and lyrics by Max Martin and Friends, book by David West Read, music supervisor, orchestrations, & arrangements by Bill Sherman, choreographed by Jennifer Webber, directed by Luke Sheppard, Princess Alexandra Theatre, closes May 17. Tickets here.\u00a0 The Canadian production of & Juliet opened on Sunday, and from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":120363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,4780,52,62,63],"tags":[40166,40165,20677,42184],"yst_prominent_words":[11442,15565,35672,11444,11439],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/12\/Copy-of-REVIEW-2025-12-16T134459.112.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-vjj","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120361"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120361"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":120378,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120361\/revisions\/120378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120361"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=120361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}