Overview
On the stage in London's West End since 2019, in Toronto as well, and finally in Australia since 2023, jukebox musical & Juliet has let theatre and Shakespeare fans play a game of "what if?". What if Romeo and Juliet didn't wrap up with such woe? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of earworm tunes from the last couple of decades?
They're some of the queries posed by the Olivier Award-winner, which blends classic tales, pop songs and a sensational musical into one package. Here's another "what if?" game to play, too: what if you could see & Juliet when it hits Sydney for just $45?
The answer arrives via TodayTix, which is doing another of its popular ticket lotteries for the Harbour City's season of this remix of the Bard's iconic love story.
Wicked, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Hamilton, Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast: The Musical are among the other stage smashes that've scored the same cheap-ticket treatment in the past around the country. As a result, you might be familiar with how trying to score discounted seats works. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the TodayTix app, which is available for iOS and Android.
The first chance to head along at a significant discount opened on Friday, February 16, and will close at 1pm AEDT on Thursday, February 22 — with winners advised each Thursday for the coming week's performances. After the first round, the lottery will open on Fridays at 12.01am weekly.
And if your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news.
Yes, that $45 price is accurate. Tickets will be made available for all Sydney shows. And if you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via TodayTix, too.
& Juliet's Shakespeare-meets-pop spectacle will play Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, February 27–Sunday, June 2, 2024. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about the production's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more.
Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since U Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap of others. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack.
As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer and The Big Door Prize creator David West Read.
And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Check out the trailer for & Juliet below:
& Juliet plays Sydney Lyric Theatre from Tuesday, February 27–Sunday, June 2, 2024, which includes preview performances from Tuesday, February 27–Wednesday, March 6. To enter the Today Tix $45 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert.
Images: Daniel Boud.