Lorna Courtney, Paulo Szot, Betsy Wolfe, Stark Sands Cast in New Musical ‘& Juliet’
variety.comWilson Chapman editorLorna Courtney, Paulo Szot, Betsy Wolfe and Stark Sands will headline the North American premiere cast of the Max Martin jukebox musical “& Juliet,” the production announced on Friday.Currently running on the London’s West End, “& Juliet” is a retelling of the classic William Shakespeare tragedy “Romeo & Juliet.” Featuring a framing device where Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway comment on the original play, the musical explores a scenario in which Juliet doesn’t die at the end of the story, and instead takes a road trip to Paris in search of self-discovery.
The musical features a book from David West Read, who is best known for his work writing on Canadian comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” and music from Grammy-winning songwriter Max Martin, including hits like “I Want It That Way,” “Since U Been Gone” and “Teenage Dream.” An original song “One More Try,” co-written with Jessie J, is also featured.
Courtney will star in the North American production of “& Juliet” as Juliet. A recent graduate of the University of Michigan, Courtney previously appeared on Broadway in “Dear Evan Hansen” and the 2020 “West Side Story” revival.
This will be her first professional leading role.Paulo Szot will play Lance, a wealthy man Juliet meets while in Paris. A professional opera singer, Szot made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Emile De Becque in a revival of “South Pacific,” winning a Tony for his performance.
Read more on variety.com
