By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
There was an audible sense of surprise in the room the moment opening night began.
The curtain rose, and audiences at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex were met not with sweeping tragedy or a familiar Shakespearean overture, but with a slowed-down rendition of Larger Than Life by the Backstreet Boys.
The immediate reaction was shock.
Not because it felt out of place — but because it worked.
That opening moment instantly established the rules of & Juliet: expect the unexpected.
And for the next two-plus hours, the production delivered.
Built around the catalog of songwriter Max Martin, & Juliet is more than a jukebox musical. It is a vibrant, self-aware reimagining of one of literature’s most recognizable endings. The production flips the script on Shakespeare’s tragedy and asks a simple question:
What if Juliet didn’t die?
Instead of ending with loss, this version imagines Juliet surviving Romeo, leaving Verona and stepping into a world where she gets to decide who she is beyond love, heartbreak and expectation.
It’s a premise that could easily feel gimmicky.
Instead, it feels refreshing.
One of the production’s greatest strengths is that it never treats empowerment like a lecture. The storytelling is hilarious — genuinely, unexpectedly hilarious. There are gut-busting moments that catch audiences off guard and ripple through the theater. The humor feels effortless rather than forced, playful without sacrificing emotional depth.
At its core, the show explores identity, independence and the freedom to rewrite your story.
At the center of that journey is Juliet herself.
Lead actress Fabiola Caraballo Quijada commands the stage with a performance that feels both grounded and electric. She brings warmth, humor and vulnerability to a character audiences think they already know.
Her Juliet isn’t consumed by heartbreak for long.
She’s curious. Confident. Unsure at times, but willing to discover herself anyway.
Caraballo Quijada carries the emotional weight of the production while matching the show’s larger-than-life energy. Whether delivering quieter moments or launching into powerhouse numbers, she keeps the audience invested in Juliet’s transformation from literary icon into a fully realized young woman reclaiming ownership over her life.
Chemistry and Collective Energy
But while Quijada’s performance is exceptional, & Juliet never feels like a one-person showcase.
The real magic of the production comes from the chemistry and collective energy of the cast.
Each performer contributes to an atmosphere that feels joyful, playful and fully committed to the world they’re creating together. Whether delivering razor-sharp comedic timing, layered harmonies or high-energy dance numbers, the ensemble gives the production its heartbeat.
There is a noticeable sense that the cast isn’t simply performing beside one another — they are playing with one another.
That connection translates directly to the audience.
Scenes feel alive. Musical numbers build momentum. Even transitional moments carry an energy that keeps the production moving with intention and excitement. The ensemble transforms what could have been a clever reimagining into something much bigger.
Bold Reinvention
Visually, & Juliet embraces reinvention boldly.
Gone are the muted tones, heavy stone sets and dark atmosphere audiences often associate with traditional productions of Romeo and Juliet. Instead, the stage pulses with color and movement.
The set bursts with vibrant pinks, purples, golds and rich jewel tones that make the world feel playful and alive. Towering scenic elements shift seamlessly between locations while dramatic lighting amplifies both emotional moments and comedic beats. The costumes lean contemporary but maintain subtle nods to Shakespearean style, creating a visual world that feels suspended somewhere between Elizabethan theater and a 2000s pop concert.
The production feels as if Broadway and a music video had a theatrical love child.
Another standout element is the musical’s clever self-awareness.
The show introduces Anne Hathaway — Shakespeare’s actual wife, not the actress — and imagines her stepping in to challenge her husband’s original ending. Played by Crystal Kellogg, the role it becomes one of the production’s smartest devices, turning the story into a conversation about authorship, agency and who gets to shape narratives.
Compared with Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet’s life is constrained by duty, family and fate, & Juliet opens the door to something larger.
The original tragedy places love at the center of Juliet’s identity.
& Juliet asks what happens when she chooses herself instead.
The musical embraces contemporary ideas about identity, love and belonging in ways that feel expansive rather than performative. Its inclusivity feels woven into the fabric of the show, creating space for characters to define themselves outside traditional expectations.
That openness gives the production an energy that feels celebratory.
For theater nerds, there are clever references and playful callbacks to Shakespeare. For lovers of pop music, there’s the thrill of hearing familiar anthems transformed into storytelling devices rather than standalone performances.
And then comes the finale.
By that point, the audience has watched Juliet move beyond grief and into possibility.
The cast closed the evening with a powerful rendition of Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake — and it landed exactly as intended.
What could have been a predictable feel-good ending became something bigger.
Bathed in bright light and surrounded by a stage exploding with color and movement, the final number felt triumphant, joyful and unapologetically loud.
The message was clear: Juliet no longer belongs to tragedy. She belongs to herself.
And if Birmingham’s opening night audience is any indication, audiences are more than ready to say yes to this version of her story.
& Juliet, presented by Broadway in Birmingham, is showing at the BJCC Concert Hall through Sunday, May 24. For tickets and more information visit bjcc.org.
