“& Juliet” is a singing, dancing version of the Shakespeare classic “Romeo and Juliet” that I can guarantee you’ve never seen before.

On Sunday, April 6, I went to the 6:30 p.m. evening performance of “& Juliet” at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City.

“& Juliet” is a jukebox musical written by David West Read and scored by Max Martin that poses one question: What if Juliet didn’t die?

The storyline follows playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway as they argue over what would make a better ending to Shakespeare’s latest tragedy, “Romeo and Juliet.” Hathaway desires for Juliet to have a second chance at life and love, while Shakespeare has his heart set on catastrophic, star-crossed demise.

As the play unravels, Juliet, Romeo and the others are tugged in all sorts of different directions by Shakespeare and Hathaway’s unreliable narrations and conflicting schemes.

The show took the Broadway stage back in 2019, but gained recent popularity when TikTok star Charli D’amelio joined the tinselled cast in the dance-intensive ensemble role of Charmion back in October 2024.

D’amelio and the show received a lot of backlash with her casting, many saying that she didn’t deserve the role and that she’s only there because of her social media fame.

As someone with a heavy dance background, I can acknowledge that D’amelio is talented beyond TikTok. Her extensive dance career began long before her rise to fame, and she is a fabulous, well-trained dancer. Although her influencer status may have contributed to the stunt casting, D’amelio herself has even stated that being on Broadway was always a dream of hers.

I personally hadn’t heard much of anything else about the show going in. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I can tell you this: I wasn’t expecting Juliet’s understudy to be the one to sweep me off of my feet.

Khailah Johnson made her Broadway debut as Judith/Rosaline and understudying Juliet in July 2024. This is shocking news to me, because she exudes the first-rate performance energy of a seasoned Broadway professional.

When I read in the playbill that she was the understudy, my jaw hit the floor. I literally never would’ve guessed. She is a true Broadway-star quality vocalist. Her renditions of “…Baby One More Time” and “Stronger” bordered on a Britney revival, and her soulful spark was just the cherry on top to her perfect-performance sundae.

I can’t continue on without a not-so-subtle nod to Paloma Young for her costume design, especially for Juliet’s role. The entire company was dressed in a “Shakespearean era meets modern sparkly streetwear” fusion that I am obsessed with. Juliet’s bright palette of fuschia and cobalt hues was cohesive and a golden pick for her strong, feminine and spunky character.

One of my favorite moments in the entire show was Juliet’s power ballad at the end of Act 2, “Roar,” when Johnson pulled off an incredibly quick onstage costume change where she trades out her long medieval-esque gown with a sparkling singlet fit for a modern popstar-princess.

If you thought one understudy knocking my socks off was enough, you were wrong! Joining Johnson on stage for this performance was Gabe Amato, yet another understudy, as the role of May, Juliet’s best friend.

The role of May is a very emotional one that really resonated with me personally, and Amato knocked it out of the park. Their emotive caliber is outstanding, and totally tugged on my heartstrings with “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.”

Amato and Johnson’s dynamic onstage was perfect, their voices blending like honey. These two are the true definition of “wonderstudies.” They did a truly phenomenal job in their roles, and I’m sure of the fact that they have many principal roles ahead of them in the future.

Overall, “& Juliet” was great, as to be expected. The show has been nominated for over 30 awards, and won six in 2020. However, I think my favorite thing about the show is that it’s truly a musical for the ages.

The score is jam-packed with nostalgic 2010s radio hits, as well as boy band classics that everyone in the audience was rocking along to for the entire 2-and-a-half hours we were there. I sat in between an elderly couple and a mom with her tween– our entire row had a blast.

Yeah, so what if D’amelio was stunt casted? I think it was a pretty smart move. A lot of kids will come to see their favorite TikToker, but I think a lot of them will leave with a newfound love for the theatre. This musical is the perfect introduction to the Great White Way, and I can see it kickstarting an odyssey for many of the next generation of Broadway lovers.

Besides, after seeing it live, I can confirm what I previously expected to be true: D’amelio’s professional dance card does not decline.

I daresay, I do believe she hath earned that role with merit full and true- now behold, she doth slay it most wondrously! (She killed it.)

Plus, an added bonus: “I Want It That Way” was stuck in my head for the entire duration of my trip after that night! Yay!

Seriously though, if you ever get the chance to see ‘& Juliet,’ I would recommend it! Anything you see on Broadway in New York City is going to be be a good time, but this show is a hidden gem among the greats for sure.