Write-up and Photos by:
Bailey Guinigundo
(Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando FL) Without any prior knowledge I walked into this opening night performance of "& Juliet" at Dr. Phillips and ended up being completely blown away by this show, its cast, and my overall feeling of satisfaction from having attended.
Quick Synopsis:
At the of the original story of Romeo & Juliet, both of the title characters (spoiler alert) impulsively took their lives. "& Juliet" takes the spin of "but what if Juliet had lived?"
My overall reaction:
This jukebox musical cleverly -- very cleverly -- adopts pop music as its musical score and somehow managed to strategically convey the storyline through some very carefully selected song selections and inherently significant song lyrics therein. This cast was so amazingly selected, that I am perhaps ruined from being able to watch this show in the future lest I might experience something less than perfect, which is exactly how Tuesday night's show was: perfect. In the Orlando run, you have a 3-time Jimmy Award nominee and ultimate 2025 Jimmy Award winner who superiorly demonstrated that she belonged on the big stage as the musical's title character. You also had a boy-band icon whose very presence onstage with 4 other individuals nostalgically took all pop music fans of the 90s to a most happy place. Additionally this specific cast not only supported their lead actress on this performance, but each actor elevated their deliveries and executed on performances that were individually worthy of 'lead role' accolades.
The Cast:
Fabiola Caraballo Quijada (Juliet)
This recent HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE was extraordinary, and to think that this was her National Tour debut? She had an amazing voice. Although I'm thankful for the lines she delivered on, her timing and use of dramatic pause transitioning into songs was impeccable. She handedly proved in last night's performance that she deserved to be on that stage amidst an already-seasoned and experienced cast. She commanded the stage with her presence, and owned each song that she took on. She was comical, and vulnerable, and full of expressive emotion. I absolutely loved her and will happily track her career progression with the expectation of seeing many more great things ahead for this wonderfully talented young woman.
Joey Fatone (Lance)
Joey personality and charisma were on full display. He was charming and comedic. I felt that his portrayal was multi-dimensional in that we despite the whit and hilarity he provided, he completely devastated me emotionally with his 'Shape of My Heart' solo and totally delivered on a wonderfully impactful performance in this song, only further punctuating an already-perfect portrayal of a role that seemed to have been written for him. The only thing that may have, but didn't, affect his timing were the prolonged applause from his hometown's audience whenever he initially took to the stage, or showcased an NSYNC dance move. Seeing him onstage with 4 other performers in matching attire immediately reminded the audience that we had a true pop-music icon before us, which was magical in and of itself, but his character portrayal was extremely well done.
Crystal Kellogg (Anne)
Crystal played the motherly role, reminiscent of that older person who kept wanting to prove that they were still young. She was endearing and very relatable to many of the parents in the audience. To the ladies in the audience, Crystal also successfully conveyed some of the mindset struggles and frustrations when dealing with one's partner, and was greeted with cheers and applause whenever she comically portrayed these emotions (which was often). One of the greatest emotional crescendos of the evening was caused by Crystal's duet with Juliet for "That's the Way It Is", which was powerful, meaningful, significant, and memorable.
Daniel Tracht (Shakespeare)
Daniel was confident and bold for most of the evening. Whenever he had to take a step back from this, was whenever the character / scene called for him to back down. During these times, he was relatable and funny. There was a time during the show when he had to repetitively deliver on the same sentiment (ref: "I came up with that saying"), and he did this without being annoying. He was playful and retrospective. His character led the others onstage, and he convincingly led them through the story's evolution.
Nico Ochoa (May)
Nico was very vulnerable and open on that stage. During Nico's solo for "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", I may have felt a slight lump in my throat. I may have gotten a little choked up. May as a character lent itself to being a polarizing character in that you either fully supported May's journey, or you felt completely otherwise. However, throughout this, Nico was able to quickly evoke feelings of pain and emotional celibacy that, to objective audience members, were translatable and believable. Nico was able to transcend gender identification such that you were watching a 'person' rather than a binary role stratification.
Kathryn Allison (Angelique)
Kathryn was powerful and strong. She made you feel confident just by virtue of having her say something to be true. She was dynamic on that stage, playing a maternal best friend to Juliet on one hand, then just a few moments later playing the love interest of a complicated situation across from Joey Fatone. She appeared comfortable and natural in her dominating character's role, and was tender and sweet during "F@*kin' Perfect". A powerhouse with a sweet heart.
Joseph Torres (Romeo)
Hopefully 'Romeo's' inclusion here doesn't spoil too much of the plotline here, but Joseph was great. He was the pretty-boy 'player' onstage, but boy was he goofy at times: and it was perfect! His character needed that element of 'sex symbol' but also convince you that he was this confused hormonal teenager with no upper body strength. His character just kind of spawned during the show, and he did a fantastic job of demonstrating why his character was relevant and not out of place from the storyline. He had audience members swooning, while also having people shake their heads as we all probably know the thoughtless heartthrob that he was able to act out so well!
Noah Marlowe (Francois / Frankie)
Noah played the unassuming role. In the movie Ocean's Eleven, one of the characters had to convince another character to act such that "He's gotta like you and then forget you the moment you've left his side." For me, this summed up Noah's really well-done portrayal. When Noah was onstage, your eyes were drawn into his story. Noah carefully and methodically made sure to not overplay his part so as to cause his memory to linger into the next scene. He played this role very well. As audience members, we were compelled to empathize with this character who had to deliver less-than-optimal news to one of our parents. Really well done, Noah!
Supporting Cast Members
Each of them was skillful. The dance sequences were plentiful and demanding, yet none each of them delivered on very complicated choreography without appearing tired. The background vocals were seamless in that they didn't take anything away from any of the soloists, but they offered up the perfect support throughout the evening. As a whole, these actors provided a very solid foundation for the show.
Closing Thoughts
This show succeeded because the actors were able to check their pride and inhibitions at the stage door -- thank God for that! They were silly and goofy, and truly embodied the 'dance as though no one is watching' mentality, without which the show could have taken a very different path leading to a very different outcome. Sometimes with these performances, there is one clear personality on stage, whose energy and personality is carrying the performance; but with this cast, there was so much chemistry that each actor appeared comfortable and free to go all out with their portrayals. The songs from this evening may have been pulled directly from pop tune lyrics, but the amount of creativity and imagination that was used to harness all of this together into the masterpiece that it was pure genius. There were subtle nuggets dropped throughout the show that later led to moments that really made you ponder and reflect on just how intelligently that nugget had been placed. As indicated earlier in this review, this specific cast may have permanently wrecked me from ever being able to see this show objectively again in the future, as the deliveries / singing / acting / actors were perfectly executed. The plot twists were not predictable, and the performances throughout the entire evening were beyond outstanding. A quick kudos on the varied appearances of the sets, and how appreciative I am that we were transported into so many different show scenes, and also the costumes were elaborate and well-designed.
I have watched countless shows across innumerable stages. This show and this cast were unforgettable and definitely amongst the best that I have seen all of my years of seeing anything live onstage. A++ would be my grade for this, with an advisement that this is a 'must watch' performance, particularly from this specific cast.
Bailey Guinigundo
(Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando FL) Without any prior knowledge I walked into this opening night performance of "& Juliet" at Dr. Phillips and ended up being completely blown away by this show, its cast, and my overall feeling of satisfaction from having attended.
Quick Synopsis:
At the of the original story of Romeo & Juliet, both of the title characters (spoiler alert) impulsively took their lives. "& Juliet" takes the spin of "but what if Juliet had lived?"
My overall reaction:
This jukebox musical cleverly -- very cleverly -- adopts pop music as its musical score and somehow managed to strategically convey the storyline through some very carefully selected song selections and inherently significant song lyrics therein. This cast was so amazingly selected, that I am perhaps ruined from being able to watch this show in the future lest I might experience something less than perfect, which is exactly how Tuesday night's show was: perfect. In the Orlando run, you have a 3-time Jimmy Award nominee and ultimate 2025 Jimmy Award winner who superiorly demonstrated that she belonged on the big stage as the musical's title character. You also had a boy-band icon whose very presence onstage with 4 other individuals nostalgically took all pop music fans of the 90s to a most happy place. Additionally this specific cast not only supported their lead actress on this performance, but each actor elevated their deliveries and executed on performances that were individually worthy of 'lead role' accolades.
The Cast:
Fabiola Caraballo Quijada (Juliet)
This recent HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE was extraordinary, and to think that this was her National Tour debut? She had an amazing voice. Although I'm thankful for the lines she delivered on, her timing and use of dramatic pause transitioning into songs was impeccable. She handedly proved in last night's performance that she deserved to be on that stage amidst an already-seasoned and experienced cast. She commanded the stage with her presence, and owned each song that she took on. She was comical, and vulnerable, and full of expressive emotion. I absolutely loved her and will happily track her career progression with the expectation of seeing many more great things ahead for this wonderfully talented young woman.
Joey Fatone (Lance)
Joey personality and charisma were on full display. He was charming and comedic. I felt that his portrayal was multi-dimensional in that we despite the whit and hilarity he provided, he completely devastated me emotionally with his 'Shape of My Heart' solo and totally delivered on a wonderfully impactful performance in this song, only further punctuating an already-perfect portrayal of a role that seemed to have been written for him. The only thing that may have, but didn't, affect his timing were the prolonged applause from his hometown's audience whenever he initially took to the stage, or showcased an NSYNC dance move. Seeing him onstage with 4 other performers in matching attire immediately reminded the audience that we had a true pop-music icon before us, which was magical in and of itself, but his character portrayal was extremely well done.
Crystal Kellogg (Anne)
Crystal played the motherly role, reminiscent of that older person who kept wanting to prove that they were still young. She was endearing and very relatable to many of the parents in the audience. To the ladies in the audience, Crystal also successfully conveyed some of the mindset struggles and frustrations when dealing with one's partner, and was greeted with cheers and applause whenever she comically portrayed these emotions (which was often). One of the greatest emotional crescendos of the evening was caused by Crystal's duet with Juliet for "That's the Way It Is", which was powerful, meaningful, significant, and memorable.
Daniel Tracht (Shakespeare)
Daniel was confident and bold for most of the evening. Whenever he had to take a step back from this, was whenever the character / scene called for him to back down. During these times, he was relatable and funny. There was a time during the show when he had to repetitively deliver on the same sentiment (ref: "I came up with that saying"), and he did this without being annoying. He was playful and retrospective. His character led the others onstage, and he convincingly led them through the story's evolution.
Nico Ochoa (May)
Nico was very vulnerable and open on that stage. During Nico's solo for "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", I may have felt a slight lump in my throat. I may have gotten a little choked up. May as a character lent itself to being a polarizing character in that you either fully supported May's journey, or you felt completely otherwise. However, throughout this, Nico was able to quickly evoke feelings of pain and emotional celibacy that, to objective audience members, were translatable and believable. Nico was able to transcend gender identification such that you were watching a 'person' rather than a binary role stratification.
Kathryn Allison (Angelique)
Kathryn was powerful and strong. She made you feel confident just by virtue of having her say something to be true. She was dynamic on that stage, playing a maternal best friend to Juliet on one hand, then just a few moments later playing the love interest of a complicated situation across from Joey Fatone. She appeared comfortable and natural in her dominating character's role, and was tender and sweet during "F@*kin' Perfect". A powerhouse with a sweet heart.
Joseph Torres (Romeo)
Hopefully 'Romeo's' inclusion here doesn't spoil too much of the plotline here, but Joseph was great. He was the pretty-boy 'player' onstage, but boy was he goofy at times: and it was perfect! His character needed that element of 'sex symbol' but also convince you that he was this confused hormonal teenager with no upper body strength. His character just kind of spawned during the show, and he did a fantastic job of demonstrating why his character was relevant and not out of place from the storyline. He had audience members swooning, while also having people shake their heads as we all probably know the thoughtless heartthrob that he was able to act out so well!
Noah Marlowe (Francois / Frankie)
Noah played the unassuming role. In the movie Ocean's Eleven, one of the characters had to convince another character to act such that "He's gotta like you and then forget you the moment you've left his side." For me, this summed up Noah's really well-done portrayal. When Noah was onstage, your eyes were drawn into his story. Noah carefully and methodically made sure to not overplay his part so as to cause his memory to linger into the next scene. He played this role very well. As audience members, we were compelled to empathize with this character who had to deliver less-than-optimal news to one of our parents. Really well done, Noah!
Supporting Cast Members
Each of them was skillful. The dance sequences were plentiful and demanding, yet none each of them delivered on very complicated choreography without appearing tired. The background vocals were seamless in that they didn't take anything away from any of the soloists, but they offered up the perfect support throughout the evening. As a whole, these actors provided a very solid foundation for the show.
Closing Thoughts
This show succeeded because the actors were able to check their pride and inhibitions at the stage door -- thank God for that! They were silly and goofy, and truly embodied the 'dance as though no one is watching' mentality, without which the show could have taken a very different path leading to a very different outcome. Sometimes with these performances, there is one clear personality on stage, whose energy and personality is carrying the performance; but with this cast, there was so much chemistry that each actor appeared comfortable and free to go all out with their portrayals. The songs from this evening may have been pulled directly from pop tune lyrics, but the amount of creativity and imagination that was used to harness all of this together into the masterpiece that it was pure genius. There were subtle nuggets dropped throughout the show that later led to moments that really made you ponder and reflect on just how intelligently that nugget had been placed. As indicated earlier in this review, this specific cast may have permanently wrecked me from ever being able to see this show objectively again in the future, as the deliveries / singing / acting / actors were perfectly executed. The plot twists were not predictable, and the performances throughout the entire evening were beyond outstanding. A quick kudos on the varied appearances of the sets, and how appreciative I am that we were transported into so many different show scenes, and also the costumes were elaborate and well-designed.
I have watched countless shows across innumerable stages. This show and this cast were unforgettable and definitely amongst the best that I have seen all of my years of seeing anything live onstage. A++ would be my grade for this, with an advisement that this is a 'must watch' performance, particularly from this specific cast.
RSS Feed