Grand Rapids audiences are about to meet a very different Juliet.
From March 10-15, 2026, Broadway Grand Rapids will bring the exuberant, pop-powered musical “& Juliet” to DeVos Performance Hall for a limited, one-week run. Tickets go on sale Oct. 23, 2025, at BroadwayGrandRapids.com or by calling 616-235-6285.
If you think you know how the story ends, think again.
“& Juliet” reimagines Shakespeare’s most famous heroine not as a tragic teen undone by romance, but as a young woman who chooses herself. What if Juliet didn’t take her life over Romeo? What if she got a second act — and a passport? In this buoyant “playlist musical,” Juliet ditches her legendary ending and embarks on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery, friendship and love on her own terms.
The result is a high-energy, fourth wall–shattering production that feels tailor-made for modern audiences. William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, become characters in their own right, sparring over plot twists and steering Juliet’s fate in real time. The show doesn’t just wink at the audience — it invites them into the joke.
Soundtracked by some of the biggest pop hits of the last three decades, “& Juliet” swaps soliloquies for singalongs. Expect chart-toppers like Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” all woven into a surprisingly cohesive and clever narrative. The music — produced and co-written by hitmaker Max Martin — transforms familiar radio favorites into emotional anthems and comedic showstoppers.
Created by “Schitt’s Creek” Emmy-winning writer David West Read, the musical has earned acclaim for its whip-smart humor, big-hearted storytelling and unapologetically queer-positive lens. The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed it “the smartest dumb musical you need to watch,” praising it as a feel-good spectacle that’s impossible not to love.
For Broadway Grand Rapids, the show continues a tradition of bringing buzzy, crowd-pleasing productions to downtown stages. And for local theatergoers, it offers a chance to see one of Broadway’s most infectious recent hits without leaving the city.
Whether you’re a lifelong Shakespeare devotee, a pop music enthusiast or simply in the mood for a night of pure escapism, “& Juliet” promises a laugh-a-minute escape — and perhaps a reminder that even the most famous stories can be rewritten.
“& Juliet” runs March 10-15, 2026, at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. Tickets go on sale Oct. 23, 2025.
