& Juliet, the musical comedy that asks, “What if Juliet survived?” is touring across the nation. The musical features music from legendary songwriter Max Martin and is written by David West Read (Schitt’s Creek). Songs include Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life,” Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time,” Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” and many more.

Los Angeles residents can check out the show now until September 7 at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. If you’re in the Orange County area, Segerstrom Center for the Arts will host the show starting September 9th.

In this story, Juliet decides not to kill herself. This gives her a new goal on what to do with her life. Portraying the titular character is Rachel Webb, and when you hear her sing, you’ll understand why she was picked for the part.

“Being a part of & Juliet is empowering,” Webb tells Nerd Reactor. “It is simply empowering. Juliet’s story is empowering, specifically in the end, but it’s a journey that I think everybody can connect to.”

Portraying William Shakespeare and Anne are Teal Wick and Corey Mach. The two act as a bickering husband and wife, and Anne inserts herself into the new story of Juliet, with William as a reluctant participant.

“Songs are verse and Shakespeare’s writing is verse,” Wick said. “It’s not just a coincidence that Max Martin’s pop songs and William Shakespeare go so well together. What is William Shakespeare other than the pop writer of his time? They didn’t have pop music back then, but they had theater, which was the forum for popular culture. And what is pop music but the forum for our popular culture? So we just showed that Shakespeare and Max Martin are the same.”

Nick Drake portrays May, Juliet’s best friend and someone who wants to fall in love. There are uplifting themes, and the comedy helps make May relatable.

“& Juliet is the greatest, funnest show that you’re ever gonna see in your lifetime,” Drake exclaimed. “We have the luxury of singing Max Martin songs, songs that you know already, songs that you play in your shower, songs you play in your car, songs you dance to at your parties with your friends.”

Kathryn Allison plays Angelique, Juliet’s nurse. Her character shows audiences that it’s never too late to fall in love.

“The fact that I get to sing Britney Spears and P!nk every night is wild,” Allison said. “With my little allowance that I got as a kid, P!nk’s debut album was the first album I ever purchased with my own money. So it’s just really a full-circle experience.”

Tickets for & Juliet are available at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA.

And if you can’t get enough of & Juliet, you can check out tour costumes and Broadway props from the musical at the Grammy Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. & Juliet: The Music of Max Martin and Friends pop-up exhibit will be on display from Wednesday July 23, through Monday, October 27, 2025.

Tickets are available at https://grammymuseum.org/exhibit/juliet-the-music-of-max-martin-and-friends/.