"& Juliet" opens Thursday night on Broadway
NEW YORK - Thursday night marks opening night for the new musical "& Juliet." It takes Shakespeare's famous ill-fated couple, changes the ending, and mashes it all up with hit songs from the top of the charts.
As CBS 2's Dave Carlin reports, Juliet is a tragic character no more. In this new musical, her sad ending is scrapped. She lives and finds joy.
Juliet, as played by Queens native Lorna Courtney, is defiant and charming.
"What what makes Juliet tick?" Carlin asked.
"She has this inner drive and problem-solving skills that she's going to get to her goal no matter what," Courtney said.
"& Juliet" is packed with the songs of Grammy winner Max Martin, the hitmaker for Katy Perry, Celine Dion, *NSYNC, Britney Spears and others.
Martin joined the cast on stage during the first preview performance.
"Fifteen people are making their Broadway debut tonight," he said.
"It's a joy to be with them a joy to see their every step," said Paulo Szot.
"& Juliet" brings Szot back to broadway. The opera star triumphed on Broadway on 2010 in "South Pacific," and won the leading actor in a musical Tony Award.
Here, he goes pop.
"I fell in love with a script, of course," Szot said. "With the songs."
"Your career has been so diverse. Varied rolls, varied genres. Did you plan it that way?" Carlin asked.
"I never saw myself on I'm being just an opera singer, or just a jazz singer, a bossa nova or an actor. I want to do things I want to feel that freedom," Szot said.
Shakespeare is played by two-time Tony nominee Stark Sands.
"It's a fun show. It's a great distraction From your every day life," Sands said.
They survive, thrive and roar at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
