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<\/p>\nThe North American Tour of \u201c&Juliet\u201d is coming to Tampa\u2019s Straz Center for a five-day run beginning on Feb. 10.<\/p>\n
The 2022 musical asks the question: What would have happened to Juliet if she had not chosen to die along with her love, Romeo?<\/p>\n
It was written by the Emmy-winning Canadian writer of TV\u2019s \u201cSchitt\u2019s Creek,\u201d Playwright David West Read. <\/p>\n
According to C.J. Eldred \u2014 who plays Shakespeare \u2014 the musical is upbeat, peppered with \u201cHot 100\u201d hits from Swedish Songwriter and Producer, Max Martin. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo Max Martin is a music producer from Sweden, and he has produced countless songs. He\u2019s produced with the likes of Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, NSYNC, you could probably name just about any famous artist, and he has either written or produced a song that they have sung,\u201d Eldred said.<\/p>\n
And if you\u2019ve listened to pop music for any length of time, you know the songs in the show, like: \u201cRoar,\u201d \u201cCan\u2019t Stop the Feeling,\u201d \u201cSince U Been Gone,\u201d and \u201cI Want it That Way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s star has shone so brightly that in 2024, he surpassed another \u201cMartin\u201d \u2014 George Martin of Beatles fame \u2014 as the producer of the most number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100.<\/p>\n
Eldred said his Shakespeare is not \u201cThe Bard\u201d of yore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re definitely putting it more into the eyes of like a pop star who is maybe just a couple years past his young prime, where he thinks he might be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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Stephanie Girard Photography Headshot<\/p>\n
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Courtesy of The Straz Center<\/p>\n
Actor C.J. Eldred plays Shakespeare in “&Juliet.”<\/p>\n
In this musical, Shakespeare gets some help from his wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd, Shakespeare just finished the play, and he’s telling them, \u2018Oh my gosh, all these things happen, and everybody dies.\u2019 And so, his wife comes in, and it’s like, \u2018Well, I don’t know if that’s the best end to the story. Like, why? Why does Juliet have to die? What if she continued on?\u2019 So we kind of see Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, explore this idea. And in real time, the actors play out Juliet continuing to live her life and continue her story,\u201d Eldred said.<\/p>\n
Eldred said he hopes that people will leave the show persuaded that they deserve to be happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey deserve to make positive choices for themselves. They don’t need to make decisions based on what other people want for them. And that, to me, is my favorite message of the show,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Eldred said millennials will love this show because it’s music they grew up on, but the story is for everyone. <\/p>\n
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