![]() The saving grace is that Sheppard has cast newcomer Courtney in the titular role. She refutes the sage advice from adults around her, notably Nurse Angélique, played by Melanie La Barrie (whose voice is as melodic as her British-tinged Trinidadian accent). Under Read’s pen, Juliet remains overly sheltered and meek, even in disobedience. Juliet’s friends fall neatly into a joke about the spring months (“April, May and Jul-y-et”) and François and May’s love story sets up convenient use of NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.” Read’s musical exposes the vagueness of Martin’s lyrics, reaffirming that most pop is an emotive but ultimately senseless sonic experience. Plot, puns, even characters’ names are desperate to align themselves with a score of Billboard-certified number-ones. In place of imagery-laden sonnets is David West Read’s lackluster book, which feels like it’s contorting itself to fit the youthful feminist ethos of “& Juliet” and trying to fortify meaning from arbitrary pop lyrics. The queer love story that underbellies “& Juliet” is heaps more interesting and effective at portraying the ache of unrequited love than the timeworn, heteronormative “Romeo & Juliet.” But here, the cherished linguistic beauty of that latter work is abandoned for cheaper thrills. Heartbreakingly, May witnesses Juliet and François kiss, but (in true twentysomething fashion) says nothing. But suddenly, François’ lips lock with Juliet’s (they’re more friends than lust-struck lovers, but each character sees the other as a means to escape the overbearing demands of their parents). At a Parisian club, May (who is genderqueer) has a meet-cute with François (Philippe Arroyo), a charming young musician flailing under the pressure of his combatant French father, Lance (Paulo Szot). Wolfe primarily plays Anne Hathaway, but the new co-scribe’s eagerness compels her to jump into her own remixed story, much to the chagrin of her Bard of a husband (Stark Sands). Her best friends May (Justin David Sullivan) and April (Betsy Wolfe) join the adventure. As previously mentioned, Juliet (a flawless Lorna Courtney) ditches the streets of Verona for Paris. Nearly all of the musical’s score is arranged from the biggest hits of prominent songwriter/producer Max Martin, but the script still flirts with the Shakes’ signature stylings: the quadratic love story, for instance. ![]() In tone, “& Juliet” strays further from the Elizabethan haughtiness of most Shakespearean adaptations. The confetti-laden chaos that ensues in David West Read’s hyper new musical currently running at Broadway’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre is part-pop music fantasia, part-failed feminist retelling, but all heart. Unsatisfied with her husband’s affinity for tragedy, Hathaway steps up as co-auteur of a new version of the age-old story, one in which Juliet never takes a dagger to the heart, but rather, a trip to Paris with her besties. No, not the Oscar-winning actress known for “The Devil Wears Prada.” The Anne Hathaway I’m referring to is William Shakespeare’s wife - the presumed inspiration behind his most famous love story, “Romeo & Juliet.” In the new musical “& Juliet,” however, Hathaway insists on being more than a muse. Or rather, let Anne Hathaway do it for her. In a perfectly diatonic progression, we would expect that V chord to be minor if we were in a standard minor key.Allow Juliet to reintroduce herself. It’s sometimes called the Andalusian Cadence and it does have an exotic quality due the major V chord. It is used very frequently and is quite an ancient musical movement, which predates the emergence of modern music theory. This chord progression is not strictly in one single key as we would understand in diatonic theory. When you look up the roman numbers at Google you find a lot of examples and songs using this progression (Andalusian Cadence) Look up here in this SE Andalusian Cadence or I bVII bVI progression They are very popular in Spanish music, I have it also in the ear from Jesus Christ Superstar, but there are many other songs. What it is special? The bass-notes of this progression are part of an old mode (but the final chord is E major. I've heard it by most beginners on piano or guitar player or songwriter.
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