The pining, sighing, Shakespearian Juliet that haunts the pages of books and recreations in movies is not one that I related to. But, what if Juliet never ended it all for Romeo? What if Juliet was messy, multifaceted and figuring things out in love and life — just like us?

This is a Juliet I’m excited to meet, and turns out you can meet her too. Starting Nov. 26, get whisked away in the award-winning hit broadway musical “& Juliet” at the Overture Center until Dec. 1.

Featuring songs by the Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Max Martin, writing by the Emmy Award-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” David West Read, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography by Emmy-Award winner Jennifer Weber, “& Juliet” opened on Broadway in November 2022, and has since become loved by audiences from all over.

“& Juliet” tells the story of Juliet ditching her famous ending for a second chance at self discovery and love, so it’s only natural that pop anthems like “Since U Been Gone‚” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time” and “It’s My Life” help tell her story.

The Badger Herald got to speak with Lois Ellise, the swing of five different roles and understudy of Juliet in “& Juliet” North American Tour to learn more about what makes the production so special.

Ellise said she was first drawn to the production when she spotted the cast covering “Baby One More Time” on social media. After more research, Ellise found that “& Juliet” could offer roles that aligned with what she wanted, with the added benefits of performing songs she grew up on.

“I’m looking at the cast, the costumes, and I see that Juliet was originated by a Black woman,” Ellise said. “For me, as a young African American girl during that time, I was like, I haven’t seen many roles where I get to play someone who is this strong, confident, independent woman, and it has nothing to do with her race.”

Ellise also said Juliet’s story resonated with her. This is because after spending most of the show listening to other peoples’ advice, Juliet has a moment where she realizes that the only person who can truly guide her, is herself. Ellise said she had a similar realization when she decided to pursue her professional acting career.

“& Juliet” tackles themes of love, empowerment and independence in ways that feel relevant today. Ellise said the show features a “stars aligned” queer relationship, among other types of love including new love, challenging love and love that has broken apart to come together again.

“& Juliet” is unique in its own way because of its authenticity, Ellise said. Nowadays, on social media, we’re fed narratives that self-growth is linear and you can roll out of bed one day and suddenly be independent. I think all of us know this isn’t usually true.

“The thing about this production [that I love] is that it takes the ups and downs of these journeys,” Ellise said. “You have to fall in order to stand up a little bit stronger the next time, and I think we do a really good job of showing that there are second chances in life … the road is not always straight and narrow.”

I think this can be very empowering for college students to see, because too often we are our own biggest critic when it comes to facing failure. Something as small as failing a class can send us into panic. But in the grand scheme of things, we are here to experience human life through imperfection.

These are some pretty deep topics, but don’t worry, the show is still focused around fun for the audience and the cast alike. Ellise said the incorporation of pop music in the production has attracted tons of new audience members. A familiar song can go a long way, making people feel more connected and engaged with the show.

Ellise said her favorite song is “It’s My Life,” the “act one” finisher. As a swing and Juliet’s understudy, Ellise has both witnessed and performed the number.

“No matter what I was doing … I would stop and watch “It’s My Life,” Ellise said. “Because I was like, this is insane in the best way possible, and it feels that way no matter where you’re at in that theater, whether you’re sitting in the seats, whether you’re backstage, whether you’re on the stage, it’s so much fun, and I hope that the fun that’s being had on stage really translates that number.”

Ellise said one of the most meaningful parts of being part of the “& Juliet” cast is doing talk backs, which is when members of the crew, band or cast volunteer to stand out on stage and talk with the audience for around 30 minutes.

It’s a time to share stories, and hear from people what resonated with them most.

“I love getting to hear from people how much the story touched them,” Ellise said. “A lot of people come and they tell us how represented they felt on the stage. And I have to say that even in my career, and I think for a lot of us in the cast, this is the most diverse cast we’ve ever been a part of, or at least I’ve ever been a part of. There are just so many different stories being told on that stage. And it’s so beautiful…It feels welcoming for all people.” 

For a lot of communities, it’s not accessible to go see a show in New York, according to Ellise. That’s why bringing the story to people who need it, and doing these talk backs on tour, is so important.

Overall, Ellise said Juliet’s story will teach people it’s okay to not have it all figured out. It’s a message Ellise applies to her personal life within her career, jumping between roles, and it’s a message all of us could use in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

Ellise hopes audience members can have fun with the cast in this slice-of-life production written by Read. The show is filled with little nuggets that come together cohesively. So let loose, open your mind and come see “& Juliet” at the Overture Center. Tickets are available online at the Overture’s website, but get them fast, they sell out quickly.