How Broadway-Bound ‘& Juliet’ Reimagines The Music Of Britney Spears And Max Martin For The Musical Theater
By Alcia Ramirez
The original "...Baby One More Time" permanently changed the sound of pop music. Now, Broadway is up next.
First heard in 1998, the memorable opening to "...Baby One More Time" — that piercing, unforgettable three-note piano riff recognized around the globe — introduced Britney Spears to the world.
Behind the historic debut was five-time GRAMMY winner and superproducer Max Martin, who wrote and produced the track that would launch Spears into the mainstream and pave the way for the next generation of women in pop.
Now, "& Juliet," a new musical that imagines what might've happened if Juliet lived at the end of "Romeo and Juliet" and is soundtracked by beloved pop songs of the last three decades, is reimagining Martin's music in a different arena: musical theater. The musical, which premiered in England in 2019 and debuts on Broadway in New York City this fall, features an array of Martin/Spears classics as well as songs like "Everybody" (Backstreet Boys), "Domino" (Jessie J), "Since U Been Gone" (Kelly Clarkson), and "Can't Feel My Face" (the Weeknd).
Ahead of the musical's debut, Martin and the "& Juliet" crew are premiering the Broadway version of "...Baby One More Time" exclusively on GRAMMY.com ahead of the cast recording's release, also out October 28.
The song, co-orchestrated and arranged by two-time GRAMMY winner Bill Sherman ("Hamilton," "In the Heights"), builds on a greater string section and nods to Martin's original piano riff; it also introduces newcomer Lorna Courtney.
"The plodding strings and drums are akin to Juliet's heartbeat as she describes the trouble that she is in and how she longs to change her path. As we were creating the overall tone and sound of the show, we thought that the string quartet could act as the glue between today's pop music and the sounds of the Shakespearean era," Sherman tells GRAMMY.com.
Encounters with pop music in high school and college fostered GRAMMY winner Stark Sands' love for the genre. Sands plays Shakespeare, but it wasn't until he was cast that he reflected on the impact artists such as Spears had in his life.
"Those hits were ubiquitous, and my radio was always on — from my bedroom to my car to my headphones — so I walked into '& Juliet' knowing these songs backwards and forwards," Sands tells GRAMMY.com. "They already had significance and a sense of place in my life from that time. But after being immersed in '& Juliet' for just a few months, these same songs have a new and different meaning and connection to my day-to-day life. I'm really excited for fans of the show to discover the same thing."
Sands also had a positive experience working with Martin on "& Juliet." "Based on Max's track record, he could easily be an intimidating producer to work with, but of course, it's the exact opposite. He's the most encouraging and supportive person you could imagine, and having that kind of bedside manner in a recording studio, combined with his uncanny knack of crafting hits, is obviously a winning formula."
This story echoes those of Sands working with Cyndi Lauper and Billie Joe Armstrong in "Kinky Boots" and "American Idiot," respectively. They pushed his artistic limits and provided creative affirmation, which he's now bringing to his "& Juliet" role.
"Billie Joe taught me to let go and access those deep, ugly emotions that we're conditioned to repress and how to release them into a song," Sands said. "Working with Cyndi on 'Kinky Boots' showed me how to stand up for myself as an artist and reinforced my desire to constantly strive for improvement."
He hopes "& Juliet" has as deep an impact on Broadway as "…Baby One More Time" has had on music, especially after the industry's extended shutdown.
"There's a magic there that doesn't exist anywhere else — you can feel it as an audience member and as a performer."
As long as there's loneliness to confess, the message of "& Juliet" will resonate with seasoned and new theatergoers and music enthusiasts alike, regardless of age. And with "& Juliet" in tow, Martin, a singular presence in pop music, is now destined to become a torchbearer of Broadway's magic and promise.
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