Max Martin’s Musical ‘& Juliet’ Debuts in L.A. as Taylor Swift Album Excitement Builds

Max Martin’s Musical ‘& Juliet’ Debuts in L.A. as Taylor Swift Album Excitement Builds

Max Martin has made headlines for multiple reasons in recent days, and not all of them are related to his work on Taylor Swift‘s forthcoming album.

& Juliet, the acclaimed stage musical that continues to run on Broadway after debuting in 2022, opened Friday in Los Angeles and features songs by Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Martin, along with a book by Emmy-winning Schitt’s Creek writer David West Read, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography by Emmy winner Jennifer Weber. The production from Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre runs through Sept. 7 before moving to Segerstrom Center for the Arts from Sept. 9-21.

The musical comedy imagines what might happen if Juliet lived at the end of William Shakespeare‘s Romeo & Juliet and includes performances of an array of hit pop songs that all hail from Martin, who has worked on more No. 1 singles this century than any other artist. “Since U Been Gone,” “Teenage Dream,” “Baby One More Time” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” are among the tunes included in & Juliet.

“It’s really cool that this musical is taking off so much because it just continues to bring visibility back to him and the people that he works with, whether it’s Taylor Swift or Tori Kelly or Ariana Grande,” Rachel Webb, who plays the titular role in the touring production, tells The Hollywood Reporter about Martin’s legacy. Alas, Webb claims to not be in the inner circle when it comes to Swift’s new album: “You’re learning at the same time we do.”

Webb had the unique opportunity of being part of the original Broadway cast as a member of the ensemble and a Juliet understudy before now landing the lead role. “Because he’s a part of creating the musical itself, he had a lot of input, and we were able to learn so much from him,” Webb says about Martin’s Broadway rehearsal process. “When Max Martin was speaking in rehearsal, everybody was quiet and just listening and absorbing what this pop icon had to say, because his music really does reach the masses.”

Martin himself attended & Juliet’s opening night at the Ahmanson on Friday, as did such notable music performers as Lizzo and NSYNC member JC Chasez, both of whom have worked with the producer. Martin and frequent collaborator Shellback are reteaming with Swift on her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, set for release Oct. 3, after the two producers also collaborated on such previous Swift albums as Red, 1989 and Reputation.

As for & Juliet’s continued appeal, Webb praises its inclusivity, along with its infectious tunes. “Everyone’s represented on stage, so everyone in the audience has someone that they can connect to,” the actress says. “In addition to that, the songs and the text intertwine very easily, so it’s easy to follow. It’s a fun musical in extreme times that we’re living in. So I feel like people love to escape at & Juliet.”