There’s a new nurse in Verona as star of stage and screen Keala Settle is set to join the cast of & JULIET for the final weeks of the Australia tour at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.
Settle, who shot to fame as Lettie Lutz, a bearded lady, in the 2017 musical film The Greatest Showman, and will appear in the film adaptation of Wicked later this year, joins the cast for the final performances in the Australian tour from 19 June to 12 July.
Among her list of incredible stage achievements including Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Les Misérables and Waitress on Broadway, Settle played Angélique in the West End production of & JULIET.
“I am ecstatic to be returning to this incredible show, stepping into this iconic role I had the privilege to play in London,” she said. “Angelique is bold, sassy and fiercely independent and it’s an honour to be carrying the baton forward from Australia’s own Casey Donovan.”
“I cannot wait to return to this brilliant score and join storytelling forces with this beautiful Australian company, leaving it all on that stage for you, Sydney!” said Settle.
The award-winning anthemic pop musical & JULIET is now playing its final Australian season in Sydney after spectacular seasons in Melbourne, Singapore, and Perth.
The Australian production is led by Lorinda May Merrypor in the title role, Australian music industry legend Rob Mills holds the quill as Shakespeare while music theatre icon Amy Lehpamer tries to rewrite the narrative as his wife Anne.
& JULIET flips the script on the greatest love story ever told, imagining what would happen next if Juliet hadn’t ended it all over Romeo, and got a second chance at life and love – on her terms. Juliet’s new uplifting story of self-discovery and empowerment bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name.
Nominated for 9 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, & JULIET is created by the Emmy-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek and features an iconic playlist of pop anthems including Baby One More Time, Roar, Since You’ve Been Gone, Larger Than Life, That’s The Way It Is, Can’t Stop The Feeling, and more…
Playing that other half of the star-crossed lovers is recent Fangirls heartthrob Blake Appelqvist. Completing the dazzling cast of principals is Broadway, West End and Australian music theatre star Hayden Tee as Lance; and newcomers Jesse Dutlow as May and Yashith Fernando as Francois.
Joining them on stage is the cast of incredible players Georgia Anderson as Susanna, Jade Delmiguez as Eleanor, James Elmer as Kempe, Riley Gill as Imogen/Benvolio, Jerome Javier as Thomas, Giorgia Kennedy as Judith, Jordan Koulos as Richard, Sarah Murr as Lady Capulet/Nell, Coby Njoroge as Augustine, Jake O’Brien as Fletcher, Clay Roberts as Henry, Jacob Rozario as Gregory, Selina Salgadoe as Gwynne, Sean Sinclair as Lord Capulet/Sly, Nathan James Tamati as Cuthbert, Romy Vuksan as Margaret, Aadhya Wijegoonawardena as Viola and Imani Williams as Lucy.
& JULIET has now been performed on four continents since its World Premiere in September 2019. It began at the Manchester Opera House in England, before moving to London’s West End, where it won three Olivier Awards, and 6 WhatsOnStage Awards before playing its final performance at the Shaftesbury Theatre in March 2023.
The show had its North American premiere in July 2022 in Toronto, where it broke box office records and played to standing-room-only audiences, before heading to Broadway, where it again broke box office records and plays nightly to sold-out crowds.
It soon be seen around the globe with an upcoming UK Tour (July 2024), a North American Tour (September 2024) and a Germany production (October 2024). The German production marks the show’s first production with a book translated into a different language, and will also be the sixth country to welcome & JULIET in less than five years.
The original creative team reunited for the Australian production and includes David West Read (Book), Max Martin (Music & Lyrics), Luke Sheppard (Direction), Jennifer Weber (Choreography), Bill Sherman (Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements), Soutra Gilmour (set design), Paloma Young (costume design), Howard Hudson (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design) and Andrzej Goulding (Video Design).
& JULIET continues at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until 12 July. Keala Settle performs the role of Angelique from 19 June 2024. For more information, visit: www.andjuliet.com.au for details.
Image: Keala Settle as Angelique with Miriam-Teak Lee in the West End production of & JULIET – photo by Johan Persson