The pop musical '& Julia' celebrated its final performance at the Stage Operettenhaus in Hamburg. Around half a million spectators attended the show since its premiere on October 30, 2024. Stephan Jaekel from Stage Entertainment praised the success as remarkable.
Farewell with confetti and applause
On the evening of the final performance, confetti rained down, red roses flew through the air, and the audience gave thunderous applause to the ensemble of the pop musical '& Julia'. The show, offering a fresh take on Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', concluded after a successful run in Hamburg.
Since the German premiere on October 30, 2024, the production drew about 500,000 visitors, as Stephan Jaekel from Stage Entertainment told the German Press Agency. The success stemmed from 'having managed to spark audience interest in a previously entirely unknown piece', he said.
The jukebox musical featured hits from artists like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and the Backstreet Boys to tell the story of an emancipated Juliet. Instead of following her Romeo in death, she embarks on an adventurous journey to Paris. Themes such as queer love and modern women's roles defined the production and appealed especially to younger audiences.
During the farewell performance, fans surprised the cast by waving rainbow flags in one scene. Jaekel described the closure as a 'luxury problem': Stage Entertainment has licensed numerous new musicals, including the stage adaptation of the science-fiction comedy 'Back to the Future', which will replace '& Julia' at the Operettenhaus on the Reeperbahn starting March 22.
The fresh storytelling and contemporary content made the show popular with viewers, Jaekel emphasized.
