Overview
Synopsis
Me and Juliet is Rodgers & Hammerstein's love letter to the theatre, creating a show that takes place both on and off the stage during a fictional musical appropriately also entitled Me and Juliet! Backstage, Larry, the assistant stage manager, has quietly fallen in love with chorus girl Jeanie. He has also spotted her enormous potential and convinces her to audition to become the lead’s understudy. As he coaches her, their attraction to each other suddenly cannot be ignored and they secretly marry during the show’s run. However, they must also contend with Jeanie’s violent and possessive boyfriend Bob, who threatens to kill Larry. Meanwhile, the stage manager, Mac, is battling his own feelings as he struggles to remain true to his personal rule of never dating anyone in a show he’s working on. Newcomer Betty makes that pretty hard! The drama backstage is then interspersed with scenes and songs from the show-within-a-show, Me and Juliet, until both come to their final act!
Show Information
- Book
- Oscar Hammerstein II
- Music
- Richard Rodgers
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1953
- Genres
- Romance, Comedy
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- In and around a theatre, 1950s
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Late Teen, Mature Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone, Tenor, Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- "A Very Special Day" – Jeanie and trio
- "That's the Way It Happens" – Jeanie and trio
- "That's the Way It Happens" (Reprise) – Larry
- "* Dance Impromptu" – Chorus, George, and trio
- "Overture to Me and Juliet" – Dario and orchestra
- "* Opening of Me and Juliet" – Lily, Jim, Susie, and Charlie
- "* Marriage Type Love" – Charlie, Lily, and singers
- "Keep It Gay" – Bob, Jim, and chorus
- "* Keep it Gay" (Reprise) – Betty and Buzz
- "The Big Black Giant" – Larry
- "No Other Love" – Jeanie and Larry
- "* Dance" – Ralph, Francine, and Elizabeth
- "The Big Black Giant" (Reprise) – Ruby
- "It's Me" – Betty and Jeanie
- "* First Act Finale" – Lily, Betty, Charlie, Jim, Jeanie, and chorus
Act Two
- "Intermission Talk" – Herbie and chorus
- "It Feels Good" – Bob
- "* We Deserve Each Other" – Betty, Jim, and dancers
- "I'm Your Girl" – Jeanie and Larry
- "* Second Act Finale" – Charlie, Lily, Betty, Jim, and chorus
- "Finale" – Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
References an era of book musicals written roughly between the 1940s and the 1960s.
A Broadway musical written and produced between 1943 and 1965.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher