Make a day out of '& Juliet' in New York City

Discover attractions, restaurants, and activities perfect for fans of this pop music-driven Broadway show and the people and places featured in it.

Gillian RussoJuly 5, 2024, 04:00

To borrow the title of a Backstreet Boys song, New York City is larger than life. That song also opens one of the city's most popular Broadway musicals: & Juliet, the nine-time Tony Award-nominated hit from London that's played New York's Stephen Sondheim Theatre since 2022.

The family-friendly show is perfect for anyone looking for a fun and uplifting good time: & Juliet's title character, taken from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, puts down the dagger and takes a second chance at life and love. This original story, by Schitt's Creek writer David West Read, is set to 30 pop songs made famous by Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson, Bon Jovi, P!nk, and many more.

If you're making a trip in to see & Juliet on Broadway, why not check out some related attractions around the city? Here are our suggestions for some of the best sights, restaurants, and activities for lovers of this pop-tastic musical.

Get & Juliet tickets now.

Shakespeare Garden in Central Park

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet! Smell these and more beautiful flowers at Central Park's Shakespeare Garden, entirely populated with plants mentioned in Shakespeare plays. Each plant is marked with a plaque displaying the excerpt from the play naming each plant.

Shakespeare Garden is steps away from the historic Delacorte Theater, which hosts free Shakespeare productions each summer, and the picturesque Belvedere Castle with sweeping views of the park below.

If you're willing to travel farther to see even more gorgeous plants and views, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has its own Shakespeare garden.

Address: 79th St Transverse in Central Park
Price: Free

Live taping of The Kelly Clarkson Show

You'll hear Kelly Clarkson songs like "Since U Been Gone" in & Juliet, so why not see the original singer live? Clarkson's daytime talk show films in Rockefeller Center in New York City, and anyone can request free tickets to be in the studio audience. If you know which day or days you'll be in the city, you can submit your request in advance for a better chance of getting to the front of the queue. You never know which special guests you'll see alongside Clarkson if you get in!

The Kelly Clarkson Show is on hiatus during the summer, but tickets are available the rest of the year via 1iota, linked above. All attendees must be 18 or older.

Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza
Price: Free

Paris Theater

Juliet goes to Paris in the musical, and you can too — sort of. The Paris Theater is a movie house located right across from Central Park and the famed Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue. It's now the only single-screen cinema left in Manhattan and has an undeniable, old-fashioned charm.

The Paris is owned by Netflix, so you can see showings of the streaming platform's latest releases as well as iconic historical and foreign films. Maybe you'll catch a modern film remake of a Shakespeare play!

Address: 4 W 58th St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Price: $

Sing pop songs at karaoke

All the pop songs in & Juliet are going to make you want to sing. That's frowned on in the theatre (except at designated sing-along performances), but you can go to a karaoke bar after the show to belt your heart out.

Japas NYC, located on 38th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues, is the closest to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. But walk a few blocks down to the bustling Koreatown district — which is known for its karaoke scene — to find lots more. Most karaoke bars have private rooms for you and your group to rent, and food and drinks are usually available for purchase.

Address: Various locations in Midtown Manhattan
Price: $-$$$$

Eat at a French or Italian restaurant

Juliet travels from Verona, Italy, to Paris, France, so get in the spirit by indulging in food from one or both of those countries. Two popular Theatre District restaurants are located right next to each other, and they're a short walk from the theatre: the cozy Italian joint Nizza and sleek French restaurant Marseille.

If you're with a large group, get a family-style Italian dinner at Tony's di Napoli, located right across from the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. One block away, for upscale French cuisine, is Cafe Un Deux Trois. Both offer lunch and dinner prix fixes — the perfect pre- or post-show option.

Address: Various locations in Midtown Manhattan
Price: $-$$$$

Other pop musicals on Broadway

If you like & Juliet, there are numerous other Broadway shows you'll probably love, too. So why not make a two-show day or a weekend filled with theatre?

Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's film, updates the original with dozens more pop songs from the 1940s to the 2010s. If you're looking for original pop music or another historical rewrite, Six reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as a girl group inspired by modern pop divas like Britney Spears and Beyonce. Or, if you want another teenage coming-of-age-story, Hell's Kitchen sets one to the soulful, energetic songs of Alicia Keys.

Get Moulin Rouge! The Musical tickets now.

Get Six tickets now.

Get Hell's Kitchen tickets now.

& Juliet

You've sung, you've eaten, and you've explored the most pop-tastic attractions in the city. All that's left to do is catch & Juliet on Broadway and have a fun night out for all ages.

In this musical, the end of Romeo & Juliet is only the beginning for Juliet, who goes on an adventure to Paris instead of dying alongside Romeo. Go along as she discovers new friends, new romances, and above all, herself — while singing banger after banger along the way.

Learn more about & Juliet on Broadway.