Canadian writer David West Read nabs Tony nomination for '& Juliet'

The cast of '& Juliet.' (THE CANADIAN PRESS / HO-Matthew Murphy / Grapevine Public Relations via AP )

Canadian writer David West Read was nominated Tuesday for a Tony Award for authoring "& Juliet," a jukebox musical that frames a collection of Max Martin's pop megahits.

The comedy musical, which opened in London and hit Toronto before making its Broadway debut last year, nabbed nine nominations, including one for best musical and Read's nod for best book.

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In Read's script, Juliet not only survives, but she quickly rebounds from the loss of Romeo and takes off to Paris for a fresh start.

The journey is set to 30 familiar tunes penned by the Swedish producer, including six from the Backstreet Boys and five from Britney Spears.

"I made a rule early on that I wasn't going to change any of the lyrics other than pronouns or things like that," Read said in an interview with The Canadian Press last year.

"We had to really make them work and make it seem like every song was written for the show. It was a big part of the challenge of the puzzle."

This is Read's second turn writing for Broadway. His first came a decade ago, with the play "The Performers," about the drama that unfolds at an awards show for porn stars.

He went on to write for and executive produce "Schitt's Creek," for which he won an Emmy in 2020.

"& Juliet" was also nominated Tuesday for best leading actress in a musical, best featured actress, best costume design, best lighting design, best sound design, best choreography and best orchestrations.

The Tony Awards will air live on CTV on June 11 this year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2023