Sheppard’s lack of knowledge of the pop canon “causes a huge amount of humor among my creative friends,” he admitted with a wry smile.

Katy Perry’s “Roar” is followed by Spears’ “Oops!” …I Did It Again” and Robyn’s “Show Me Love” have become enduring pop classics, but many fans may be less familiar with the name Max Martin or the career of the reclusive, press-averse genius behind those anthems. Martin has more Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits as a songwriter than anyone other than Paul McCartney (tied with John Lennon). 1 hit, but also had the most No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 as a producer never hits.

All of this leaves Martin’s extensive catalog poised to expand into a Broadway songbook show, following such forebears as ABBA (“Mamma Mia!”), Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (“Jersey Boys”) and the Temptations (“Ain’t Too Proud) “), Tina Turner, and more. Unlike these stars, Martin is not an artist and has long stayed away from the spotlight. He rarely gives interviews, telling The New York Times in 2022 that he has “always been afraid of fame.”

Sheppard explained that after years of saying no to musicals inspired by his hits, Martin “reached a point where he was interested in his songs having something to say about the world outside of the records we all know.”

“& Juliet” first arrived in Sheppard’s inbox when book writer David West Read, who wrote and produced the Emmy-winning comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” sent him a draft of the script. “A 10-minute phone call lasted several hours. And before I knew it, I was on a plane to see Max in Sweden,” Sheppard recalled. “It felt high risk. This wasn’t just a reboot or doing a musical based on a pre-existing movie. There were so many things that could go wrong, and “That was pretty exciting.”

A spirited reinvention of Shakespeare’s tragedy of star-crossed lovers, “& Juliet” offers the ultimate “what if” scenario that speculates what would have happened if the heroine had not killed herself. Featuring literary references, puns and plenty of in-jokes, the musical comedy finds Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) on a journey of self-discovery as she travels from beautiful Verona to vibrant Paris. Also along for the ride is his brave nurse Angelique (Kathryn Allison) and his supportive, non-binary best friend May (Nick Drake), who is going through his own awakenings.

A meta-theatrical device woven throughout the show follows star Elizabethan playwright Shakespeare (Corey Mach) as he worries about the premiere of “Romeo and Juliet” when his wife, Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks), suggests he change the ending. . Unresolved marital tensions come to the fore as Shakespeare and Anne argue over how the story should proceed, Anne writes herself into the story, and Shakespeare argues for the need to complicate the drama. In the process, Anne transforms from an indecisive, wine-drinking housewife to a strong-willed storyteller who is not afraid to question her husband’s ideas.

“Anne wants Juliet to go live her life, have adventures, meet new people and find out who she is and what she wants for herself in her life,” Wicks said in a Zoom interview. “As a mother who got married at a young age, Anne sees the opportunity to write a different narrative for the young woman in this play.”

The story came to Read while he was at home recovering from a concussion. “He was actually in a dark room for most of the day, listening to all of Max’s music on constant rotation because he couldn’t look at the screens or do anything else,” Sheppard said. “He got caught up in the music and this story came to his mind.”

Like Shakespeare’s original, “& Juliet” has a pair of protagonists at its center. But instead of young lovers, the main duo here are two headstrong women coming into their own: Juliet and Anne.

Webb, who worked alongside Juliet on Broadway while performing in the ensemble, said she channeled her sassy Dallas roots to bring out the “tenacity” she saw in the character. “Juliet’s biggest paradox is believing in herself.”

One of Webb’s favorite songs is Demi Lovato’s “Confident,” which features Juliet singing as she encourages another character to be confident and not afraid. However, at this point he is still trying to convince himself. “(Sheppard) told me there were a few moments in the show where Juliet faked it until she made it. It gives an air of confidence. He doesn’t really believe what he’s saying (until later).”

In the process of collaborating with Shakespeare on Juliet’s new narrative, “Anne discovers a lot about her desires, her own agency, and her life with her husband and their dynamic,” Wicks said. “Anne tries to get Juliet to understand why this new story is so important to her.”

Ultimately, “& Juliet” is “a story about second chances,” Sheppard said. “Juliet dreams of a place where everyone can have a second chance at love, where everyone can be who they want to be, and where love can take many different forms. Wouldn’t it be great if the real world was a little more like the world we imagine on stage?”

& JULIET

Presented by Broadway in Boston. At the Citizens Opera House, November 5-17. Tickets start at $40. www.BroadwayInBoston.com