Cocciante’s Giulietta e Romeo: The Challenges of Adapting Romeo and Juliet in the Third Millennium

Shakespeare’s works have a rich critical history of reception, adaptation and reinterpretation across diverse musical idioms and contexts (Sanders 2007; Hansen 2010; Teague 2011; Severn, 2018; Wilson and Cooke 2022). This paper examines Giulietta e Romeo (2007), an Italian musical adaptation by Riccardo Cocciante, which has received limited critical attention (Paravano 2018). As a case study, the production serves as a compelling example of the challenges inherent in adapting canonical works, illustrating the risks of innovation when emotional impact and creative execution fall short. Drawing on critical studies in intermediality and adaptation theory (Desmet 2014; Fazel and Geddes 2017, 2021; Lanier 2014, 2017, 2022), this paper evaluates the difficulties of reinterpreting one of Shakespeare’s most iconic tragedies for the third millennium. Additionally, employing Lanier’s rhizomatic model (2014), it explores how Cocciante’s adaptation offers a novel perspective on Romeo and Juliet by emphasising its Italian essence. While rooted in Shakespeare’s text, the production also engages with the play’s Italian sources and the country’s rich cultural and musical heritage. As this analysis will show, despite its attempt to shed new light on the story of the lovers from Verona, Cocciante’s adaptation faces two significant limitations, particularly when compared to previous musical reinterpretations. First, its hybrid opera popolare (popular opera) format struggles to capture either the sophistication of opera or the dynamism of contemporary musicals. Second, its deviations from Shakespeare’s original plot further complicate its effectiveness as an adaptation.