JULIET, NAKED

Rock star Tucker Crowe has been in seclusion in rural Pennsylvania for the last twenty years, drowning in a sea of self-loathing. Now he’s struggling to get his life in order while reworking his magnum opus, “Juliet,” into a stripped-down acoustic recording and trying to repair his relationship with his son. Energetic prose and extensive character development give narrators Ben Miles, Bill Irwin, and the remarkable Jennifer Wiltsie plenty to work with. Wiltsie is the shining star in this production, assuming the role of the love-starved, email-addicted Annie, who falls for Crowe from faraway England even though she hates his new release. Wiltsie delivers an affecting portrayal that resonates well beyond the story's conclusion. L.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]