‘Juliet’ star thriving in lead role as tour heads to Fort Worth’s Bass Hall
Some things, they say, are meant to be. Fabiola Caraballo Quijada believes this.
The 18-year-old recent graduate from Tyler Legacy High School is the star of “& Juliet,” which is coming to Bass Hall Nov. 12-16 as part of the Performing Arts Broadway at the Bass Series.
Quijada auditioned for the role of Juliet while in New York for the 2024 Jimmy Awards. However, she was unable to return for call backs because of obligations with school.
Then, fate intervened. When the show went on the road for a national tour, she received a call. Now she is living her dream as a professional actor and singer.
“I got a second chance!” she said in her usual voice that indicates her excitement about life in general. “I was set to go to Texas State — they have a great theater program — but God had other plans.
“The role of Juliet is just like me as a person. She’s so full of life, and so am I. I connected with her right away. I do believe this was something that was meant to be.”
Family influence
Quijada was born in Venezuela and moved to Texas in 2013 through her mother’s career as a mechanical engineer. She had yet to learn a word of English, so she began dual language studies in elementary school.
She graduated in the top 10% of her high school class out of more than 600 students. And she knew all along what she wanted to do in life, even from an early age.
“I first started singing before we came to America,” she said, noting that she was selected for the Venezuelan National Children’s Choir. “My mom wanted to keep that spark in me.
“My mom pushed me into the water and I just wanted to keep swimming. I started getting drawn to the deeper aspects, the sets, the scripts.”
An only child, her parents met singing together at church.
“There was music in the house all the time,” she said. “Anywhere we’d go in the car, there would be a song playing and us singing along. We got a few looks, but we didn’t care, we were having fun.”
3-time Jimmy Award nominee
Quijada had never acted professionally before now, but she has plenty of experience in a big spotlight. She is a three-time Jimmy Award nominee and a winner in 2025.
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards are more commonly known as the Jimmy Awards. They recognize the best high school musical theater performances in the United States.
Quijada won as best actress this year for her portrayal of Sandra Bloom in “Big Fish.” She was nominated in 2024 as Nostradamus in “Something Rotton” and in 2023 as Motor Mouth Mabel in “Hairspray.”
“That role as Nostradamus was completely unhinged. It was so much fun,” she said. “They were all such great experiences.”
She also learned what it’s like to sing on a Broadway stage at the Minskoff Theatre, where “The Lion King” is performed and where the Jimmys are held annually.
“When I went to the Jimmys in 2023 I realized someone else saw a potential in me that I’m not sure I even saw in myself,” she said.
Not the same ‘Romeo and Juliet’
The show’s plot centers on the thought that Juliet does not kill herself with Romeo and instead escapes into a new life — of course, facing some challenges to escape her old one.
“Times have obviously changed since Shakespeare wrote ‘Romeo & Juliet,’” Quijada said with a chuckle. “There’s the feminist aspect of Juliet moving on, not ending it all over a boy.”
She added there’s a message for just everyone who sees the production.
“Broken families, the LGBTQ+ community, marriage, you see it and you think, ‘Oh, this is relating to me and what’’s going on in my life,’” she said. “If you know about Shakespeare you’ll have a good time, and if you don’t know Shakespeare, you’ll still have fun.”
‘& Juliet’ at Bass Hall
Quijada began rehearsals for “& Juliet” in August in New York. The first performance was in Sacramento on Sept. 4.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun touring. I’m learning so much about environments and cultures.”
And now she’s coming to Bass Hall. Growing up down the road, she always admired its majesty, and now she gets to perform there.
“I saw ‘Frozen’ there a few years ago. It’s a beautiful theater in such a great town. I’m so looking forward to being there all week,” she said.
In fact, and perhaps even more evidence that fate had her in mind for this role, she saw the show at The Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas last year.
“And now I’m in it, how special is that?” she said. “It was so impactful to me.
“My mom turned to me during the show and said, ‘That’s you.’”