Written by Steve Viksten
Storyboard Direction by Kelly James and Dan Povenmire
Animation Direction by Steve Socki and Frank Weiss
(only Steve Socki received a "Directed By" credit)
Storyboard Artists: Kelly James, Jay Lender, Steve Lowtwait
Cast:
Arnold - Phillip Van Dyke
Helga, Sheena - Francesca Marie Smith
Harold - Justin Shenkarow
Stinky - Christopher Walberg
Eugene - Ben Diskin (credited as "Disken")
Curly - Adam Wylie
Phoebe - Anndi L. McAfee
Rhonda - Olivia Hack
Lila - Ashley Buccille
Marcy - Jessica Sodd
Mr. Simmons - Dan Butler
Leichliter - Tim Curry
Grandpa - Dan Castellaneta
Oskar - Stephen Viksten
Mr. Hyunh - Baoan Coleman
Big Bob Pataki - Maurice LaMarche
Miriam Pataki - Kath E. Soucie
Brainy - Craig Bartlett (uncredited)
* This episode is listed as part of the third season, despite being shown at the start of the fourth season, as (a) it was planned as part of the third season, and (b) Phillip Van Dyke voices Arnold. Despite being a "full-length episode", it's not considered a special as Nickelodeon shows it along with its other episodes, rather than only at a specific time of the year.
* Although the show tries to be faithful to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare even gets a "Special Thanks" credit), there were a couple of changes that stood out; the prologue (the speech at the beginning) was completely changed to be more descriptive about the play, and the last 146 lines of the play were removed. (I've been told that there are edited versions of the play; in New Mexico schools, for example, some 400 words have been removed because of "sexual content".)
* Speaking of rewriting Shakespeare, it's been pointed out to me that Mercutio (Curly's character) is in the crypt with Romeo and Juliet in the kissing scene, but it's supposed to be Tybalt (Harold's character, whom Romeo killed soon after Mercutio was killed) and Paris (who died just before Romeo), and that the scene where Tybalt stabs Mercutio is supposed to be before the balcony scene.
* Why doesn't Gerald speak?
* Despite the fact that it's the entire school's play, there doesn't seem to be anybody outside of Mr. Simmons' class in it.
* The critic's name is Leichliter; Larry Leichliter is one of the show's regular directors.
* When the girls are at the call back board, Nadine's shoes are white, but they go back to their usual black when the girls walk away.
* Speaking of the critic, we never do find out what he thought of the play, although from his reaction at the end, I assume he liked Helga's performance.
*
When Mr. Hyunh was a boy, he was in Romeo and Juliet - presumably, there's a Vietnamese translation. (There's a joke somewhere in Star Trek - I think it's in one of the movies - about somebody reading it in "the original Klingon".)
* It's not that surprising Helga takes to acting so well; it runs in the family, what with Olga being a talented actress as well.
* Rhonda's house looks just like Helga's from the outside - but in "Helga's Makeover", it was a lot wider. (It's Rhonda's house and not Helga's because there's a portrait of either Rhonda or her mother on the wall in the bedroom.)
* I admit I never read Romeo and Juliet in its entirety (I read The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth in high school and The Tempest in college - not bad for someone with a degree in Computer Science), but according to the script, Romeo kisses Juliet twice near the end of Act I.
* SNIF You never do actually see the kiss...
* I'm glad to see there's one school in this country where the students don't start a standing ovation at the end of every play, even if the school is fictional. (Don't believe me? Watch the end of the As Told By Ginger episode "I Spy A Witch".)
* Jessica Sodd (the voice of Marcy, who read the play's prologue) got the part by winning a "Kraft Cheese & Crackers" contest, the grand prize of which was a trip to Los Angeles and a part on the show. (I assume this is the contest winner; someone wrote to a Hey Arnold! message board saying that their granddaughter won the contest and was appearing in this episode.)
