Updated

Updated · Billboard · Jun 30

Jennifer Nettles Opens 4-Week Off-Broadway Run of 'Giulia,' a Musical She Wrote and Stars In

Updated

Updated · Billboard · Jun 30

Jennifer Nettles Opens 4-Week Off-Broadway Run of 'Giulia,' a Musical She Wrote and Stars In

Q: What was the secret of the undetectable poison that liberated hundreds of women?

The “secret” was **Aqua Tofana’s ability to look like a natural illness rather than a poisoning**. Historical accounts describe it as a nearly undetectable liquid—generally believed to have been **arsenic-based**, and possibly mixed with **lead and belladonna**—that was **colorless, tasteless, and odorless**. Its effectiveness came from how it was used. The poison was reportedly given in **small doses over several days**, causing symptoms such as weakness, stomach distress, vomiting, thirst and dysentery before death. Because the decline appeared gradual, victims often seemed to have died of ordinary sickness, not murder. Another part of the secret was concealment. Accounts say Aqua Tofana was often **disguised in cosmetic or devotional bottles**, including containers labeled **“Manna of St. Nicholas of Bari,”** so women could keep it without attracting suspicion. What remains uncertain is the exact formula. Historians do not fully agree on its ingredients, and much of the story comes from confessions and later retellings. But the enduring legend is clear: Aqua Tofana was feared because it was said to **leave little obvious trace and mimic natural death**, which is why Giulia Tofana became associated with helping hundreds of women escape abusive marriages in 17th-century Italy.

3 articles · Updated · Billboard · Jun 30

Perelman Performing Arts Center opens Jennifer Nettles’ "Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo" on June 28 for a four-week Off-Broadway run, with Nettles writing the book, music and lyrics and starring as Giulia Tofana.
A decade-old online article about female serial killers led Nettles to Giulia Tofana, the 17th-century Sicilian figure allegedly tied to as many as 600 deaths, and the project expanded from a play into a musical during the pandemic.
Several readings and a positive response helped move the show to production, with producer Adam Zotovich bringing it to PAC and Tony winner Mary Zimmerman directing.
Nettles said the run is also a test phase: audience reaction will shape revisions as she weighs a possible future Broadway transfer.
The musical frames Tofana less as a villain than as a morally ambiguous protector of abused women, extending the feminist lens highlighted in earlier coverage.