Shakespeare gets a Gen Z makeover in the newest revival of his most beloved tragedy. Romeo + Juliet is back on Broadway in a production helmed by Tony winner Sam Gold and starring Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor.
The youth are f**ked. Left to their own devices in their parents’ world of violent ends, an impulsive pair of star-crossed lovers hurtle towards their inescapable fate. The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way. In this version of the classic, Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy now belongs to a new generation on the edge.
This production of Romeo + Juliet is even more special, because though it is not a musical, it features music by Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff and movement direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh. The song "Man of the House," performed by Zegler, has been released as a single.
Romeo and Juliet, one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, is a timeless tragedy that explores the intense and destructive power of love. Set in Verona, the story revolves around two young lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, whose families are locked in a bitter feud. Despite the hostility between their houses, Romeo and Juliet fall deeply in love and secretly marry. Their romance is marked by passion, impulsiveness, and defiance of social norms, which ultimately leads to devastating consequences.
The play delves into themes of fate, choice, and the destructiveness of hatred. The concept of "star-crossed lovers" underscores the inevitability of Romeo and Juliet’s doomed love, as their efforts to escape their families’ animosity lead to a series of misunderstandings and tragic events. The play has enduring relevance as a commentary on youthful passion, family dynamics, and the societal constraints that shape human relationships. Its blend of romance, drama, and universal themes ensures its place as one of the most studied and performed works in literary history.
Romeo and Juliet has not been seen on Broadway since a 2013 revival starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad. Other duos to play the star-crossed lovers onstage include Lauren Ambrose and Oscar Isaac, Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor, and Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers.
It's abundantly clear that Shakespeare purists expecting this production to be a timeless tale filled with medieval garb and banquets will find themselves up in arms over Romeo + Juliet's bold choices. But the visceral, teary-eyed reactions that several young audience members in the crowd had during the play is proof enough of how influential it will be for a brand new generation of theatergoers. To quote Perez: "Thank you, William Shakespeare!" Mic drop. Grade: B+
Gold's production — featuring buzzy young stars Kit Connor (Heartstopper) and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) in the title roles — aims to do the same for Generation Z, and in much the same way. The result is hit-and-miss. Sporty streetwear, gender-swapped casting, and original pop songs by of-the-moment music producer Jack Antonoff are all on display in the Circle in the Square Theatre, transformed into something like the site of an unsupervised high school house party. Stuffed animals are strewn about, characters take swigs from a gallon jug of an unidentified blood-red drink, and everyone's running and raging and singing with abandon. The whole thing is undeniably entertaining, but the additions of Antonoff's songs, Sonya Tayeh's choreography, and intermittent modern slang don't serve the play as much as they feel like empty spectacle, inserted out of fear its target audience — short-form TikTok devotees, per the stereotypes of us Gen Z-ers — won't otherwise stay engaged for 2.5 hours.
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