Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare’s most famous works, will soon return to Broadway in a new form. Since the play was first written in 1596, there have been many versions and adaptations of the original story. Now, almost 430 years later, Romeo and Juliet will return to Broadway in yet another mutated version of the story.
Romeo and Juliet was first written to depict a complex story of two rival families with a pair of star-crossed lovers. The play is set in the small town of Verona, Italy, and contains romance, social politics, action, and more. The classic story closes with the young lovers committing suicide for one another, as they could not live without the other half of their hearts.
There have been many different versions of the Shakespearean tale, retold in film, musicals, and plays. Some of these include the movie and musical West Side Story, Broadway musical & Juliet, the movie The Lion King II, and more. There have been many film iterations of the show, with the first released in 1968.
“There have been so many iterations of the story of Romeo and Juliet, and I am curious to see where else the story could be taken. Since almost everything has been done, what can the producers do to make it feel new and original?” said sophomore Alec Oldis.
This year, there will be yet another variant of the show releasing on Broadway. Reviving the unchanged title of Romeo and Juliet, this show will have the story set in modern day.
Romeo is played by Kit Conner, who is most notably known for his performance of Nick Nelson in the hit television show, Heartstopper. Juliet is played by Rachel Zegler, who has starred in a multitude of productions including West Side Story, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and the recent Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
The show is directed by Sam Gold, who is best known for his direction for An Enemy of the People. The music for the show has been composed by Jack Antonoff, who is best known for his production in pop music, for big names like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lana del Ray.
“I am really looking forward to the new production of Romeo and Juliet on Broadway. Rachel Zegler, who plays Juliet, is an exceptionally talented singer and actor. I am excited to see how she and Kit Connor, who is playing Romeo, bring their own, unique interpretation to this iconic story,” said sophomore Ava Lau.
Similar to other more recent versions of the play, it will be set in the modern era, instead of Renaissance Italy, to make it more relatable for the audience. This show is expected to put a modern spin on not just the setting but also the plot, and pull the audience into the decade of the early 2000s.
Though this modified version of the production contains music by the Grammy-winning composer Jack Antonoff, it is not a musical. Instead, the music is expected to be used as backing tracks and not sung by the actors.
Since the first release, Romeo and Juliet has been on Broadway 36 times. Many Broadway fans are not too happy about another retelling of the romantic tale, however, but Shakespeare fans are excited to see a new spin on the story. The show begins previews on Broadway on Sept. 26 and will open to the public on Oct. 24, 2024, before it ends its run on Feb. 16, 2025.
“Given my love for Kit Connor, I cannot wait to see this show. That being said, I am interested in the direction they are going in. There’ve been so many renditions of Romeo and Juliet, and I’m excited to see what direction they take that makes it stand out from the others.” said junior Aurora Mata.
Fans are ecstatic to see one of the most famous pieces of literature in the english-speaking world, being revived on Broadway once again this fall. Starring famous actors and great music, this rendition will tell the classic tale of star-crossed lovers in a brand-new light.