Photo Coverage: Orlando Bloom, Condola Rashad & More Meet Fans at ROMEO & JULIET Stage Door Following First Preview

Preview performances began last night, Saturday August 24, for the new Broadway production of Shakespeare's timeless love story ROMEO AND JULIET starring international film star Orlando Bloom, making his Broadway debut opposite two-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad. The play's opening night is set for Thursday, September 19, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. BroadwayWorld was on hand as the cast made their first stage door exit, only to be greeted by a mass of fans - check out photos below!

While ROMEO AND JULIET is the most famous love story of all time, this production - directed by five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux - marks the first time in 36 years that the play has been produced for Broadway. This version of the classic tale will retain Shakespeare's original language but have a modern setting in which members of the Montague family will be white, and the Capulet family will be black.

The production also stars Tony Award winner Brent Carver (Kiss of the Spider Woman) as Friar Laurence, two-time Tony Award nominee Jayne Houdyshell (Well, Follies) as the Nurse, Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper (The Life, "House Of Cards") as Lord Capulet, Christian Camargo (All My Sons, The Hurt Locker) as Mercutio, Roslyn Ruff (The Piano Lesson, The Help) as Lady Capulet, Conrad Kemp (HBO's "The Girl", Jerome Salle's Zulu) as Benvolio, Justin Guarini (American Idiot, Women on the Verge...) as Paris, Corey Hawkins as Tybalt, and Geoffrey Owens as Prince Escalus. Completing the cast are Donte Bonner, Joe Carroll, Don Guillory, Sheria Irving, Maurice Jones, Eric Loscheider, Spencer Plachy, Michael Rudko, Tracy Sallows, Thomas Schall, Carolyn Michelle Smith and Nance Williamson.

The creative team includes Scenic Designer Jesse Poleshuck (Sly Fox), Costume Designer Fabio Toblini, Lighting Designer David Weiner (The Normal Heart, Grace), Sound Designer David Van Tieghem (The Lyons, Doubt), and Hair Designer David BrIan Brown (Death of a Salesman, Follies).