ROMEO AND JULIET Announces $20 Student Ticket Program; Box Office Now Open

The Richard Rodgers Theatre Box Office (226 West 46th Street) opens today at 10:00am EST for the new Broadway production of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, starring international film star Orlando Bloom and two-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad as the titular star-crossed lovers, and directed by five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux. The opening of the box office also marks the launch of the production's Student Ticket Program; in order to make this production accessible to all, 100 tickets per performance will be set aside at $20 for students and educators. Instead of a lottery or rush program which requires waiting in line, these tickets will be available for purchase in advance at the box office with valid ID. In addition, for the first time ever, students can be verified in advance to order tickets online, exclusively through TIX4STUDENTS.COM. Limit of two tickets per order, price does not include facility fee.

Opening on Broadway Thursday, September 19, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre following preview performances from Saturday, August 24, 2013, ROMEO AND JULIET 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, and 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).

While ROMEO AND JULIET is the most famous love story of all time, this production will mark the first time in 36 years that the play will be 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.

One of Shakespeare's best known and most beloved plays, ROMEO AND JULIET belongs to a tradition of tragic-romances dating back over 500 years. The famous youthful lovers first appeared in Italian novella in the 1500's and gained popularity in England after being adapted and translated into English by Arthur Brooke in 1562. As described in Brooke's poem, "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet" - on which Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is based - while the Montagues and Capulets are from different "races" or "stocks" their deadly feud is not based on their race, but rather on the "grudging envy" of men of "equal state." In this new production, the members of the Montague household will be white, and the Blood Relatives of the Capulet family will be black. While race defines the family lineages, the original cause of the 'ancient quarrel', passed down by successive generations to their young, has been lost to time. Shakespeare's dramatization of the original poem sets the two young lovers in a context of prejudice, authoritarian parents, and a never ending cycle of 'revenge.' Against this background, the strength of their love changes the world.

The last time ROMEO AND JULIET was produced on Broadway was the 1977 Circle in the Square production featuring Paul Ryan Rudd and Pamela Payton-Wright. Other notable New York productions include: the Public Theater's 2012 gala staged-reading at the Delacorte Theater starring Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep; the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2011 production at the Park Avenue Armory starring Sam Troughton and Mariah Gale; the Public Theater's 2007 Shakespeare in the Park production starring Oscar Isaac and Lauren Ambrose; the 1986 Shakespeare on Broadway for the Schools repertory production starring Geoffrey Owens and Regina Taylor; The Old Vic Company's 1956 production at the Winter Garden Theater starring John Neville and Claire Bloom; as well as the 1940 Broadway production starring Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

Orlando Bloom is appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association. Conrad Kemp is appearing with the support of Actors' Equity Association pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

Beginning Saturday, August 24, the playing schedule is as follows: Tuesdays at 8:00PM, Wednesdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM, Thursdays at 8:00PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM, and Sundays at 3:00PM. (There will be no matinee performances on Sunday August 25, Wednesday August 28, or Wednesday September 4. There is an added performance on Sunday, August 25 at 7:00PM)

Beginning Friday, September 20, the playing schedule is as follows: Tuesdays at 7:00PM, Wednesdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM, Thursdays at 7:00PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM, and Sundays at 3:00PM.

Tickets are available now at The Richard Rodgers Theatre Box Office (226 West 46th Street) or at Ticketmaster.com/1-800-745-3000 for performances through Sunday November 24, 2013. In order to make this production accessible to all, 100 tickets per performance will be set aside at $20* for purchase by students and educators, available at the box office with valid ID or students may access tickets online in advance exclusively through TIX4STUDENTS (www.tix4students.com).

*Prices listed do NOT include the $2 facility fee per ticket purchased. Tix4Students members are subject to Ticketmaster service fees for online orders. Student and educator tickets are not valid on prior purchased tickets and may not be combined with any other promotions. Not all seats available at student and educator pricing. Other restrictions may apply. Limit 2 tickets per order. ALL SALES FINAL. No refunds or exchanges.

TIX4STUDENTS is an annual membership program exclusively for college students (18+ only) where members get access to purchase student tickets online in advance. The terms of membership require students to validate they are currently enrolled in an accredited college or university. Once enrollment is confirmed and the application is accepted, the student becomes a member. Every member is assigned a unique member ID that is their passcode to access the student pricing for participating events. To celebrate the launch of the site, the first 1,000 students who join TIX4STUDENTS will receive free membership. For new members after the promotional period, there is an annual membership fee ($5/year).