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.
The most gorgeous moments in this Romeo + Juliet are the simplest, when all the noise falls away and it’s just Connor and Zegler: their first meeting, when they spontaneously proclaim their love in a shared 14-line sonnet; the famous Act 2 balcony scene, a positively swoon-worthy moment that no future production should ever attempt to re-create; their too-brief moment of post-wedded bliss. As Gertrude wisely commented in Hamlet: “More matter with less art.”
And because Gold lets the initial energy and urgency go limp, he sacrifices the chance to say something 2024-ish about youth culture or the inevitable violence of tribalism, the sort of low-hanging but potent fruit that he seems to be intent on plucking early on. But just as first love can blind the smitten to obvious flaws, maybe the imperfections of first Shakespeares can be similarly ignored. Let’s hope the Bard’s new bevy of devotees are won over and here to stay.
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