“Romeo and Juliet.” The classic Shakespearean love story about star-crossed lovers and their doomed end. While Shakespeare certainly intended for his work to be a tragedy, fans seem to have other feelings after watching Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler’s performances of “Romeo + Juliet” at the Circle in the Square Theater! Directed by Sam Gold, with music by Jack Antonoff (as in the Taylor and Lana Del Rey Antonoff), and movement by Sonya Tayeh, fans have been raving about Gen Z’s “Romeo and Juliet”. It is certainly meant to be a heartstopper, both literally and figuratively, seeing as how the play ends (spoiler alert). However, as audiences have been informed, the play is a modern rendition of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, leaving fans questioning the differences between the original text and the re-imagined version with Kit Connor and Rachel Zegeler.
Although I have yet to see this highly recommended and spectacularly reimagined “Romeo + Juliet”, I wanted to share some fun facts surrounding this highly popular performance. First, the names of the stars themselves steal the show. The brilliance of the casting, in my opinion, lies in the fact that both of the stars have made their Broadway debut in this performance! Although we love these performers for their popularity on film, like Zegler’s spectacular performance in “The Hunger Games” and Connor’s in “Heartstopper”, neither actor has ever performed on a Broadway stage before! As fans, we know they are more than qualified for this amazing step in their careers. Nonetheless, the bond that these performers have created in going through such a pivotal point in their careers seems to contribute to their on, and off-stage, chemistry and friendship! Playbill reports that Connor has vocalized his love and respect for his costar, stating, “one of the biggest honors of my career has been getting to come in every day and see this girl, who was quite literally born for this…for these stages. She was born for Broadway!” Rachel has even praised Connor in stating,”… he breathes new life into it eight times a week” (Vizcaíno). No matter what interview you watch of the two of them, their chemistry exudes from the screen, and there’s no denying it! I mean, have you seen the promotional photos that they have taken together and any behind-the-scenes videos? They are just so sweet and have captivated audiences not only through their talent but through their friendship! Who doesn’t love co-stars who get along?
Second, Zegler’s performance is made evermore passionate, and has audiences lined up outside of the theater for autographs, because she is finally pursuing her Broadway dreams! That’s right, Zegler was a theater kid, much like the rest of us! That is probably why fans have been freaking out since the casting was officially announced back in April. Zegler is surely not new to musical theater, as at the age of seventeen she was cast in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster movie “West Side Story” as Maria! Audiences were also captivated by her performance as Lucy Gray Baird, who fans of the “Hunger Games” know, needed Zegler’s voice to come to life! It was no surprise, therefore, that theater holds a special place in Zegler’s heart. And as we theater kids understand, being on Broadway is always the dream, and Zegler’s has come to fruition! Even if you aren’t a theater kid, the fulfillment of your dreams always sparks this extreme excitement and happiness (which is an understatement, but describing such an out-of-body experience is nearly impossible), and all fans can see this feeling embedded into Zegler’s enthusiasm surrounding R+J! One such instance, that is stuck in all of our minds, is seen in the emphasis she placed on “Romeo and Juliet” when singing “Gimme Gimme” from “Thoroughly Modern Millie” at Elsie Fest 2024. The fact that fans agree she is the perfect choice for Juliet, even if you have yet to see the performance, is also a great indicator of her skills and credibility!
Third, we all know Connor for his role in the hit Netflix series, “Heartstopper”. This is not the first time, however, that we have seen a “Heartstopper” star on stage. That’s right, Joe Locke made his Broadway debut on Jan. 31 in “Sweeney Todd”! Locke’s spectacular performance, which I had the pleasure of seeing live on stage, was poignant, inspired, and heartbreaking (if you know, you know). It is actually a wonderful coincidence that such stars get to experience such pivotal moments in their careers within the same year! It’s also no wonder fans are raving about Connor. I mean, he won an Emmy for his performance as Nick Nelson! Perhaps there will be a Tony Award in his near future!
Finally, the genuine enjoyment that these performers experience can be seen in their interactions with fans outside of the theater! Not only have they been signing autographs for their fans after their performances, but they also make such interactions enjoyable, taking pictures with audience members. Zegler even dressed up as Nicole Scherzinger’s character in “Sunset Boulevard”! I mean, does it get any more theater kid than that (no, and we all love it!)?
So, even if you usually do not care about Broadway, we can all agree that we care about Connor and Zegler, and seeing them together will certainly prove to be a life-changing experience. I’ll see you all at the Circle in the Square Theatre!