Off-B'way Review: Romeo and Juliet

Ra'Mya Latiah Aikens and Daniel Bravo
Hernandez in Romeo and Juliet.
Credit: Joan Marcus 

Many years ago when I was acting in a community theater production of The Skin of Our Teeth, one of my castmates railed against an all-African-American, Off-Broadway production of The Cherry Orchard, claiming black actors did have the “cultural background” to perform Anton Chekhov’s classic of displacement in a Russian family. What would he have made of Saheem Ali’s politically charged production of Romeo and Juliet currently at the Public Theater’s Delacorte in Central Park? (Ironically it was also the Public Theater which produced that all-black Cherry Orchard.) Ali sets Shakespeare’s immortal tale of star-crossed lovers in what appears to be a little town on the southern side of the U.S.-Mexican border. “Nueva Verona” is listed as the locale in the program. Set designer Maruti Evans places an enormous replica of Trump’s unfinished wall at the back of the stage with huge figures representing death and the Virgin Mary peering over the top. Death is ever present with the main playing area representing a graveyard with tombstones scattered about and three performers in dark robes and sporting Georgia O’Keefe-like cattle-bone masks hovering on the edges of the action. The transfer from the Elizabethan era to modern Central America does not diminish Shakespeare’s timeless message.

Daniel Bravo Hernandez and Ra'Mya
Latiah Aikens in Romeo and Juliet.
Credit: Joan Marcus

In addition, much of the dialogue between the titular besotted teens is performed in Spanish. Some of Ali’s choices deliver a blurry result, but the Bard’s overall impact is still strongly felt. His theme of division among community causing tragedy despite young love comes across with devastating power, featuring luminous performance from Daniel Bravo Hernandez and Ra’Maya Latiah Aikens as the tragic lovers. The rival houses seem on to be on opposite sides of the immigration question, even though the town appears to be entirely in Mexico. The Capulets are apparently authoritarian officials with Lord Capulet dressed by costume designer Oana Botez in a black military Mussolini-inspired uniform and his nephew Tybalt is played as a thug from ICE. Meanwhile, Romeo’s pals Mercutio and Benvolio side with anti-ICE protestors who deface the wall with graffitti-ed slogans. Perhaps it would have made more sense to use the wall to split the stage in half rather than putting the wall at the back. 

B'way Update: Romeo and Juliet Sets Date, Theater

Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler

The Sam Gold-directed revival of Romeo and Juliet starring Kit Connor (Heartstopper) and Rachel Zegler (Steven Speilberg's West Side Story) has announced a theater and production dates. This 37th Broadway production of Shakespeare's classic of star-crossed lovers will begin performances at the Circle in the Square on Sept. 26 prior to an Oct. 24 opening. The production will feature music by Jack Antonoff, best known for his collaborations with Taylor Swift. Sonya Tayeh, Tony winning choreographer of Moulin Rouge, is credited with movement. Meanwhile, the West End production of R&J starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers and directed by Jamie Lloyd does not appear to be moving to Broadway when it completes its sold-out run as has been previously rumored. But you never know. Tom Holland's Spider-Man box office appeal may inspire producers to try it in 2025-26.

B'way Update: Duelling Romeo and Juliets????

Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler 
will star in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway
this fall. 

A new production of Romeo and Juliet is coming to Broadway this fall, but not the one with Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers that is opening in London this May. A totally different Romeo and Juliet, starring Kit Connor (Heartstopper) and Rachel Zegler (Steven Speilberg's West Side Story) featuring music by Grammy winner Jack Antonoff and direction by Tony winner Sam Gold (Fun Home) has been announced to open this fall 2024. The UK Mail had reported the London R&J, directed by Jamie Lloyd, was planning to transfer to Broadway after its sold-out West End, but this has not been confirmed. 

So we might have two Romeo and Juliets on Broadway in 2024-25. It's not unprecedented. There were two major simultaneous productions of R&J in NYC in 2013: one on Broadway with Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad, and one Off-Broadway at CSC with Elizabeth Olsen and Julian Cihi.

Director Sam Gold said, “With the presidential election coming up in November, I felt like making a show this fall that celebrates youth and hope, and unleashes the anger young people feel about the world they are inheriting."

The press release explains the story thusly: "The youth are fucked. 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."

New 'Romeo and Juliet' for B'way; Tony Nom Announcers Announced

Orlando Bloom

Heartthrob Orlando Bloom and rising star Condola Rashad (soon to star in The Trip to Bountiful) will star in a new production of Romeo and Juliet to play the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, beginning previews Aug. 24 and opening Sept. 19. The press release states the cast will be multi-ethnic and also include Tony nominees Jayne Houdyshell (Well, Dead Accounts, Follies) as the Nurse and Joe Morton (Raisin) as Lord Capulet, Juliet's father. The last major R&J in NYC was the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's production as part of a six-play rotating repertory in the summer of 2011. At the performance I attended, Romeo suffered an injury and his understudy had to go halfway through the show. Elizabeth Olsen is slated to star as Juliet at CSC during the same season. Famous screen R&Js have included Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer, and of course, Marcia Brady and that kid with glasses. (Fortunately, Marcia was canned for behaving like a diva and wound up playing Lady Capulet.)

In other breaking news, the Tony nominations will be read by Sutton Foster and Jesse Tyler Ferguson at the New York Public Library on April 30; and David Hyde Pierce will host the Drama League Awards on May 17.