A new version of “Romeo and Juliet” will hit Broadway this fall — with a modern twist, and a modern score served up by Jack Antonoff.
British actor Kit Connor, who stars in the Netflix coming-of-age dramedy “Heartstopper,” and “West Side Story” breakout Rachel Zegler will make their Broadway debuts in a revival of the beloved William Shakespeare classic.
“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,” director Sam Gold said in Tuesday’s announcement.
“The youth are f–ked,” begins the show’s official logline. “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.”
The modern-day adaptation features choreography by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh and music by Antonoff, who in February won his third consecutive Grammy Award for Producer of the Year.
The forthcoming production will also mark the Broadway debut for the 39-year-old, known for working closely with Taylor Swift and fronting the rock band Bleachers.
“Romeo and Juliet” producers said more information, including a venue, dates and additional casting, is forthcoming.
