Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) is officially going to make her debut on Broadway. The Colombian-American actress will join Kit Connor (Heartstopper) on Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, directed by Sam Gold, this fall.
The Broadway’s logline reads: “The youth are f*cked. Left to their own devices in their parents’ world of violent ends, an impulsive pair of star-crossed lovers hurtle toward their inescapable fate. The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way.” The press release also indicates it aims to resonate with Gen Z: “Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy now belongs to a new generation on the edge.”
Gold also teased the production’s new “edge” aspect. “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,” Gold reportedly said in a press statement.
Both Zegler and her fans are thrilled about the announcement.
Romeo + Juliet marks Zegler’s follow-up project after the release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023), and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). She’s also working on a new adaption of Snow White (2025), which is already stirring controversial opinions on social media
This new rendition of the Shakespeare classic also marks Grammy winner Jack Antonoff’s debut on Broadway. He will compose the project’s original music.
Connor and Zelger first teased the new project on Instagram yesterday (April 15). The two actors published Instagram posts with bold “R” and “J” letters, respectively. Their captions both read: “❤️ 🗡️.”
Though there are no exact dates or theatre information yet, the first details reveal that tickets will go on sale next month (May). Fans can now sign up for early access via the production’s official website.