A daring new revival of Shakespeare’s timeless romance Romeo + Juliet has opened on Broadway, featuring young Hollywood stars Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) and Kit Connor (Heartstopper) in the titular roles. Directed by Sam Gold, fresh off his provocative spin on Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, this production aims to reinvent the classic tale for Gen Z audiences.
Gold’s vision transplants the star-crossed lovers to an ultra-contemporary setting, complete with gender-fluid casting, pop music by Jack Antonoff, and unapologetic sensuality. The show’s pre-performance ambiance evokes a mash-up of an arcade and a Brooklyn rave, with the young ensemble roving the in-the-round stage, grinding to pulsing beats and indulging in the occasional Borg (Blackout Rage Gallon).
Maximalist Approach Pushes Boundaries
In contrast to a more subdued take on the play starring Tom Holland on the West End, Gold opts for maximalism at every turn. Glitter, strobe lights, and throbbing synths underscore the action, while the costumes blend Bushwick cool with Netflix teen drama chic. It’s a rebellious, almost reckless approach that seeks to wring every ounce of humor and horniness from the tale of woe.
This anything-goes ethos yields some electric moments, such as when Gabby Beans, playing multiple roles including Mercutio, introduces the other actors via hand mic and hypebeast cheering. Other choices, like an impromptu group singalong of Fun’s “We Are Young,” feel more strained in their attempt at youthful relevance.
Rising Stars Anchor the Chaos
Amidst the cacophony, Zegler and Connor prove the production’s anchors. Though she occasionally stumbles over the pentameter, Zegler imbues Juliet with a captivating inner fire, her defiance of her parents’ expectations building to a fever pitch. Connor, meanwhile, brings a laddish charm to Romeo, convincingly portraying a brawny, besotted teen driven more by passion than reason.
“Connor was the only cast member who demonstrated a natural grasp on the tricky rhythm of Shakespeare; I palpably relaxed whenever he began to speak, so much better does the dialogue sound from his mouth,” according to a close source.
Uneven Performances and Overacting
The rest of the ensemble struggles to match the leads’ command of the language, often relying on over-the-top physicality and grating affectations. Tommy Dorfman’s nurse and Tybalt and Beans’ Mercutio are particularly egregious offenders, mugging and drawling their way through the dense text. This intense overacting may be a concession to the production’s target demographic, for whom Shakespeare remains a daunting prospect.
A Bold but Flawed Experiment
While Gold’s Romeo + Juliet deserves credit for its boldness and casting coups, the end result proves more muddled than revelatory. The unrelenting, aggressively contemporary style threatens to undermine the moments of genuine connection and discovery between the doomed lovers.
The show’s undeniable highlights include Zegler’s spikily endearing take on the wilful ingenue and Connor’s effortlessly charismatic Romeo. Their balcony scene, with Romeo doing pull-ups to bridge the distance for a kiss, earns some appreciative wolf-whistles.
Yet for every flash of inspiration, the production indulges twice as many gimmicks that fall flat, like multiple ham-fisted references to TikTok drinking trends. The route to making Shakespeare accessible to younger generations is a worthy one, but this Romeo + Juliet too often mistakes crassness for coolness and chaos for exhilaration.
A Commendable but Exhausting Effort
In the end, Gold’s vision is commendable for its sheer audacity and commitment to bring Shakespeare kicking and screaming into the 21st century. There’s an undeniable verve to the proceedings, a sense that the creative team will try anything to make the Bard feel vital and fresh.
But the unrelenting, magpie aesthetic and scattershot performances make for an exhausting sit at over two and a half hours. The delicate poetry of the text and the recognizable human passions of the central romance too often get lost amidst all the sound and fury.
“It is all, as one can probably imagine, a lot, at once disarming and confusing,” noted the aforementioned source. “And held together, to the extent that it is, by the remarkable performances of its star-crossed lovers.”
While not entirely successful, this Romeo + Juliet still represents an ambitious attempt to reinvent a classic for a new era. Even when the concept wears thin, there’s pleasure in witnessing Zegler and Connor breathe fresh life into those eternal roles. If future revivals can channel this one’s daring while exercising a bit more restraint and trust in the text, Broadway may yet deliver a Romeo and Juliet for the ages.
This anything-goes ethos yields some electric moments, such as when Gabby Beans, playing multiple roles including Mercutio, introduces the other actors via hand mic and hypebeast cheering. Other choices, like an impromptu group singalong of Fun’s “We Are Young,” feel more strained in their attempt at youthful relevance.
Rising Stars Anchor the Chaos
Amidst the cacophony, Zegler and Connor prove the production’s anchors. Though she occasionally stumbles over the pentameter, Zegler imbues Juliet with a captivating inner fire, her defiance of her parents’ expectations building to a fever pitch. Connor, meanwhile, brings a laddish charm to Romeo, convincingly portraying a brawny, besotted teen driven more by passion than reason.
“Connor was the only cast member who demonstrated a natural grasp on the tricky rhythm of Shakespeare; I palpably relaxed whenever he began to speak, so much better does the dialogue sound from his mouth,” according to a close source.
Uneven Performances and Overacting
The rest of the ensemble struggles to match the leads’ command of the language, often relying on over-the-top physicality and grating affectations. Tommy Dorfman’s nurse and Tybalt and Beans’ Mercutio are particularly egregious offenders, mugging and drawling their way through the dense text. This intense overacting may be a concession to the production’s target demographic, for whom Shakespeare remains a daunting prospect.
A Bold but Flawed Experiment
While Gold’s Romeo + Juliet deserves credit for its boldness and casting coups, the end result proves more muddled than revelatory. The unrelenting, aggressively contemporary style threatens to undermine the moments of genuine connection and discovery between the doomed lovers.
The show’s undeniable highlights include Zegler’s spikily endearing take on the wilful ingenue and Connor’s effortlessly charismatic Romeo. Their balcony scene, with Romeo doing pull-ups to bridge the distance for a kiss, earns some appreciative wolf-whistles.
Yet for every flash of inspiration, the production indulges twice as many gimmicks that fall flat, like multiple ham-fisted references to TikTok drinking trends. The route to making Shakespeare accessible to younger generations is a worthy one, but this Romeo + Juliet too often mistakes crassness for coolness and chaos for exhilaration.
A Commendable but Exhausting Effort
In the end, Gold’s vision is commendable for its sheer audacity and commitment to bring Shakespeare kicking and screaming into the 21st century. There’s an undeniable verve to the proceedings, a sense that the creative team will try anything to make the Bard feel vital and fresh.
But the unrelenting, magpie aesthetic and scattershot performances make for an exhausting sit at over two and a half hours. The delicate poetry of the text and the recognizable human passions of the central romance too often get lost amidst all the sound and fury.
“It is all, as one can probably imagine, a lot, at once disarming and confusing,” noted the aforementioned source. “And held together, to the extent that it is, by the remarkable performances of its star-crossed lovers.”
While not entirely successful, this Romeo + Juliet still represents an ambitious attempt to reinvent a classic for a new era. Even when the concept wears thin, there’s pleasure in witnessing Zegler and Connor breathe fresh life into those eternal roles. If future revivals can channel this one’s daring while exercising a bit more restraint and trust in the text, Broadway may yet deliver a Romeo and Juliet for the ages.
