A sexy take on Shakespeare: Broadway’s ‘Romeo + Juliet’ captures a new audience

The perfect remedy for a cold New York City day is something hot. For an audience of mainly college-aged women in Circle in the Square, a circular theater with audience members all around, that something hot was Sam Gold’s “Romeo + Juliet” on Broadway. 

A modern adaptation of the classic Shakespearean tragedy, Gold’s play featured “Hearstopper”’s Kit Connor as Romeo, “West Side Story”’s Rachel Zegler as Juliet and original music by Jack Antonoff, known for producing for artists such as Taylor Swift and Lorde. 

Despite its flashy, and at times unnecessarily loud, contemporary references — i.e. Romeo taking the poison via BORG (a gallon of juice and alcohol) — the actors, set and audience interaction in the Broadway revival sucks viewers into an emotional, enthralling and altogether sexy version of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. 

Making his Broadway debut at 20 years old, Connor’s Romeo was graphic and gaudy, capturing the character’s rapid swing between violence and infatuation. His boyish charm, paired with the depth of his performance, swooned more than just Juliet.

Zegler, who was propelled into stardom in her role as the Juliet-inspired Maria in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” (2021), made her long overdue Broadway debut in this role. She delivered a stunning portrayal of young love and loss, playing up the original character’s naivety. 

Together, the two brought new life and needed lust to well-trodden characters. Multiple scenes occur within the confines of Juliet’s floating bed, with Romeo’s desire at one point compelling him to do a pull-up onto the bed in order to “pray,” or as he puts it: “let lips do what hands do.” 

Gold’s direction brought the 400-year-old play into 2024, integrating original dialogue with modern costumes, set pieces and props. This interpretation, while mostly charming, crossed the line into jarring a handful of times throughout the show. Most notably was Romeo’s death via BORG, but there was also the larger than life-size teddy bear that sat at one end of the stage the entire show with no explanation. Additionally, Paris’ (Gían Pérez) performance of fun.’s “We Are Young” shortly after intermission that prompted audience participation was funny but certainly not immersive, to say the least.

These faux pas, however, did not pull the audience away from the story at hand. People held their breath as Romeo beat Juliet’s cousin Tybalt to death, splattering realistic red blood across the stage. Others cheered at the star-crossed lovers’ first meeting. 

With a scarce set featuring Juliet’s bed, a stage that opened to a floor of flowers and in-house DJ, the actors used all the space available to them — including audience chairs, aisles and rafters above the stage. As the prologue took its course, the two stars sat on platforms embedded between the seats, within an arm’s reach of the nearest audience members. This level of intimacy was carried into the granular details, such as their revealing and oftentimes simple costumes.

But the titular characters, despite their brilliance, would not shine as bright without their outstanding ensemble. Standout performances came from two double-casted icons Gabby Beans as Mercutio and the Friar, and Tommy Dorfman as Tybalt and Juliet’s nurse. While taking on multiple roles, all modernized and some gender-bent, the actors succeeded in embodying each character uniquely and superbly. 

The show breathed new life into centuries-old tropes, sticking to the original iambic dialogue while heightening each comedic, romantic and catastrophic moment. Though a modern audience might grow bored of the oft-reproduced storyline, Connor and Zegler’s version drew them in with sex-appeal and youthful ignorance, sending them out with new appreciation for something admittedly very, very old.

Even knowing the story’s tragic ending, Gold’s youthful adaptation gave the audience hope that this Romeo and Juliet might make it out alright. But that hope was dashed, suiting the show’s motto: “The youth are f**ked.” 

Editor’s note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

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