
William Shakespeare’s iconic but frankly overplayed story “Romeo and Juliet” has been revived on Broadway 36 times. “Romeo + Juliet,” starring “Heartstopper” actor Kit Connor and “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” lead actress Rachel Zegler, marks the play’s 37th revival. It’s easy to rashly judge yet another revival, especially a Generation Z take on Shakespeare.
However, this revival electrifies the classic Shakespeare tragedy with relentless energy, audacious choreography and supercharged sexuality, transforming it into a chaotic and unpredictable spectacle that keeps you teetering on the edge of your seat — even though you already know the ending.
From the moment you enter the main theatre, the cast members appear already on the circle stage playing hot potato with a teddy bear and chatting like a close-knit friend group, bursting into moments of aggression, flirtation and sheer teenage exuberance as a short pre-show.
Abruptly, strobe lights flicker, the steady electric beat fractures into an unnerving pulse and the once calm cast bursts into rhythmic dancers. The stage erupts with life, only to crumble moments later as the cast collapses, with their bodies strewn about like a pile of corpses. A single spotlight pierces the sudden darkness, illuminating Gabby Beans, the play’s Chorus, Mercutio and Friar. With a commanding presence, she starts the show with a casual “How y’all doing?”
This intricate dynamic of explosive motion and sudden stillness fuels the production, perfectly capturing the volatile emotional highs and lows of its young, impassioned characters.
Despite “Romeo + Juliet” being a contemporary take on the story, the dialogue mimics the original’s 14-line iambic pentameter rhythm, grounding the revival in a comforting familiarity. The script blends bawdy humor and satirical jabs with moments of intense emotional gravity in precise Shakespearean diction but with a twist of modern teen vernacular.
Sam Gold masterfully captures how all-consuming love makes all of us fools in the end. While the precise use of strobe lighting (Isabella Byrd) and emotional music (Jack Antonoff) enhances the performance, many of the cast members shine even without theatrical help.
Connor, as Romeo, perfectly encapsulates the deliberate yet frantic actions that young love prompts. When he looks at Juliet, his eyes reveal a mix of infatuation, devotion and confusion, as if he is ready to risk everything for their relationship without quite knowing what it will mean due to the age-old Montague and Capulet rivalry. As Juliet, played by Zegler, lays on a floating bed suspended above the stage, Connor frantically dashes around the intimate theater, running up and down the aisles. He even breaks the fourth wall — a common occurrence in the nearly two-hour run. He elicits laughter as he quips to an audience member, “She speaks much yet says nothing,” before stealing a chair from another audience member to precariously climb toward Juliet’s lofty perch. His words carry the maturity of deep passion, but his unsteady footing and eagerness to reach his love interest epitomize the beauty and recklessness of youthful love.
We also cannot forget about the mesmerizing and breathtaking kiss scene where Romeo dashes onto the stage and does a leaping pull-up to kiss Juliet from her suspended bed. This scene is a true testament to the physicality this revival demands.
The play enraptures the audience with whirlwinds of chaotic, relentless and sometimes suggestive movement by Sonya Tayeh — the movement and choreography director. Unlike a traditional play or musical where your eyes are locked on the stage, here your head swivels without pause like a bobblehead. The cast members occupy every inch of the small theatre: above you on catwalks, hanging from ladders, beside you in the aisles possibly humping teddy bears and even behind you running around the theater’s perimeter. There is never a dull moment, keeping the audience engaged in a way that’s perfectly attuned to a generation that is said to have an attention span that lasts only about eight seconds.
The occasional fourth wall break deepens the enchantment rather than shattering it. One such moment sees Juliet’s suitor, Paris (played by Gían Pérez, who also plays Samson and Peter), clad in an iconic crop top reading “GIFT FROM GOD,” directly engaging with the DJ. He requested the song “We Are Young,” only for the DJ to refuse. Undeterred, Paris rallies the entire audience to sing the song and clap along, blurring the lines between performance and participation.
As the show ends, there is a deafening silence upon reflecting on the play’s trajectory and its emotional rollercoaster. The dynamic between the extremes is ever-sharp, especially when comparing the beginning’s pulsating beats and snapping choreography to the ending’s eerie stillness and mellow music.
Lastly, the cast of “Romeo + Juliet” is a much-needed breath of fresh air with its racial, sexual and gender diversity. Not only does the production break boundaries by modernizing the classic play with Generation Z as its source of inspiration but also by showcasing a vibrant, inclusive ensemble, bringing new depth to the story and celebrating voices from all backgrounds.
Aside from Connor and Zegler, the remaining eight cast members play multiple roles with subtle vocal changes — but fear not! Luckily, there is a tree map included in your playbill that allows you to keep up with the show.
Gold’s target audience is not the conventional Shakespeare fans but rather the youth, as he reimagines the star-crossed lovers in today’s teenage world, embracing the raw, messy energy of adolescence.
With only a couple weeks left of the play’s limited run ending on Feb. 16, “Romeo + Juliet” at The Circle in the Square Theatre is a must-see. It’s not just a play; it’s a party.