Rachel Zegler, Kit Connor to star in ‘Romeo + Juliet’ on Broadway

The West Side Story and Heartstopper stars will play Shakespeare’s tragic young lovers in the production, which features music by Jack Antonoff.

See two stars, alike in dignity! Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor will lead a new revival of Romeo + Juliet on Broadway. The Shakespeare production, directed by Sam Gold, will run this fall, with a theatre and dates to be announced.

Zegler is best known for starring as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story movie musical, winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. Her other best-known credits include Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and the upcoming live-action remake of Snow White, directed by Greta Gerwig.

Connor’s breakout role was as Nick in the Netflix TV series Heartstopper, for which he won the first Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performance. His other major credits include the film Rocketman and the TV series His Dark Materials.

Both Zegler and Connor make their Broadway debuts with Romeo + Juliet.

This revival is a play with music by Jack Antonoff, also making his Broadway debut. He is known for performing with the bands Bleachers and Fun. He also is a music producer for artists including Taylor Swift, Florence and the Machine, and Lana Del Rey.

The show also features movement by Sonya Tayeh, a Tony Award winner for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and direction by Sam Gold. Gold, a Tony winner for Fun Home, was represented in spring 2024 with a critically acclaimed revival of An Enemy of the People starring Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli.

Gold’s equally starry Romeo + Juliet production is the 35th revival of Shakespeare's play; it first appeared in New York in 1754 and most recently in 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Shakespeare’s play tells the story of young lovers from feuding families, the Montagues (Romeo) and Capulets (Juliet), who fall into a forbidden, whirlwind romance that leads to tragedy.

Complete casting and creative team has yet to be announced.

Check back for information on Romeo + Juliet tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler. (Photo courtesy of production)