Broadway’s new ‘Romeo & Juliet’ adaptation has strong NJ ties

I’ve been a fan of Broadway and New Jersey native Rachel Zegler for a long time, so I was thrilled when it was announced that she will be making her Broadway debut this fall.

Zegler, born in Hackensack and raised in Clifton, New Jersey, will star as Juliet in the latest stage adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

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I hope this is the start of a long stage career for her. I’ve been a fan since she was just a teenager recording song covers in the bathroom of her parents’ house. “Talented” would be a huge understatement.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 29: (L-R) Ariana DeBose, Steven Spielberg, and Rachel Zegler attend the New York premiere of West Side Story on November 29, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios)

That said, it’s been an exciting few years for Zegler. She made her film debut as Maria in Speilberg's 2021 reboot of “West Side Story.” Her incredible performance earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. Playing Maria will have given her proper preparation, considering her character was a modern (at the time it was written) adaptation of Juliet.

More recently, she starred as Lucy Gray Baird in “The Hunger Games” prequel, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”

Getty Images for Critics Choice

But Zegler isn’t the only New Jersey connection. The show will feature original music from Bleachers’ frontman, Jack Antonoff, who was born in Bergenfield and grew up in New Milford and Woodcliff Lake.

Jack Antonoff (left) Mikey Freedom Hart of Bleachers in December 2023 (Jason Koerner_Getty Images for Audacy's Riptide Music Festival)

Tickets for Romeo + Juliet on Broadway go on sale starting in May.

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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