Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor rehearse for “Romeo + Juliet” on Broadway: Photos

Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor are so much closer to their Broadway debut!

The two actors — they from the upcoming live-action film Snow White Film and he, known for his role in Heart Stopper — play the leading roles in a new production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo + JulietAnd on Monday, August 12, the two met with the rest of the cast, creatives and production team for their first day of rehearsals in New York City.

Photos from the milestone reunion were released by producers on Wednesday, August 21.

The day began with a meet and greet, followed by a design presentation led by director Sam Gold and set designer dots.

Zegler, 23, and Connor, 20, were beaming in the pictures and even posed together for a beautiful shot.

The two stars are also seen laughing in the pictures as they stand alongside members of the musical’s troupe and creative team, including choreographer Sonya Tayeh, who will design the movements for the show, and Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff, who will write the original music for the production.

Performances for Romeo + Juliet begin on Thursday 26 September at the Circle in the Square Theatre, ahead of the official opening on Thursday 24 October. The show is currently scheduled for a strictly limited 16-week engagement.

The Bard’s 1597 classic is about the tragic romance of two Italian teenagers from feuding families. The play has been performed in nearly 40 productions on Broadway, including the most recent revival in 2013 starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad.

It was also the inspiration for West Side Storythe award-winning musical by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, which was most recently adapted into a Steven Spielberg film in 2021 with Zegler in the lead role.

“Youth is screwed,” reads a logline for the new Broadway production. “Left to fend for themselves in their parents’ world of violence, an impulsive, ill-fated pair of lovers race toward their inevitable fate. The intoxicating rush of passion quickly leads to brutal chaos that can only end one way.”

Just this week, fashion published an interview with Zegler and Connor in which he admitted he was “damn nervous” about taking on the role, but was excited about the challenge it brought.

“I’m so excited to be able to go back to my roots and the thing that I love so much,” Zegler told the outlet, adding, “I can’t believe this is my life.”

Both explained that they had come to Romeo + Juliet for different reasons – Connor signed on because he was “craving Shakespeare” and Zegler jumped at the chance to work with Gold. The two stars didn’t really know each other until they were cast, but they’ve already built a bond.

“Imagine if we didn’t understand each other?” joked Zegler.

Together with Zegler and Connor Romeo + Juliet are Gabby Beans as Mercutio/The Monk, Tommy Dorfman as The Nurse/Tybalt, Nihar Duvvuri as Balthazar, Sola Fadiran as Capulet/Lady Capulet, Daniel Bravo Hernández as Abraham, Taheen Modak as Benvolio, Jasai Chase Owens as Gregory and Gían Pérez as Samson/Paris/Peter.

Understudy Missy Malek, Timothy Oh, Susannah Perkins and Daniel Velez complete the cast.

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And while everyone seemed happy at this first rehearsal, the tragedy of Romeo + Juliet In her conversation with fashionZegler even expressed hope that the play’s divisive impact – particularly painful in today’s political landscape – will remain relevant to audiences after they leave the theater.

“That’s what we do as artists and actors: We hold a mirror up to the world, and what they do based on that examination is up to them,” Zegler said. “I think Sam really took that to heart: What kind of world are we leaving to future generations?”

“The youth are screwed if the older generation doesn’t do something about it,” she continues. “And so you hope it serves as a warning rather than an explanation.”

Tickets for Romeo + Juliet are now on sale.