Any buzz on Romeo and Juliet?- Page 2

[TNick926]

Any buzz on Romeo and Juliet?#25

Posted: 5/30/26 at 5:04pm

I was deeply impressed and moved by the Broadway production of ROMEO AND JULIET last year with Rachel Ziegler and Kit O’Connor. I wonder if the success of that production has caused the somewhat lackluster reception and interest in this NYSF production?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Any buzz on Romeo and Juliet?#26

Posted: 5/30/26 at 5:19pm

TNick926 said: "I was deeply impressed and movedby the Broadway production of ROMEO AND JULIET last year with Rachel Ziegler and Kit O’Connor. I wonder if the success of that production has caused the somewhat lackluster reception and interest in this NYSF production?"

I know nonprofit theatres sometimes plan years in advance, but it's kind of baffling to me that they would do this 15 months after the previous Broadway revival (which was a sellout hit).

[TotallyEffed]

Any buzz on Romeo and Juliet?#27

Posted: 5/30/26 at 7:10pm

I thought the last Broadway production was quite bad except for Kit O'Connor, who somehow rose above the rest of the cast and was able to do something special.

The current production in the park is worse. I was easily able to snag a ticket which was a refreshing change from last year. Unfortunately, the show is a half-baked mess. The concept makes almost no sense, and the cast is totally lost at sea. The seasoned veterans I usually love give some of the worst performances I've seen in a while. Deirdre O'Connell acts like a drunk Natasha Lyonne, and not in a fun way. Romeo and Juliet themselves have no chemistry to speak of. The majority of the performances range from amateur to terrible, and there is an ensemble that at most times look totally lost, as if they have no idea where they are, why they're there, and what to do next.

There are three Macbeth witchy figures in cloaks that haunt the stage from time to time. The use of the wall and the Spanish sounds like an interesting idea on paper, but the production has no idea what it wants to do with these elements. It is unclear who lives on what side of the wall, and why speaking Spanish or English would matter to any of the characters. There are long lulls of energy during many scenes, and then some scenes, particularly the most dramatic, happen in the blink of an eye. Juliet doesn't even stab herself. Mercutio and Tybalt are dead in mere seconds, and if you don't know the play, you will leave wondering what the heck just happened, along with the ten ensemble members who stand watching with totally blank expressions.

A lovely breeze picked up during the balcony scene and that was really pretty.

Beware: the audience behavior is abysmal. People came and went as they pleased throughout the entire night, with a lot of talking and an endless crinkling of incredibly loud paper bags of popcorn that they sell at the theatre. Curtain call was at 10:40 but before the show some guy told a story for a few minutes. I could barely process what he was saying because they let so many latecomers in and the beginning of the show was endless chaos.

The best part of the night by far was the lesbian wedding at the end.