Broadway Legend Joined: 11/12/14
inception said: "I saw a production Summer 2022 that did a similar thing to streamline roles with an actress playing the role of Juliet's mother, but also doing the Father's lines."
If this was the all Asian cast at the Classic Stage theater, I did think that worked well too but that production felt kind of scrappy (on purpose) and leaned into some camp elements more, which I have trouble envisioning for this production given the promotional materials so far.
Also thanks Taffy for the audition notice, as I found this part particularly interesting in its wording:
MERCUTIO/ PRINCE/ FRIAR LAWRENCE/ CHORUS- 18-35. Any gender. Any ethnicity. Our storyteller and master of ceremonies. The moral center of the tale who has gathered us all for this ritual– to kill these two kids– to heal this feud. Comedic chops and strong facilities with language.
Sutton Ross said: "Yeah, Tommy Dorfman is certainly a choice to play the Nurse.
"
Out of curiosity: why? I didn’t watch 13 Reasons Why, but I strongly recall seeing her in an adaptation of La Ronde before that show was even in production and thinking she was exceptionally talented.
It’s clear this production is going for a “young people playing all ages” concept, so I’m not sure why Tommy as the Nurse is specifically a “choice.”
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
Sutton Ross said: "That production also had a male actor playing the Nurse, and camping it up quite a bit to heighten the comedy of the role
Yeah, Tommy Dorfman is certainly a choice to play the Nurse.
"
Tommy Dorfman is a woman. trans women are women. Hope that helps.
Considering Inception said that (not me) you should probably direct your preachy crap to them. Hope that helps!
ColorTheHours048 said: Out of curiosity: why?
I guess it's similar to what a person said about Adam Driver. She's just the same in everything I've ever seen her in. Just a very generic actress and this seems like a very bold production. Just my thoughts tho.
ColorTheHours048 said: "Sutton Ross said: "Yeah, Tommy Dorfman is certainly a choice to play the Nurse."
Out of curiosity: why? I didn’t watch 13 Reasons Why, but I strongly recall seeing her in an adaptation of La Ronde before that show was even in production and thinking she was exceptionally talented.
It’s clear this production is going for a “young people playing all ages” concept, so I’m not sure why Tommy as the Nurse is specifically a “choice.”"
The Nurse is usually played as middle aged or older, often by a "motherly" figure (in Shakespeare's time, a nurse was literally the person who breast-fed - nursed - the baby). Tommy Dorfman is 32 (but looks younger), skinny, and visibly trans. I don't think that it's a bad choice, but it is a very unusual choice. It just seems...gimmicky. But that's probably going to be most things about this production, I'm guessing.
I have no idea how the same actor can play both Capulet and Lady Capulet. The Montague parents are often conflated to one person, as both are small parts and it saves money. But the Capulet parents share many crucial scenes together, and are two very distinct characters. Knowing Sam Gold, I bet Lord Capulet is like, an absentee dad and we only see him pre-recorded on a large screen via Skype/FaceTime or whatever. Or...as per the casting notice, since the entire production is evidently being presented as some sort of metatheatrical ritual, perhaps the actor does some symbolic thing with a prop or costume piece to represent which Capulet they are at any given moment.
Regarding age...although this production is clearly attempting to bring in a Gen Z audience, I googled Sola Fadiran (Capulet/Lady Capulet) and he is a bit young, but still old enough looking to believably be Rachel Zegler's father/mother. So I don't think the concept is "teenagers put on Romeo and Juliet."
Has no one seen R & J, the four actor, all-male version of Romeo and Juliet set in a boys' school? It's still probably my favorite version of the Rome & Juliet story (yes...I'm including West Side Story). I'm sure that this could be a mess, but nothing here has given any indication that it will be a mess.
I wasn't speaking about anyone in this production, I was speaking about a 2022 production at Vancouver's Bard on the Beach where a cis-gendered male actor played the Nurse in drag.
Sutton Ross said: "Considering Inception said that (not me)you should probably direct your preachy crap to them. Hope that helps!"
I see they’re getting seaview hats at the first day of rehearsal.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/21
SoCuteIHurtz88 said: "Has no one seen R & J, the four actor, all-male version of Romeo and Juliet set in a boys' school? It's still probably my favorite version of the Rome & Juliet story (yes...I'm including West Side Story). I'm sure that this could be a mess, but nothing here has given any indication that it will be a mess."
Love it. Saw it off-Broadway back in the late 90s and a local production or two after that.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/11
I do wonder if Sam Gold at any point in his life has ever thought "you know, maybe I shouldn't do that".
Leading Actor Joined: 3/29/23
Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor Are Set to Star in a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Unlike Any Before It | Vogue
https://www.vogue.com/article/kit-connor-rachel-zegler-romeo-and-juliet
Featured Actor Joined: 3/1/10
Anyone know how this is selling? Could it be the next hit at the Circle Square? Thoughts? Limited run?
16 week limited run. Tickets being sold through January 19, 2024.
Audition announcement requires cast through "on or about February 16, 2024", a possible unannounced 4 week extension = 20 weeks.
CITS is booked with another show for the spring.
BdwyFan said: "Anyone know how this is selling? Could it be the next hit at the Circle Square? Thoughts? Limited run?"
It's selling incredibly well for reasons discussed all throughout this thread. I think it will be a hit considering the people involved on every level, and due to their busy schedules it is a strictly limited run. Two hours, no intermission. The set design? You guys aren't READY. So yeah, hot ticket indeed.
Like An Enemy of the People, it does have a brief pause (according to Telecharge), so, fingers crossed, they'll be giving out shots of some Italian liqueur they're trying to push.
Updated On: 8/24/24 at 12:07 PM
Lol...CITS becoming "victuals & a show"! (Oklahoma, Enemy & R&J! - Yes, I realize that's just an idea from Taffy)
But, woah - I hadn't realized it w/o intermission. That's decently long w/o one. Esp for Shakespeare! If it's wonderful it won't matter, but if it's misguided/weak, that's gonna hurrrrrt. That's going to be tough, too, for school groups that can barely sit still for 30 minutes.
Featured Actor Joined: 4/13/13
CoffeeBreak said: "16 week limited run. Tickets being sold through January 19, 2024.
Audition announcement requires cast through "on or about February 16, 2024", a possible unannounced 4 week extension = 20 weeks.
CITS is booked with another show for the spring.
Is the spring show Cats or the Groff Bobby Darin ?
Two hours with only a pause is interesting for this one.
TaffyDavenport said: "Like An Enemy of the People, it does have a brief pause (according to Telecharge), so, fingers crossed, they'll be giving out shots of some Italian liqueur they're trying to push."
Given the aesthetics of the marketing, I think PBR is more the vibe here.
It’s a limited run in the smallest theatre on Broadway, it would be shocking if it wasn’t selling well. Even The Roomate seems to be selling pretty well, and Swept Away too.
I think it’s 4th smallest.
Circle's capacity can fluctuate depending on its configuration, and I'm seeing different capacities listed online from 651 to 776, but I don't think it's ever been smaller than the Hayes (597 capacity) and the Friedman (650), and if the largest capacity number is correct, then it can be larger than the Haimes (740) and marginally larger than the Booth (766).
I remember people describing it as the smallest theatre on Broadway during its Fun Home era. I thought it always had just above 500 seats, I didn’t realize the capacity changed so much.
Running time is interesting. For comparison the production at this year's Stratford Festival is listed as two hours and 50 minutes, including one 18-minute intermission.
Broadway Flash said: "I remember people describing it as the smallest theatre on Broadway during its Fun Home era. I thought it always had just above 500 seats, I didn’t realize the capacity changed so much."
It may be physically the smallest in terms of square footage, perhaps, but it's never been the smallest in terms of capacity. Even during Fun Home, its capacity was 740.
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