Broadway’s ‘& Juliet’ Confirms Joey Fatone, Paulo Szot Return This Summer

Broadway’s “& Juliet” will see the return of Joey Fatone and Paulo Szot this summer, with the two performers sharing the role of Lance at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. 

The production announced that Fatone and Szot will alternate performances beginning July 21, with Fatone set to return to the stage first on July 1. Szot will begin performances July 21, with both actors appearing in scheduled blocks throughout the summer and early fall.

Fatone will perform July 2 to 12, August 4 to 15, and September 1 to 13. Szot is scheduled for July 21 to 26 (matinee), July 28 to August 2, and August 18 to 30. On dates when neither actor is performing, understudies will go on in the role of Lance.

The casting rotation follows the departure of current Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart, who will play his final performance in the role on June 4. In the interim, Nicholas Edwards will take on the role June 9 to 17, followed by Reese Britts from June 18 through July 1.

Fatone said in a statement, “Coming back to ‘& Juliet’ feels like coming home,” adding, “I’m excited to jump back in and have some fun with this incredible cast.”

Szot also commented on his return, saying, “Lance is one of the most fun roles I’ve originated and done on Broadway, and coming back to this show feels like revisiting an old friend.”

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The current cast of “& Juliet” includes Gianna Harris as Juliet, Alison Luff as Anne, Drew Gehling as Shakespeare, Jeannette Bayardelle as Angelique, Michael Iván Carrier as May, Liam Pearce as Romeo, and Nathan Levy as François. Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Chrissy Metz will join the production as Angelique beginning June 18.

The ensemble also features Gabe Amato, Daniel Assetta, Reese Britts, Nicholas Cooper, Jhailyn Paige Farcon, Laurie Hernandez, Makai Hernandez, Joomin Hwang, Elsa Keefe, Alaina Ví Maderal, Daniel J. Maldonado, Mackenzie Meadows, Esosa Oviasu, Cassie Silva, TJ Tapp, Zalah Vallien, Darien Van Rensalier, and Romy Vuksan.

“& Juliet,” which is nominated for nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, reimagines Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” by imagining what would happen if Juliet chose to live instead of ending her life. The musical features a book by David West Read and a score made up of pop songs written by Max Martin, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “I Want It That Way,” and “Confident.”

The production is directed by Luke Sheppard, with choreography by Jennifer Weber, musical supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Bill Sherman, scenic design by Soutra Gilmour, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Gareth Owen, and video projection design by Andrzej Goulding.

Notably, the show will celebrate its 1,500th Broadway performance at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on June 23.

For more information and additional details, theatergoers can visit the official “& Juliet” website.