If you’re going to take Shakespeare’s iconic play, Romeo and Juliet, to Broadway, you better have great actors, and you better be able to put a new spin on it while keeping it true to its original storyline and charm. It seems that the version that’s about to hit the Broadway stage has all three.

David Leveaux will be producing the newest version of Romeo and Juliet, which will begin previews on August 24 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The charming and very talented Orlando Bloom, who’s best known for his work in “The Lord of the Rings” series, will make a very dashing Romeo; while Condola Rashad, Tony-nominated actress, will be a breathtaking Juliet.

What’s the difference that this version of the play brings? The love is unrequited due to racism and prejudices lying within the Montague and Capulet households.

During promotion of the film producers said, “In this new production, the members of the Montague household will be white, and the blood relatives of the Capulet family will be black. While race defines the family lineages, the original cause of the ‘ancient quarrel’ passed down by successive generations to their young, has been lost to time. Shakespeare’s dramatization of the original poem sets the two young lovers in a context of prejudice, authoritarian parents, and a never ending cycle of revenge. Against this background, the strength of their love changes the world.”

Get your tickets today for this broadway show!

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 4th, 2013 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.