Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler shine — and smooch — in director Sam Gold's revival of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo + Juliet,' which opened on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City.

But no matter – make room, plenty of room, for Sam Gold‘s Romeo + Juliet rave-up starring the compelling and well-matched Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, opening tonight on Broadway. Pumped up by Jack Antonoff’s thumping music (the several songs he wrote includes the new “Man of the House,

Kit Connor, Rachel Zegler, Jack Antonoff, and more arrived at the Circle in the Square Theater on Thursday, Oct. 24, for 'Romeo & Juliet's opening. See photos here.

Sam Gold directs the high-energy, TikTok-generation Broadway revival, which brings original Jack Antonoff tunes and a notably young ensemble to the classic romantic tragedy.

Any theatergoers stepping into The Circle in the Square Theater expecting to witness a run-of-the-mill version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet need only gaze upon the production’s pre-show performance to understand that Verona looks a little different these days.

The Broadway revival of “Romeo + Juliet” plays to the TikTok crowd. But maybe that’s a good thing. Who can forget the classic first line of “Romeo and Juliet”: “How y’all doin’ today?” Well, perhaps not so classic.

You'd think in a world so divided by war and pain as ours, a story about ill-fated young lovers torn apart by their families' senseless but devastating feud would be treated with more gravitas than director Sam Gold treats it in his somewhat vulgar Broadway adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet.

A production that’s all shimmer with little grasp of Shakespeare’s words. (Plus: The silly joys of Drag: The Musical.)

What really sells the story of Romeo and Juliet, of course, is the chemistry, the pure passion. Both in their Broadway debuts, Zegler and Connor have it in spades, bringing to life a production that maintains the original Shakespearean language while adding a more modern playfulness in the staging, costuming, and music (handled by Jack Antonoff).