Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor — the latest stars of the greatest love story of all time — met over DM

On the night time earlier than an early morning at TODAY, Rachel Zegler and Equipment Connor died.

The actors lay susceptible onstage on the Circle within the Sq. Theatre in New York, bleeding out in entrance of a captive, 360-degree viewers who took within the Oct. 8 efficiency of their new Broadway manufacturing, “Romeo + Juliet.”

“I at all times find yourself with half of my face coated, so I’m making an attempt to — I can’t breathe,” Connor tells TODAY.com about appearing out the climactic, 400-year-old finale. “I’m actually making an attempt to not make it actually apparent, however then I’m making an attempt to breathe out of, like, one nostril.”

Connor’s Romeo famously goes first. He takes a poison tablet (“It’s an Altoid,” Connor says) and washes it down with Chekhov’s , a gallon jug of brightly blended “alcohol” that has been sitting onstage for 2 hours. Connor lies over Zegler’s Juliet, whom his character believed to be useless, just for her to get up seconds later — the unique miscommunication trope.

Zegler’s Juliet proceeds to stab herself with a knife.

“The method of dying, for me, is the toughest (half), like stabbing your self — I don’t know what that’s like, fortunately,” she says. “After which all people gasps due to the blood pack … and so it’s simply form of like, ‘What do I do? What do I do?’”

Zegler rips the knife out and lies on Connor’s immobile again to play useless (for actual this time). “After I hear (Juliet’s dying) each night time, I’m like, ‘Sounds nice,’” Connor jokes.

Zegler says she’s performed useless “many instances” because the star of the “I’ve gotten superb on the shallow respiratory so it actually does appear to be I’m useless,” she says.

Many fan movies about “Romeo + Juliet,” which kicked off preview performances Sept. 26 and opens Oct. 24, characteristic a viral audio of Zegler singing “Gimme Gimme” from “Totally Trendy Millie,” with particular emphasis on the.”

However the Broadway manufacturing shouldn’t be a musical, neither is it gentle. However you’d be forgiven for pondering of the jukebox musical “& Juliet,” which opened on Broadway in November 2022.

Director Sam Gold’s “Romeo + Juliet” follows the premise that every night time, a gaggle of youngsters break into the Circle within the Sq. Theatre with a “message,” Zegler stated on TODAY Oct. 9. That message is delivered through William Shakespeare’s authentic textual content, iambic pentameter and all.

Zegler and Connor are prime for the duty of the 2 leads. In spite of everything, Connor, 20, was a teen himself till a number of months in the past, Zegler cheekily factors out in an interview with TODAY.com.

“It’s a kind of issues that’s so accessible due to the empathy that comes with it,” Zegler, 23, says. “We’ve lived that rush of teenage love, and the pondering you realize higher, and the company that comes with deciding you’re going to forge your individual path.”

Oh, and there’s the matter of their devoted followings, due largely to Connor’s position as a model of a lovesick Romeo in Netflix’s “Heartstopper,” , and Zegler’s roles as Lucy Grey in “The Starvation Video games” prequel movie, Maria in “West Aspect Story” and, in 2025, “Snow White.”

That passionate fan base is mirrored in gross sales. One month earlier than the primary preview present, “Romeo + Juliet” was prolonged an extra 4 weeks, till Feb. 16, 2025. Attributed to ,” theatergoers possible aren’t solely there for the plot. Because the official merchandise for the manufacturing highlights, this story has been advised since 1597.

They’re additionally there for Connor and Zegler, because the younger actors inform a story about youngsters with the fashionable sensibilities, symbols and magnificence related to Era Z.

‘Wherefore artwork thou Romeo?’

Connor and Zegler didn’t really meet till March, after accepting the roles of the famed star-crossed lovers and 7 months earlier than opening.

“We each took the job with out having met,” Connor stated on TODAY. “That’s at all times a scary factor. … And enjoying essentially the most iconic couple in all probability of all time goes to be daunting as nicely.”

Their official assembly occurred on the Cosmic Diner on the nook of 52nd Avenue and eighth Avenue. “A really iconic Broadway assembly,” Zegler tells TODAY.com.

However earlier than that, they shared a “quick interplay on Instagram DM,” Connor says.

When it turned “inside data” that Connor and Zegler have been up for the lead roles, the “West Aspect Story” actor slid into her future co-star’s direct message inbox.

“She despatched me a beautiful message, and simply form of stated, ‘Hey, I actually hope we are able to do that. I’m actually trying ahead to it if it does find yourself occurring,’” Connor remembers. “I believed that was a really good approach to begin the dialog.”

So his first impression was merely: “She’s good.”

Zegler calls his reply “very candy.”

“I didn’t know for those who have been even going to see it as a result of we didn’t observe one another, or something like that,” she provides, gesturing towards Connor. “I used to be conscious of his immense expertise. I knew it was not going to be a tough job for him as a result of I feel he’s sensible. And getting to fulfill him, it was simply form of icing on the cake that he was deeply form and charismatic and humorous.”

“Yeahhhhh,” Connor drawls in response, absorbing the reward.

‘Did my coronary heart borg ’til now?’

Just like the 1996 Baz Luhrmann movie “Romeo + Juliet,” Gold’s Broadway adaptation stylizes the title with a plus signal. And just like the Luhrmann movie, it options imagery, costumes and music recognizable to the youth of its respective time.

Initially, the stage is affected by fashionable objects — an inflatable reclined chair, a purchasing cart stuffed with teddy bears and a borg, or a “blackout rage gallon,” a harmful blended drink and pattern related to faculty campus tradition.

All through the play, the borg is carried by Sola Fadiran’s character, Capulet, as a part of the overarching depiction of him as an “abusive father” to Juliet, Zegler says. Nevertheless it additionally displays the body narrative of youngsters breaking in and utilizing no matter props they will discover to inform the story. For instance, the “poison” Juliet drinks to pretend her personal dying is acted out with an airplane bottle of Hennessy.

“We actually wished it to have this by line of, ‘Is it alcohol or is it poison?’” Zegler says.

In true borg tradition, the jugs every characteristic a pun of the phrase “borg,” written in Sharpie. Within the Oct. 8 present, the jugs learn, “Did my coronary heart borg ’til now?” and, “Borg and borg I come!” Translation: “Did my coronary heart love until now?” and, “By and by, I come!”

Previous examples embrace “William Shakesborg” and, “To borg, or to not borg.”

“Shakespeare would love them,” Connor jokes.

Costumes and equipment embrace sheer mesh tops, stuffed animal charms, a Howdy Kitty backpack and a lime inexperienced tank prime harking back to the style pattern related to Charli XCX’s newest album. Including to the “Brat” theme, Zegler’s present Instagram bio is “I’m so Juliet.”

“One thing that we attempt to do so much … is create these extremely darkish, morbid moments with this stuff. (Gold) virtually forces the viewers to form of giggle awkwardly,” Connor says.

However even the “awkward giggle” serves a goal, Zegler notes.

“The awkward giggle is born from reminding you that they’re youngsters,” she says. “It’s just like the nurse speaking about my virginity whereas I’ve a teddy bear strapped to my belt loops. It’s darkish.”

The present additionally options some music moments, courtesy of Bleachers frontman and Along with the pulsing synth beats that play throughout transitions and intense emotional peaks, there’s an upbeat disco pop track to attain a celebration and a mournful ballad after Romeo’s exile, each sung by Zegler.

These popular culture and vogue moments are possible recognizable to individuals who self-identify as “chronically on-line” and/or have been born after 2000. It’s led by Gen Z, seemingly for Gen Z.

“For me, in the identical means you’d strategy any position that’s tough … you wish to put your self of their footwear and take a look at to consider what they’re going by and relate in what methods you’ll be able to and picture in what methods your can’t,” Connor says.

The present’s tagline is, “The youth are f—ed.”

“It’s a narrative that actually does focus on what occurs when dad and mom inform their youngsters, ‘We don’t like these folks,’” Zegler says.

“It’s additionally simply, you realize, about the truth that younger folks make silly selections, they usually have penalties. Nevertheless it’s additionally, like — what are the youngsters saying? — it’s a canon occasion. It has to occur,” she provides.

First utilized in 2023’s “Spider-Man: Throughout the Spider-Verse,” a canon occasion is a second that should occur in somebody’s life to make sure sure future occasions, .

To ensure that the Montagues and Capulets to settle their feud, Romeo and Juliet should die, and for that to occur, Romeo needs to be exiled, Tybalt slain, Mercutio murdered, and so forth.

“It’s form of like being doomed by the narrative,” Zegler says (one other ).

“It’s youngsters dwelling on the earth that they reside in in their very own minds,” Connor provides. “And for them, it’s world-ending, the issues which might be occurring to them.”

The ‘Romeo + Juliet’ fandom

Earlier than their look on TODAY, Connor and Zegler went to sleep at 1:30 a.m. Weeknight performances of “Romeo + Juliet” begin at round 8 p.m., and the ,” plus an intermission, put the ultimate bow on the Oct. 8 present at about 10:30 p.m.

Then, exterior the theater, tons of of followers gathered behind a barricade, not not like the entrance row of a live performance, telephones up and directed on the stage door. A theater supervisor walked in entrance of the crowds together with the theater, repeating, “There’s no assure they are going to make it down all sides.”

Followers ready on the stage door of a Broadway manufacturing for a photograph or signature isn’t notable. Simply ask the Circle within the Sq.’s neighbor, the Gershwin Theatre, dwelling to “Depraved” because it opened in 2003.

However “Romeo + Juliet” hasn’t technically opened.

Because the first night time of reveals Sept. 26 –  — swarms have waited for the celebrities each night time, indicated by contemporary batches of movies posted to TikTok.

That doesn’t forestall Connor and Zegler from experiencing bouts of imposter syndrome, or suppose you’re.

Zegler says the final time she felt imposter syndrome was throughout her look on TODAY, when she was launched because the winner of a Golden Globe for finest actress in a movement image, comedy or musical for her position in “West Aspect Story.”

“It makes you shake your head and go, ‘That’s not me,’” she says.

“I do know that I’m working onerous, however have I labored onerous to earn my identify being actually massive on the marquee each day?” she provides. “That’s what my mind tells me.”

Equally, Connor says, “I’ve it each day once I stroll into the theater,” citing a component of comparability he makes between himself and his co-stars.

“You guys need to be right here. I’m unsure if I do. However let’s try to persuade them that I do,” he says.

So for now, they’re benefiting from it.

“I don’t know what I’ve completed to earn a seat at this desk,” Zegler says. “However I finest do what I can with that seat.”

This text was initially revealed on