Our fantasy is finally coming true! We have always wondered when an updated version of the beloved tragic love story Romeo and Juliet would be implemented.
And now the guessing game is over because it has been announced that actor Orlando Bloom and the gorgeous offspring of Phylicia Rashad and Ahmad Rashad, Condola Rashad will inhabit the roles birthed by William Shakespeare and manifested in various artistic forms. This particular version will be particularly prolific considering the interracial element being introduced, and it will be staged at the Rodgers Theatre on August 24 with debut date of September 19.
Director David Leveaux is well aware of the implications that come with the somewhat controversial casting but refuses to allow the racial undertones to take away from the overpowering themes that dominate the woeful tale. “There was nothing simple about the choice but I’m not about to turn a contemporary version of Shakespeare into a sociological or political point. We know there are families from one background or another who would reject their children getting together with someone from another group. Romeo and Juliet reject that notion. It is still the case that children try to oppose the cultural expectations thrust upon them, the rigidity of tribes, the rigidity of fundamentalism”.
Well said! We can’t wait to see both these actors lead the charge and gracefully illustrate the true meaning of Till Death Do Us Part.