Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler Celebrate First Broadway Performance of ‘Romeo + Juliet’ at Stage Door Bash (Exclusive)

Both stars make their Broadway debut in a new production of William Shakespeare’s classic play — and PEOPLE can get a first look at the excitement

Emilia Madrid

Kit Connor kisses Rachel Zegler” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cb_x3DnxLRNkLBf2VHwOXQ–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/f 61da53efef57723185f193d56bff152″ />

Emilia Madrid

Emilio Madrid

Kit Connor kisses Rachel Zegler on the forehead after their Broadway debut in Romeo and Juliet

The streets of Broadway erupted in celebration as Gen Z icons Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler took their first bows in the star-studded revival Romeo + Juliet.

Director Sam Gold offers a bold new take on William Shakespeare’s classic in a production that began previews on Thursday, September 26 at the Circle in the Square Theater ahead of its premiere on Thursday, October 24.

Not only is the show fronted by two of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars, but Gold also enlisted the help of Grammy winner (and longtime Taylor Swift collaborator) Jack Antonoff to provide original music for the song.

Related: Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor begin Broadway rehearsals Romeo + Juliet — See photos from their first day

Emilia Madrid

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Emilia Madrid

Emilio Madrid

Cast of Broadway’s “Romeo and Juliet”

With such fresh energy around the Bard’s beloved romantic tragedy, it’s no surprise that Seaview’s producer tried something different, tapping into another time-tested Broadway tradition: stage door autographs.

Instead of offering a regular line, Romeo + Juliet organized a party in front of the theater, and DJ Amber Valentine literally added a new dimension to the entire event and turned the corner of West 50th Street into a huge party.

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Emilia Madrid

Stage doors before “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_OX._q9ptMaP1lTutZ.MSg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media. zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/99f1c530f81003de22923d21ec4d45c8″/>

Emilia Madrid

Emilio Madrid

The door to the stage before a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway

Nearly 1,000 eager fans from the sold-out, standing-room-only auditorium stopped by for the sudden evening, greeting the cast’s arrival with absolute pandemonium.

PEOPLE has exclusive photos from the event, shot by celebrity photographer Emilio Madrid.

According to a show source, cheers for the cast “almost drowned out Elphaba’s legendary war cry ‘Defying Gravity’ from next door” at Mean.

“One fan even fainted from the excitement of meeting Kit Connor in person,” the insider said.

Emilia Madrid

Kit Connor after his first appearance in “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/b0b7b9641829fa2c0216ad8a6a0a36b7″/>

Emilia Madrid

Kit Connor after his first appearance in “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway zenfs.com/en/aol_people_articles_471/b0b7b9641829fa2c0216ad8a6a0a36b7″ class=”caas-img”/>

Emilio Madrid

Kit Connor after his first appearance in “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway

Related: George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Robert Downey Jr. and All the Stars head to Broadway

Zegler got the sold-out audience to perform the choreography to “Hot To Go,” with half the audience chanting “Capulet” and the other half chanting “Montague” – a throwback to the tragic lovers who were at the center of the show.

The celebration continued with an exclusive underground party in the metro station at eatery See No Evil Pizza and cocktail bar Nothing really Matters. There, Gold toasted to the evening’s success.

Emilia Madrid

Rachel Zegler after the premiere of “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/f7HOVzzZfT5k2rS31O3Yjw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs.com /en/aol_people_articles_471/43b3abf1d89038b777bea56319d11788″/>

Emilia Madrid

Emilio Madrid

Rachel Zegler after the premiere of “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway

Romeo + JulietThe cast includes mostly newcomers making their Broadway debut, including Connor, 20, and Zegler, 23.

The show stars Gabby Beans (as Mercutio/The Friar), Tommy Dorfman (as the Nurse/Tybalt), Nihar Duvvuri (as Balthazar), Sola Fadiran (as Capulet/Lady Capulet), Daniel Bravo Hernández (as Abraham), Taheen Modak ( as Benvolio), Jasai Chase-Owens (as Gregory) and Gían Pérez (as Samson/Paris/Peter).

Understudies Missy Malek, Timothy Oh, Susannah Perkins and Daniel Velez round out the cast.

Emilia Madrid

Fans before the first performance of “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/czbHRPHVzMsnw09Vd.8_Ow–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs. com/en/aol_people_articles_471/5725bc91e2b4f00cfa81167cd0ea7b25″/>

Emilia Madrid

Emilio Madrid

Fans before the first performance of “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway

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Romeo + Julietwhich also features a movement by Tony Award winner Sonya Tayeh, is currently scheduled for a strictly limited run through Sunday, February 16, 2025.

The work, first published in 1597, tells the story of a tragic romance between two Italian teenagers from feuding families. It’s a story told on Broadway in nearly 40 previous productions, including the most recent revival in 2013 starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad.

Emilia Madrid

Rachel Zegler signs autographs after the Broadway premiere of “Romeo and Juliet” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/dup3NA9bGdZcTNSPfXDWtQ–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjk-/https://media.zenfs. com/en/aol_people_articles_471/60e9279969e01016399f39e401443db2″/>

Emilia Madrid

Emilio Madrid

Rachel Zegler signs autographs after the premiere of “Romeo and Juliet” on Broadway

This was also an inspiration for West Side StoryLeonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning musical, which was recently adapted into a 2021 Steven Spielberg film that coincidentally starred Zegler.

“I’m very excited to return to my roots and what I love so much,” said the actress Fashion last month, adding: “I can’t believe this is my life.”

Tickets for Romeo + Juliet are now on sale.

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