Return Engagement of Romeo & Bernadette Opens Off-Broadway May 16

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Off-Broadway News Return Engagement of Romeo & Bernadette Opens Off-Broadway May 16

Check out new photos from the musical, which finds Shakespeare's Romeo in 1960 Brooklyn courting a gangster's daughter.

By Talaura Harms

May 16, 2022

Anna Kostakis and Nikita Burshteyn Russ Rowland

Romeo & Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona and Brooklyn, directed and choreographed by Justin Ross Cohen, officially opens May 16 at Theater 555. The musical premiered in 2020 at the Mezzanine Theatre at A.R.T./New York and was scheduled to transfer to Theatre 3 at Theatre Row before the pandemic shuttered all theatres. Previews began May 3 for the return engagement, scheduled to run through June 26.

The musical comedy follows Shakespeare’s Romeo as he ends up in 1960 Brooklyn, chasing a girl he believes is his beloved Juliet but who is actually Bernadette, the daughter of a crime family. Romeo & Bernadette has a book and lyrics by Mark Saltzman, with music adapted from classic Italian melodies. Take a look at new production photos below.

The cast, all returning from the original run, features Nikita Burshteyn and Anna Kostakis in the title roles, with Carlos Lopez (Grease), Michael Marotta, Judy McLane (Mamma Mia), Michael Notardonato, Ari Raskin, Troy Valjean Rucker, Zach Schanne (Pippin), and Viet Vo, with Lisa Graye, Charlie Marcus (A Bronx Tale), Charles Osborne, Lyn Philistine (Monty Python’s Spamalot), and Daniel Wisniewski.

The production has scenic design by Walt Spangler; costume design by Joseph Shrope; lighting design by Ken Billington; sound design by Andrew Keister; hair design by Daniel Lynn Evans; music direction by Aaron Gandy; musical supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Steve Orich; and associate choreography by Kathryn Ann Wright. Christine Viega is the production stage manager with casting by Carol Hanzel Casting.

Romeo & Bernadette was developed and presented by Amas Musical Theatre. Eric Krebs produces.