Chrissy Metz is trading the screen for the stage. The Emmy and Golden Globe nominee will make her Broadway debut this summer in the hit musical ‘& Juliet’ at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
The This Is Us actor begins performances as Angelique on June 18 for a limited engagement running through September 13. Metz succeeds Tony nominee Jeannette Bayardelle, who plays her final performance in the role on June 14.
Metz didn’t hide her excitement, or her nerves. She called the debut a dream come true and praised live theatre as home to some of the hardest-working, most creative people around, admitting that Broadway scares her to bits, which is exactly why she’s always wanted to do it. She signed off with a simple “Pray for me!”
She joins a loaded company. The cast is led by Gianna Harris as Juliet, James Monroe Iglehart as Lance, Alison Luff as Anne, Drew Gehling as Shakespeare, Michael Iván Carrier as May, Liam Pearce as Romeo, and Nathan Levy as François.
The show itself remains one of Broadway’s brightest tickets. ‘& Juliet’ features a book by David West Read and a score built from Max Martin pop hits including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “I Want It That Way,” and “Confident.” Directed by Luke Sheppard with choreography by Jennifer Weber and music supervision by Bill Sherman, the production reimagines Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” by asking what happens if Juliet chooses a new path instead of ending her life.
The accolades back up the hype. Since opening in November 2022, ‘& Juliet’ has become one of Broadway’s top-grossing musicals, earned nine Tony nominations including Best Musical, and was the first new musical of the 2022-2023 season to recoup its investment. The production celebrates its 1,500th Broadway performance on June 23.