ROMERO & JULIET to Have World Premiere at Pittsburgh’s Greer Cabaret
The new rock musical will open on Friday, February 13, blending Shakespeare’s tragedy with George Romero’s cult horror.
The world premiere of the new rock musical ROMERO & JULIET will take place in Pittsburgh at the Greer Cabaret, opening on Friday the 13th in February.
Set in Verona, Pennsylvania, the show fuses Shakespeare’s timeless tale of star-crossed lovers with the zombie lore of Pittsburgh’s own George Romero, drawing stylistic inspiration from cult favorites such as Little Shop of Horrors. The musical follows Romero, a regional guardsman and distant relative of the filmmaker, who meets zombie Juliet at a music festival called Deadstock on Friday the 13th in September 1985.
Written by Broadway veterans Scott Logsdon (a Laurel Highlands native) and Aaron Gandy, Romero & Juliet recently held a sold-out, star-studded concert presentation at New York’s Cutting Room, following its initial Latrobe concert premiere in May, presented by Split Stage Productions.
The show’s original score channels the sound of 1980s pop legends including Madonna, Bon Jovi, George Michael, Boy George, and Jim Steinman.
“Given George Romero’s legendary ties to Pittsburgh and the fact that the show is set in southwestern Pennsylvania in Verona, it was imperative to Aaron and me that we premiere it in Pittsburgh. We could not be more thrilled to be opening on a Friday the 13th at the gorgeous Greer Cabaret,” said Logsdon.
Logsdon was an original cast member of the national Broadway company of Les Misérables, which he also performed on Broadway and internationally. His writing credits include Sticks & Stones with Emmy and Grammy winner John McDaniel, which was presented in concert by Audra McDonald for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. His work has also been featured by Roundabout Theatre Company.
Gandy’s composing credits include The Crinolynns, A Crinolynns Christmas, and Love(r)evolution (all three written with Logsdon), as well as Sense and Sensibility, Samantha Single-Handed, Acey Deucey, and Huxley Ann.
“We are in talks with another Pittsburgh horror icon about creating the zombie effects and hope to have an official announcement soon,” said Gandy.
“Our show is a love letter and tribute to the artists who have made Pittsburgh such an important part of the entertainment industry,” Logsdon added.
Ticketing Information
Auditions for Romero & Juliet will be held in Pittsburgh on December 7 and 8. Tickets will go on sale in January.
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