Love Broadway and boy bands? Well, get ready for the crossover of all crossovers. ‘NSync member Joey Fatone will return to the Broadway scene for the first time in nearly two decades, joining the cast of the jukebox musical &Juliet.
Fatone is best known for his role as a founding member of the Nineties boy band ‘NSync. Earlier this year, he joined forces with former boy band rival Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean on a joint tour. Now, the singer, who starred in Rent and Little Shop of Horrors in 2002 and 2004 respectively, will return to the Broadway stage in the role of Lance in &Juliet.
The jukebox musical takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s classic play Romeo and Juliet, but picks up where the saga usually leaves off. What if Juliet didn’t die? The music is sung entirely with songs from Max Martin‘s discography — the famed Swedish producer behind some of the biggest chart-toppers in pop — and uses famous girl pop anthems from artists such as Britney Spears, Kesha, and Katy Perry to rewrite Juliet’s story and (hopefully) change her ending. This includes Martin’s work with both the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync, which means Fatone will once again find himself singing some of his group’s biggest hits onstage.
Fatone will star in a limited nine-week engagement, taking over from original Broadway cast member Paulo Szot through March 16, 2025. This isn’t the first star to join the cast of &Juliet. TikTok creator Charli D’Amelio will make her Broadway debut in the show beginning Oct. 29, ending her run just days before Fatone’s begins.
“I’m excited that I’ll be joining the cast of & Juliet!,” Fatone said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “I can’t wait to get out there and sing Max Martin’s amazing songs — his hits have shaped so much of pop music. And yes, I know I’ll even be singing a couple of Backstreet Boys songs. Even though my loyalty remains with ‘NSync, they still have bangers. See you at the show!”
