& Charli? On Sept. 30, it was announced that influencer Charli D’Amelio would join the Broadway production of & Juliet, and the internet has thoughts. In case you don’t know, & Juliet retells the classic love story of Romeo and Juliet as a jukebox musical (a show that uses existing music rather than original songs). In this new version, Juliet doesn’t die, and lives life on her own terms. The show will be held at the Sondheim Theatre from Oct. 29, 2024, through Jan.19, 2025. D’Amelio will be joining the ensemble cast as Charmian, making this her Broadway debut.
“i’m so incredibly excited to finally share that i’ll be joining the cast of & Juliet on Broadway! this has been my ultimate dream ever since i was a little girl, but it always felt like something i could only admire from a distance, never imagining i’d actually get to be part of it. and now, here i am, starting this amazing new chapter in my life and cherishing every second,” D’Amelio announced on Instagram. “i honestly can’t find the right words to describe just how much this means to me. i’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way; i wouldn’t be here without all of you. a ginormous thank you to the entire & Juliet team for allowing me to be part of such a special show. thank you from the bottom of my heart.🤍” It definitely is another big break in D’Amelio’s career.
Of course, the internet had quite the reaction to this news. D’Amelio blew up on social media for her TikTok dances and even won Season 31 of Dancing with the Stars in 2022. So, it makes sense for some that her next dance steps are on the Broadway stage. Others, however, believe this was a definite miscasting.
Charli D’Amelio being stunt cast on Broadway in &Juliet but still being in the ensemble is the funniest theater news so far this year I feel
— Jason P. Frank (@jasonspank) September 30, 2024
Charli D’Amelio is real as fuck because if I became unfathomably internet famous I would also parlay it into a really fun broadway ensemble track
— twunk princess diana (@promisinghomo) September 30, 2024
Everyone hating on the fact that Charlie D’Amelio is on Broadway seriously have lost the plot. Now I don’t necessarily like Charlie but she is casted in the Ensemble as a dancing role which she is literally known for. It makes sense to cast a dancer as a dancer 🙄🙄🙄
— GrandeFlamesButera (@Butera2Flames) September 30, 2024
Charli d’amelio joining the ensemble of &juliet……….they said girl don’t speak
— DRAMATURGY AMY (@DramaturgyAmy) September 30, 2024
charli d’amelio on broadway was not on my 2024 bingo card… or any of my bingo cards at all…
— ミ☆ L. (@klenasburrow) September 30, 2024
Broadway fans are passionate, and some aren’t super excited about this news. Celebrity and influencer stunt casting isn’t anything new on Broadway (no one can forget Cameron Dallas as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls). Sometimes, it works, and other times, it definitely doesn’t. D’Amelio is a dancer, so this does make sense to some degree. Plus, at a time when Broadway is looking to draw in younger audiences, casting someone like D’Amelio makes sense. Of course, that doesn’t take away the fact that many dancers (perhaps with more stage experience) who aren’t as popular work extremely hard for a chance to be cast in Broadway shows.
There’s definitely been a mix of opinions online. D’Amelio’s fans are excited to see her in the show, while some Broadway fans aren’t as happy. We’ll have to wait until the end of October to see how D’Amelio performs in & Juliet. But regardless of how you feel about the casting, the reaction from everyone seems to be already drawing more attention to the show, which was surely a part of the plan.