Romeo & Juliet (Hudson Warehouse)

See it if you’d like to see a production of R&J that captures the core romance between the central characters touchingly, thrillingly & tragically.

Don't see it if you don't like outdoor productions: I had forgotten the air traffic over Riverside Park could be so thick---& on a Sunday night!

Also I caught the Hudson Warehouse R&J on its final night; I’m writing a review anyway because I’m a fan of the troupe. Every summer HW puts on smart versions of classic plays (with an emphasis on Shakespeare) in the lovely natural theater space—broad steps & a broader paved porch overlooking the Hudson—behind the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park. (There are 2 more productions this summer.) Any rendering of R&J is worth experiencing when the characters Romeo & Juliet are sexy, smart, energetic & clearly head-over-heels for each other, as they are here. All their scenes together are thrilling; the justly beloved balcony scene makes full use of the outdoor terrain. This Romeo leaps off walls! His scenes with the friar, & Juliet alone in her bedroom & then the tomb, touched me deeply. Romeo among his pals fell a bit flat. But making the warring factions gym rats & their battles martial arts displays is inspired. I’ll be back for the 2nd part of 3 Musketeers later this summer.... Read more Read less