David Bedella, Original Star of & Juliet in the West End, to Step in for Paulo Szot on Broadway

David Bedella will join the Broadway cast of & Juliet as Lance, the Olivier Award-winning role he originiated in the West End. He begins performances at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on March 5, taking over for Tony Award winner Paulo Szot, who takes a temporary leave from the production. Szot, who originated the role on Broadway, will return to the show on July 16. 

In addition to his Olivier Award-winning performance in & Juliet, Bedella has also won Olivier Awards for his performances in Jerry Springer The Opera and In The Heights. His other stage credits include Roger Debris in The Producers (UK National Tour), Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy (Menier Chocolate Factory), Billy Flynn in Chicago (West End), among many others.

The current cast of & Juliet features Tony Award nominee Lorna Courtney as Juliet, Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe as Anne Hathaway, Austin Scott as Shakespeare, Justin David Sullivan as May, Tony Award winner Paulo Szot as Lance, Charity Angél Dawson as Angélique, Ben Jackson Walker as Romeo and and Philippe Arroyo as Francois. Daniel Assetta, Andrew Chappelle, Michael Iván Carrier, Phil Colgan, Virgil Gadson, Makai Hernandez, Najah Hetsberger, Bobby “Pocket” Horner, Joomin Hwang, Megan Kane, Alaina Vi Maderal, Daniel J. Maldonado, Brittany Nicholas, Ava Noble, Jasmine Rafael, Matt Raffy, Tiernan Tunnicliffe and Rachel Webb round out the ensemble.

Featuring a score of pop hits by Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Max Martin, & Juliet reimagines Shakespeare's classic play if its title heroine had lived. The nine-time Tony-nominated production has a book by David West Read, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography by Jennifer Weber.