Joey Fatone to Return to Broadway in ‘& Juliet,’ Singing Backstreet Boys Hits

Joey Fatone, the renowned singer and actor from the iconic boy band *NSYNC, is set to make his return to Broadway after a 20-year absence. Fatone will join the cast of the Tony-nominated musical ‘& Juliet,’ beginning January 21, 2025, for a limited nine-week engagement that will end on March 16, 2025. He will take on the role of Lance, replacing original cast member Paulo Szot.

The musical ‘& Juliet’ is a modern retelling of William Shakespeare‘s ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ imagining a scenario where Juliet survives and gets a second chance at life and love on her own terms. The show features music by prolific producer and songwriter Max Martin, who is behind several *NSYNC hits as well as songs by other notable artists like Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears.

In an interesting twist, Fatone will not be singing any *NSYNC songs in the musical but will instead perform Backstreet Boys hits such as “Everybody” and “Shape of My Heart.” This move is particularly noteworthy given the historical rivalry between *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys during their peak in the late ’90s and early ’00s. However, Fatone has expressed his excitement about singing these songs, acknowledging that “they still have bangers”.

Fatone’s return to Broadway is a significant milestone in his career, which has seen him venture into various fields including acting and reality TV. After *NSYNC disbanded, Fatone pursued a career in theater, performing in shows like ‘Rent‘ and ‘Little Shop of Horrors‘ on Broadway. He also gained popularity through his appearance on ‘Dancing with the Stars‘ in 2007.

This announcement comes on the heels of Fatone’s recent collaboration with Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean in a joint headline tour titled ‘A Legendary Night,’ where they performed hits from both bands. AJ McLean had also previously performed with the cast of ‘& Juliet’ in a singalong event at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

Tickets for ‘& Juliet’ are now on sale, and fans are eagerly anticipating Fatone’s return to the Broadway stage.