Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline in 'Romeo and Juliet'
A pair of (movie) star-crossed lovers! Kevin Kline, 64, and Meryl Streep, 62, are set to play Romeo and Juliet (approximate ages: 16 and 13) in a one-night-only staged reading of the play at the Public Theater in New York’s Central Park.
The momentous coming together of two sexagenarian thespians is in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park, a theater series in which both Kline and Streep have participated in the past. The staged reading — which means you won’t see a full-on balcony scene or Renaissance nobility couture — will play the Delacorte Theatre on June 18, but tickets for the starry event start at $1,500 a pop (unless the Public opts to let in groundlings this year). Al Pacino will also be honored at the gala for his work with the Public Theater.
Kline and Streep certainly have the gravitas to pull off Romeo and Juliet, but the wrinkled elephant in the room — their ages. Will Montague be played by Mickey Rooney? Will the nurse be less of a matronly figure for Juliet, and more of a Golden Girl BFF? And will Friar Laurence look like the Crypt Keeper? I know 60 isn’t that old, but a more appropriate title may be Romeo & Juliet: Off Their Rockers, would it not?
PopWatchers, monologue for me: How will Kev and Meryl pull this one off? Aren’t they just a little old? Are you planning to grab a ticket for the spectacular Shakespearean event?
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