Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler are Romeo and Juliet | Plus Vogue Gets Spooky!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Run-Through with Vogue

Episode Title: Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler are Romeo and Juliet | Plus Vogue Gets Spooky!
Release Date: October 31, 2024
Hosts: Chioma Nnadi and Chloe Malle

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1. Spooky Halloween Celebrations with Vogue Staffers

The episode kicks off with Vogue's spirited discussion about Halloween festivities within their team. Hosts Chioma Nnadi and Chloe Malle are joined by Vogue editors Emma Spector, Naomi Elize, and Christian Allaire, who share their creative and diverse Halloween costumes.

• Chloe Mao recounts her decision to dress as Charli XCX for Halloween:
  "I was Charli XCX for Halloween because why not?" ([01:08])

• Naomi Elize describes her unique "Apple Store girl" meme costume:
  "I chose to be the Apple Store girl... everyone kept asking me to do the dance throughout the night." ([02:55])

• Christian Allaire shares his tradition of embodying Britney Spears, specifically her "Toxic" music video look:
  "I chose her red assassin look like secret agent spy... I did it all." ([03:32])

The conversation highlights the team's enthusiasm for embracing playful and unconventional Halloween themes, fostering a sense of camaraderie and creativity.

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2. Highlights from the CFDA Awards

The hosts delve into Vogue's experience at the recent Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Awards held at the Natural History Museum. They highlight memorable moments and award recipients, showcasing the event's blend of tradition and contemporary flair.

• Chloe Mao praises the venue and the event's ambiance:
  "I personally love having it at the Natural History Museum... there were 20 speeches and 15 awards." ([07:30])

• Naomi Elize reflects on Hamish Bowles receiving the Eugenia Shepherd Media Award and Marc Jacobs' impactful presence:
  "Our beloved colleague Hamish Bowles received the Eugenia Shepherd Media Award." ([08:32])
  "Marc was amazing... like a power high five moment." ([08:45])

The discussion underscores the CFDA Awards as a celebration of both established and emerging talents in the fashion industry, emphasizing moments of inspiration and community.

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3. Vogue's Engagement in the Political Sphere

Chioma and Chioma shift focus to political activism and voter engagement, highlighting Vogue's initiatives to encourage voting and share personal experiences related to the electoral process.

• Chloe Mao urges listeners to channel anxiety into activism:
  "People should channel their anxiety into phone banking and canvassing this weekend." ([15:12])

• She also mentions Lena Dunham's insightful piece on reproductive health and first-time voting, connecting personal narratives to broader issues:
  "Lena Dunham wrote about what she wished she'd known about women's reproductive health when she was a first-time voter." ([15:08])

The segment emphasizes Vogue's commitment to leveraging its platform for social impact, fostering informed and active participation in democratic processes.

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4. Gisele Bündchen’s Personal Milestone

A lighter moment in the episode celebrates the news of supermodel Gisele Bündchen expanding her family, reflecting on the representation of women in new beginnings.

• Chioma Mao expresses excitement:
  "Can you believe it? People are so excited about this." ([17:08])

• Chairman Nadi adds enthusiasm and empowerment:
  "It's so great to see a woman in her mid-40s doing that. It feels really empowering." ([17:10])

This brief discussion highlights the joy surrounding personal achievements and the importance of representation in media.

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5. In-Depth Interview with Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler

The episode culminates with an engaging interview featuring actors Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, who star as Romeo and Juliet in Vogue's latest theatrical production at Circle in the Square Theater.

• Chloe Mao describes her experience watching the play:
  "Romeo and Juliet was the perfect play for a preteen... Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler are adorable." ([19:34])

• The actors share insights into their roles, preparation, and the unique aspects of the production:
  Rachel Zegler: "I've been vocally a Jack Antonoff fan for a very long time." ([34:29])
  Kit Connor: "My mindset with these kinds of things is I like to feel comfortable... I like being understated." ([35:27])

• Naomi Elize discusses the collaborative process and adapting Shakespearean language for modern audiences:
  "We found the humor in it... Act one is hysterical, believe it or not, in the tragedy." ([26:50])

• The interview also touches on the challenges of performing eight times a week and balancing personal life with demanding schedules:
  Emma Spector: "There's a lot of work that went into that adaptation of the script." ([37:00])

This in-depth conversation offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the artistic and personal dimensions of bringing a classic play to life in a contemporary setting, highlighting the dedication and creativity of the performers.

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Conclusion

In this Halloween-themed episode, The Run-Through with Vogue blends festive celebrations, highlights from high-profile fashion events, political activism, personal milestones, and an exclusive actor interview. Through rich discussions and engaging quotes, the hosts present a multifaceted view of Vogue's vibrant community and their endeavors both within and beyond the fashion industry.

Transcript

[Chloe Mao]

This is a message from sponsor Intuit. Turbotax taxes was waiting to get your money back which turned into worrying about getting your money back. Now taxes is matching with a turbotax expert who can do your taxes today and help you get up to a $4,000 refund advance loan fast. Get an expert now on TurboTax.com only available with TurboTax Live full service refund has $0 loan fees and 0% APR refund advance loans may be issued by a 1st Century Bank NA or we term supplies subject to credit approval. This is the run through. I'm Chloe Mao.

[Chairman Nadi]

And I'm chairman Nadi.

[Chloe Mao]

And today we are going to start with a special treat from our spooky Vogue staffers. Hi, I'm Emma Spector.

[Naomi Elize]

I'm Naomi Elize.

[Christian Allaire]

I'm Christian Allaire and I'm a senior fashion and style writer at Vogue.

[Naomi Elize]

You know that TikTok where she's like.

[Emma Spector]

Talking about what's in her bag is.

[Chloe Mao]

Like, hi, British Vogue.

[Christian Allaire]

Hi, British Vogue.

[Chloe Mao]

I'm Charli XCX and this is what's in my bag. So that's all I said all night. I'm Jose Cralo Sonceta.

[Naomi Elize]

I'm the fashion news editor at Vogue Runway.

[Chloe Mao]

I was Charli XCX for Halloween because why not?

[Naomi Elize]

My friends have been teasing me that.

[Chloe Mao]

I have the same hair based on.

[Naomi Elize]

Like the girls who confuse the lyric with lorde.

[Chloe Mao]

And even though I'm more of a.

[Naomi Elize]

Lorde, I was like, you know what?

[Chloe Mao]

Why not? Let's lean in. It also all happened because I interviewed Charli and Troy's stylists about the sweat tour. So Chris Horn, who styles Charlie, I.

[Naomi Elize]

Was just like, girl, what should I do if I want to be Charlie for Halloween?

[Chloe Mao]

And he gave me some good tips.

[Christian Allaire]

And I realized that I had everything.

[Chloe Mao]

I needed to be Charlie in my closet. And the rest is history.

[Naomi Elize]

All the gays at my party were.

[Chloe Mao]

Living I was sexy Mu dang this year she's quickly become an Internet sensation. I have just been really obsessed with this Thai pygmy hippo ever since she hit the scene to see the curvy it girl. I actually shopped for everything I wore at thick thrift. My friends like fat vintage and handmade market. And I got a vintage like Italian fabric silver skirt that I thought was perfect because it's a little shiny and mudang is always wet. I'm not saying that mu dang is body positivity, but I'm also kind of saying that maybe for me she it's I feel like for a really long time when I weighed less than I do now even, but was, like, really insecure about weight stuff. My goal was to, like, look skinny in any Halloween costume and it's fun to be like, actually, I'm this, like, chubby hippo and she's hot and I look good, you know?

[Naomi Elize]

So my Halloween costume this year was quite funny because I hosted a Hallow meme party where everyone was required to enter my house dressed as a meme. There was no exceptions. I chose to be the Apple Store girl.

[Chloe Mao]

Do you want me? Do you wanna love me like that? Like that?

[Naomi Elize]

Who is always dancing in front of the Apple Store. She has these kooky, like, arm cuffs on that are striped. And yes, everyone kept asking me to do the dance throughout the night. So by the end of it, I perfected it. And I feel like in the TikTok video that my friend AJ posted, that was like my best cut. The Apple Store girl actually commented and said, period. She ate my dance up. So that's my claim to fame. I've fulfilled my life goal.

[Christian Allaire]

So every year I have a tradition of being Britney Spears. So I thought about my favorite music videos and I came up with Toxic.

[Chloe Mao]

Baby, can't you see?

[Christian Allaire]

I think it's an iconic 2000s video. So I chose her red assassin look like secret agent spy. I and I replicated it down to the red wig, the red makeup, the leather catsuit. I did it all. The gag is I didn't even go out in my look. I spent about three hours getting ready. Me and my friends took videos, took content, and then we were like, we actually don't really wanna go out. So I just went home.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, my God.

[Chairman Nadi]

Thus me.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, my God. Obsessed.

[Chairman Nadi]

That was so fun.

[Chloe Mao]

Very creative colleagues. I don't even know what I would do. I feel so old that I wouldn't even know what to be as a holo meme.

[Chairman Nadi]

Me neither. I'm like, which meme? I was like, apple Store girl meme. I'm like, I'm not familiar.

[Chloe Mao]

Furiously Google's Apple Store girl. Agree.

[Chairman Nadi]

I mean, I even put in sexy moodang and I was like, it didn't come up with anything. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

[Chloe Mao]

So I have to tell you, I didn't realize how, like, the emotional rollercoaster that Halloween is with young children. And we bought spiderwebs and Halloween decorations on Labor Day weekend.

[Chairman Nadi]

Wait, no, you didn't.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, yes. Graham was like, it's too much. It's too soon.

[Chairman Nadi]

Whose idea Was this mine? I didn't realize that you were a Halloween freak.

[Chloe Mao]

I love a holiday. I love a trip to a craft store. We went to Michael's. I mean, what's not to love? Except now I'm so ready for it to be Halloween. It's been a full two months. But the problem with planning early is that your kids change their mind. So Arthur wanted to be a knight. So I was like, great, you can be King Arthur. My mom can be Merlin. Alice can be Archimedes. We had a whole plan. And then Artie came back and was like. Cause he was. Obviously, he's gonna be King Arthur the knight. Just to kind of.

[Chairman Nadi]

We love, of course.

[Chloe Mao]

But then he came back after watching an episode of Scooby Doo and was like, there's a Russian witch called the Baba Yaga who has chicken legs, who's like a famous character in Slavic folklore. He's like, I want to the Baba Yaga. So I was like, ugh, how are we going to make a Baba Yaga costume? And actually, Margot Ambuba, who apparently her mother made her Halloween costumes, always had a very good idea of having him be both the Baba Yaga and the house. So his legs are going to be the chicken legs. And this weekend, I like, painted an Amazon box brown. And we were, like, drawing shingles on it this morning at 6:00am so Arthur's being the Baba Yaga, and then Alice and I are being the Magic school bus and Ms. Frizzle.

[Chairman Nadi]

Oh.

[Chloe Mao]

Which I guess people don't really know the Magic School Bus outside of the U.S. google Ms. Frizzle. She's an iconic character.

[Chairman Nadi]

I've heard of her.

[Chloe Mao]

She wears very printy dresses, which you would appreciate. And I was trying to find a good dress for her and to potentially much offense for Margot. Also another Margo and Booba. I was like, margot, don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like you might have a Ms. Frizzle dress in your closet. She did, but then I ended up getting a Ms. Frizzle dress at the Miu Miu Prada sale.

[Chairman Nadi]

Oh, my God. This is what you were talking about the other week.

[Chloe Mao]

Yes. And so the dress has actually, like, little printed jockeys on it.

[Naomi Elize]

Oh, my God.

[Chloe Mao]

So now I just need to find, like, kooky earrings and glasses and wear my hair curly and be ready for Ms. Frizzle. Long. Long story short. But Halloween. Halloween very big in New York City. Very lot of things happening. There were lots of parties last weekend, as we heard from our staffers, and I've been already eating so much candy this week and I'm already concerned about my children eating so much candy.

[Chairman Nadi]

Yeah, I feel like here, Halloween and Diwali kind of compete. So there's a huge Diwali party near where I live. So I feel like tomorrow night is going to be a bit of both into the weekend.

[Chloe Mao]

It's not usually exactly the same day.

[Chairman Nadi]

No, there's usually huge parties near my. Near where I live. So I'm kind of looking forward to that. Just hope it doesn't run too late into the night so I can also get some sleep.

[Chloe Mao]

Well, speaking of getting sleep, I wanna tell you about the CFDA's. I thought it was a very well run event and a really lovely time. I personally love having it at the Natural History Museum. I had been there the day before with Arthur Albert and he was very upset cause he couldn't visit the Walruses. Cause they were setting up the stage. But I love having it there. And also they had the chicken pot pie with a pastry dinosaur on top, which obviously I'm a big fan of. The problem is there were 20 speeches. There were like 15 awards.

[Chairman Nadi]

Right.

[Chloe Mao]

It was just. It was a long evening. But there were some really amazing moments. Our beloved colleague Hamish Bowles received the Eugenia Shepherd Media Award.

[Chairman Nadi]

And Marc Jacobs.

[Chloe Mao]

Marc was amazing. Marc and Cynthia Erivo, who was the host, had this amazing like nail clacking moment where they like did a little power high five. Then Blake Lively presented to Michael Kors, which was sort of a high wattage moment. Who else did we love?

[Chairman Nadi]

Our beloved Erykah Badu.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh my God. Erykah looked incredible. Her speech was unhinged in the best way, really. She just was like. We were like, where are we going? But we're on the journey.

[Naomi Elize]

We just.

[Chloe Mao]

We don't know where it's going. And we're happy to be there. Erykah Badu got the Style Icon Award. Daniel Roseberry got the International Designer Award. And his speech I thought was so touching and honest and beautiful.

[Chairman Nadi]

He's such a great speech giver. He just knows. I mean, he just always speaks from the heart in a way that feels so warm and compelling. Well.

[Chloe Mao]

And as you heard on Nicole's interview with him on Tuesday, on the Tuesday episode of the show, he's just an amazing storyteller.

[Chairman Nadi]

Yeah, he is.

[Chloe Mao]

He really sort of brings you along. But it was an amazing Troma. You would have loved it because it was such an exciting night for young fashion.

[Chairman Nadi]

I felt the fomo.

[Chloe Mao]

It felt like the next generation of fashion being really honored. Luar won for best accessories designer. Will echeveria for menswear. Rachel Scott from dyatima for best womenswear, which I feel like was an unexpected win.

[Chairman Nadi]

Love, Rachel.

[Chloe Mao]

Henry zankoff won for best emerging designer.

[Chairman Nadi]

Oh, that's great.

[Chloe Mao]

So it really felt like a new guard. Celebration of a new guard. And that was exciting to see.

[Chairman Nadi]

I love what you wore. What was it?

[Chloe Mao]

Ugh. It was the most comfortable black tie dress I've ever worn. It was a mock turtleneck, bright, like, fire engine red floor length sweater dress from Carolina Herrera.

[Chairman Nadi]

It was so beautiful on you.

[Chloe Mao]

Thank you. I loved it. And I went with coach and so I wore one of their bags with the, like, I heart New York charm. So I had my, like, bright red apple to go with my dress. And I was very feeling, very big apple centric. But there were a lot of great dresses I loved. Alex khonsani wore one of the dresses from area with all the hands, the sort of cut out, like jazz hands. And I thought that was a great look. I thought Katie holmes looked really glam in also in Carolina herrera. I loved Addison rae and Thom Browne. I thought that was extremely sexy and fun and fashiony. Molly Gordon I thought looked great in prowenza.

[Chairman Nadi]

Kylie in Jean Paul Gaultier couture. I mean, what a look.

[Chloe Mao]

It was the JPG by Heider the Timmy effect.

[Chairman Nadi]

Yeah. Speaking of Timmy, are we gonna talk about Timmy lookalikes? Is that what's happening?

[Chloe Mao]

That's what's happening.

[Chairman Nadi]

That was unexpected.

[Chloe Mao]

Not for me. Really?

[Chairman Nadi]

Okay, tell us. We've been talking about this.

[Chloe Mao]

There's been a lot of posters around town about this. And Margo and booba went with Kaia George to photograph. And there were a lot of Timmy lookalikes. And then Timmy himself showed up.

[Naomi Elize]

Wow.

[Chloe Mao]

And absolute chaos ensued in Washington square park and people ended up getting arrested. And we were joking. Imagine explaining to your parents where you were and why you got arrested. It was truly a only in New York situation. And then, I mean, Washington square park, all the weirdos, it was that. And the day before was the dog costume parade.

[Chairman Nadi]

Oh, my God. I saw some images and it seemed like it was like the same day, but obviously it wasn't.

[Chloe Mao]

It was the day before, but it was just really New York at its kookiest, in my opinion. My favorite dog costume was wicked. Like, there were like two wicked chihuahuas, an Ariana and a Cynthia chihuahua. And they looked fab. What else, Choma? What have you been doing this week?

[Chairman Nadi]

Well, we had Our big Forces of Fashion conference.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, my God, Yes. This weekend, which had so many great moments. I love Lena Dunham talking about her wedding dress.

[Chairman Nadi]

Oh, it was so great. Lena and Christopher Kane have such a wonderful rapport. And hearing them talk about life, really, it was so great. I mean, obviously everybody in the room was waiting for John Galliano and some of the students who came to the conference, they were leaving their sneakers on chairs, they were trying to buy a ticket, they were trying to by people's front row seats. It was insane. People were just so excited for John. And John was there with his dear friend Gwendoline Christie, and they had such an amazing conversation. And I'm so excited because I'm gonna. We're going to be able to share that conversation on the pod. And let me tell you, he talks through some of his most amazing pivotal shows. And Gwendolyn did her research in a way that, let me tell you, was incredible. And I just think it's one of those conversations that's gonna stay with me for forever. It was really unforgettable. Lul Roche was also super fun. His conversation with Munro Bergdorf was just. He just seems like he's having the best time of his life right now. And he told this story about when him and Zendaya went to meet John. And John made this entire storybook for the character that Zendaya would play on the red carpet at the Met gala. Like, an entire storybook. Like, she was this socialite who got lost on the way to. On the subway and woke up at the Met, and it was just like, incredible. They were sitting at his knees like two children listening to him tell this story about this dress he'd created. Then they surprised John by showing him the other dress, which Zendaya had bought, which was a dress that he showed for one of the very few Givenchy collections that he designed. And he. He was completely surprised. She'd bought it in this shop and it still had Veronica Webb's name in it because it was the actual sample that Veronica Webb wore.

[Chloe Mao]

What?

[Chairman Nadi]

And she obviously wore that on the red carpet of the Met. So there were some great stories that came out both from. From everybody. I think the conversation with John is going to be a real special one.

[Chloe Mao]

Okay, well, I'm very excited.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mao]

Choma. It's big news here. Voting is underway.

[Chairman Nadi]

I can feel the tension from across the the ocean. I am on pins and needles. Every. Every day there seems to be a new update or a new take on what happened.

[Chloe Mao]

It's a very stressful Waiting game at the moment. And I think that people should channel their anxiety into phone banking and canvassing this weekend if that' possibility for people. I actually always love voting on day of in person, so I will be voting at the Unitarian church around the corner from my apartment. I'm always very grateful to all the, like lovely Upper west side ladies who volunteer at my polling place. Also, Abby Soberg, our head of audience development, is volunteering at her polling station in Pittsburgh and it's, she's writing a piece about it for us. It's fascinating how complicated it is and it's a lot of work to volunteer at a polling station really. So I encourage everyone to read about that. We also have a really interesting piece that Lena Dunham wrote about what she wished she'd known about women's reproductive health when she was a first time voter. And it's drawing from her own experience with her hysterectomy and that I think will be really powerful and I hope everyone reads. Also Luna up this week, which I loved. We've been talking a lot about capturing first time voters. And the photo team ended up connecting with a photo student at Howard University, which is obviously Kamala Harris alma mater. And Kaya George, one of our photo editors, found a photo student at Howard, Blake Spencer, who took great photographs of first time voters at Howard and interviewed them about what issues are important to them, why they're voting. And I think it was really nice to hear from young people.

[Chairman Nadi]

Wait, Gisele Bundchen.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh my God. Can you believe it? People are so excited about this.

[Chairman Nadi]

I know, I know. I mean, I'm excited for her and I think it's great to see her make a second start with a new family. And often we always see men having like start over families. And it's so great to see a woman in her mid-40s doing that. It's kind of really, it feels really empowering and like he seems young and hot and they're gonna have a fab family and I'm just here for it.

[Chloe Mao]

We love that. The run through will be back in a moment. I'm Nomi Frye.

[Christian Allaire]

I'm Vincent Cunningham.

[Chloe Mao]

I'm Alex Schwartz and we are Critics at Large, a podcast from the New Yorker. Guys, what do we do on the show every week?

[Christian Allaire]

We look into the startling maw of.

[Chloe Mao]

Our culture and try to figure something out. That's right. We take something that's going on in the culture now. Maybe it's a movie, maybe it's a book, maybe it's just kind of a trend that we see floating in the ether and we expand it across culture as kind of a pattern or a template.

[Christian Allaire]

We talked about the midlife crisis, starting with a new book by Miranda July, but then we kind of ended up talking about Dante's Inferno.

[Chloe Mao]

You know, we talked about Kate Middleton, her so called disappearance, and from that we moved into right wing conspiracy theories.

[Christian Allaire]

Alex basically promised to explain to me why everybody likes the Beatles.

[Chloe Mao]

You know, we've also noticed that advice is everywhere. Advice columns, advice giving. And we kind of want to look at why. Join us on Critics at Large from the New Yorker. New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back. I had a really fun week because my sister who lives in Paris came to New York for the week with my 12 year old niece who'd never been to New York before. And that was super fun and we had such a good time and she just loved being here so much. She came to the office, they went to the Empire State Building, and we went to see Romeo and Juliet and it was the perfect play for a preteen. I loved it. I thought it was super fun. It's like Shakespeare x Euphoria. The music's fun. They're adorable with each other. Kit Conner and Rachel Zegler and like this famous pull up kiss that they do is so charming, so sexy. They're adorable. I was totally there for all of it. Tommy Dorfman as the nurse is great. All the actors except for Kit Conner and Rachel Zegler play multiple roles and I thought that was successful. It's at Circle in the Square theater, which is, if you haven't been there, a theater where the stage is a circle and there are seats all around it like Shakespeare or like the circus. So I was really excited to see that. And we have this week Rachel and Kit on the show and they were just adorable. And obviously Zegler I find very charming that her other best known role was playing a different version of Juliet, which is Maria from West side Story and Kit Conner, who I have not seen Heartstopper, but people are obsessed with him from that.

[Naomi Elize]

Right.

[Chloe Mao]

And they joined me in the studio along with our editor, Liam Hess, who had interviewed them for our September issue. And it was just a real treat to be with them.

[Chairman Nadi]

Oh, I can't wait to hear the interview.

[Chloe Mao]

It's fun. Guys, thank you so much for being here. We are very excited and after seeing your schedule today, I was particularly grateful.

[Naomi Elize]

Oh, of course. Thank you for having us.

[Emma Spector]

Pleasure.

[Christian Allaire]

Yeah. You must be exhausted. You're Doing eight shows a week and then squeezing in interviews, photo shoots, all the rest. How are you holding up?

[Emma Spector]

I think I'm holding up well. How are you holding up, Rachel?

[Naomi Elize]

I think you and I are very good at getting our rest and getting our sleep and knowing what to do to reset.

[Emma Spector]

We've been quite good at saying no to. Hey, do you want to go out and party tonight? No, no, no.

[Naomi Elize]

And then we text each other. I said no.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah. My body's feeling it a little bit. Like.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah.

[Emma Spector]

It's a. We have a very, very physical show. And I am aware of that.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Emma Spector]

Every time I wake up.

[Christian Allaire]

Well, it's so great to see you both again because obviously I met you both in a park in London in June for the Vogue story, and I think you were headed to your first ever read through.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, wow.

[Christian Allaire]

And it was only the second time you'd met, but you already had an amazing rapport and amazing chemistry. Tell me a little bit about the journey that you've been on since then.

[Emma Spector]

Well, I would say that that first read through was a real, you know, somewhat monumental for us. I think it was the first time that we were both reading the lines aloud and have some kind of frame of reference as to what our play was gonna sound like and look like.

[Naomi Elize]

And it's really hard when you're memorizing something and it's living in your four walls, like in your apartment, and then all of a sudden, getting to look into somebody's eyes and say it and then know whether or not you even know it and have it memorized. And it was such a wonderful learning experience. And also a casting opportunity for Sam Gold, because the person who read for the nurse, Ann Tybalt, that day is a very actor named Tahin Modak, who now plays Benvolio on Broadway, making his Broadway debut.

[Emma Spector]

Another Brit in the cast, which I'm.

[Naomi Elize]

Oh, thank you.

[Emma Spector]

Very thankful for.

[Naomi Elize]

What would you have done?

[Emma Spector]

What would I have done?

[Naomi Elize]

Oh, my gosh.

[Christian Allaire]

I'm always curious, for actors, you were aware of how many months you were going to be going on this journey together. What is that? Like, are you ever. Do you get nervous that that chemistry is not going to be there, or.

[Naomi Elize]

I think we knew that first time we met, at least I feel like we've talked about it, that it was going to be. That we were gonna be okay.

[Emma Spector]

Which one?

[Naomi Elize]

We met for the first time, Cosmic Diner at the diner and then went to the theater.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

And it was like kind of a. There was an inherent comfort that came with it. And knowing that it was gonna be okay.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah. I think we both felt that there was, like, you know, we both cared enough about it, and we both would be able to sort of, like, trust the other person to. To do all the work that we wanted to be able to do.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah. So I think that there was already a level of respect there and things like that. And then I think Primrose Hill was actually the third time we'd met, because then we did the Jersey shoot.

[Naomi Elize]

We did shoot the commercial.

[Emma Spector]

Buzz cut. By the time we did.

[Naomi Elize]

Right.

[Emma Spector]

By the time we did Vogue. By that point.

[Chloe Mao]

Map your relationship in haircuts.

[Emma Spector]

Exactly.

[Naomi Elize]

In his haircuts. Certainly my hair hasn't changed. It's just gotten longer.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

No, but, I mean, I don't think I could have predicted that we would get on so well. And I feel really grateful for the fact that within that shared care, for the material and for the show itself, we have found a really wonderful rapport and a way of speaking with each other and communicating properly. But then also, it's fun and it's bits, and it's a good time. I want to hang out with you. It's not just that I have to and you don't. Yeah.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mao]

I want to know when the first time both of you saw Romeo and Juliet or read Romeo and Juliet when you guys were growing up.

[Naomi Elize]

I read it in the fifth or sixth grade.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, wow.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah. I was in a program in my grammar school. I went to Catholic school my whole life. And in my.

[Chloe Mao]

In New Jersey.

[Naomi Elize]

In New Jersey, in my grammar school, you could be in a thing called Kaleidoscope, which was two years above your reading level and two years above your math level. So I think that's when I read Romeo and Juliet for the first time was in, like, the fifth or sixth grade, and I was Mercutio. They had me read Mercutio.

[Emma Spector]

Of course they did.

[Naomi Elize]

In that. Yeah. The hardest role, the best role. It is the best part. I don't know when the first. I don't know when I saw it for the first time. My introduction to it was probably, if we're being honest, Rita Moreno in West side Story. When I was a kid. And that was like, when I was aware of the story, when I didn't really know what the story was. I just knew, you know, the story of west side Story, for me, it.

[Emma Spector]

Was probably the Baz Luhrmann one.

[Naomi Elize]

The Baz Luhrmann one, yeah.

[Emma Spector]

Also, one of my first, like, real memories of Romeo and Juliet is in Hot Fuzz. When they do the. So whenever I hear you say, I'll kiss thy lips.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah.

[Chairman Nadi]

Yeah.

[Emma Spector]

I always think of her going, I'll kiss thy lips. And then it's just. It just really. It does make me laugh. Yeah. Sometimes it is hard to do our stage death when all I can picture.

[Naomi Elize]

Is that it's hot fuzz. It makes sense. No, it makes sense. It's funny.

[Chloe Mao]

What makes this version of the play different?

[Emma Spector]

Yeah, I mean, I think that the approach that we've tried to take as Sam kind of originally pitched to us, was this idea that a group of kids, for whatever reason, whether it be a sort of slight anger with the world that they've been left or the society that they've been left, or if it's even just to sort of shake off the. The stress that they have, have decided to break into the circle in the square theater and put on Romeo and Juliet because they feel that it best represents what they feel and how they feel. So that's kind of the approach that we've taken. It's supposed to be youthful and a little bit messy and, like, horny and kind of ridiculous at times.

[Naomi Elize]

And we found the humor in it, which is written but, you know, not always leaned into. And so we've definitely been encouraged to lean into the language that really offers itself to humor.

[Emma Spector]

The first half especially is really. Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

Act one is hysterical, believe it or not, in the tragedy.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Christian Allaire]

On the subject of it feeling youthful, I had seen on Fallon that you mentioned. Sam Gold pitched it almost like. Sam Gold, being the director, pitched it almost like a Troye Sivan music video. And, Rachel, you've said that Juliet is. Well, she would be having a brat girl summer.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah, she definitely did. She's having a brat summer.

[Christian Allaire]

It's plugged into the zeitgeist.

[Naomi Elize]

It really is. I mean, people were coming out saying, like, this is Romeo and Juliet for people who couldn't get tickets to the Sweat tour. And I thought that was really funny. I think it's accurate.

[Chloe Mao]

Did you guys go to the Sweat tour?

[Emma Spector]

No, we were actually performing.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah. We were working. Yeah.

[Christian Allaire]

You get to do some dancing on stage, right?

[Naomi Elize]

We do. We have a bit of a. I.

[Emma Spector]

Attempt to do it.

[Naomi Elize]

You have such a great dancing.

[Emma Spector]

I'm so poor at dancing.

[Naomi Elize]

You know, he's just being modest.

[Emma Spector]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Naomi Elize]

He's so good.

[Emma Spector]

But it's. Yeah. But, yeah, we have some fun on stage.

[Naomi Elize]

We do.

[Emma Spector]

We do. You know, it's supposed to be. Again, it's just supposed to be these kids, like, you know, these young people. Not kids, these young people messing around, having fun, you know.

[Christian Allaire]

And in addition to it being directed by the brilliant, Tony Award winning Sam Gold, you also have an amazing original soundtrack courtesy of Jack Antonoff, the kind of powerhouse pop producer. Were you both fans of his work beforehand? What's it been like working with him?

[Chloe Mao]

Well, they have to say yes, absolutely.

[Naomi Elize]

I mean, I certainly am. I've been vocally a Jack Antonoff fan for a very long time.

[Emma Spector]

Well, it's hard not to be Jersey Pride. It was also really cool to see him come in and like work. You know, he basically scored some of the scenes kind of live.

[Christian Allaire]

Okay.

[Emma Spector]

And then would, you know.

[Naomi Elize]

And that would happen too when like Sam and I would go to Electric lady and sit on his couch and just like read the lines. Sam was a very convincing Romeo. And just so you know, you don't have job security. Sam Gold is waiting in the window.

[Emma Spector]

I never did.

[Naomi Elize]

And it was like, it was just one of those things where we would sit and we would read the scenes and Jack would just kind of mess around on his keyboards and come out with something pretty amazing. And a lot of those things have made it into the show as it stands today.

[Chloe Mao]

Wow, that's amazing. Electric lady, for those who don't know, is the name of the studio where magic is made very famous? Very famous, yes. I wanna know what it's like being on Broadway for the. Are there any, do you guys have any superstitions before every performance? Is there anything that's a surprise that you didn't expect about performing eight times a week? Dying Eight times a week?

[Emma Spector]

Yeah, I mean there's a, you know, the theater culture here is slightly different to the theater culture in London.

[Chloe Mao]

In what way?

[Emma Spector]

In several ways. Firstly, I mean, the, the, the audiences are much more vocal. It does feel like the audiences here are in a great way sort of more keen to be impressed. Like they're more, they're more willing to be impressed. They're like, they're happy to be enjoying it. Sometimes you can see London audiences kind of being like, okay, you know, do something, do something. Make it good. It's not good. I will not like it.

[Christian Allaire]

But there's almost a kind of interactive element to the show as well, right?

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah, we do incorporate the audience very much. So, yeah, they're along for the ride of a story that they've been told thousands of times.

[Emma Spector]

And that's the thing.

[Naomi Elize]

Really impressive to us and really, really cool.

[Emma Spector]

It's a good sign, I think. It's like, it's, you know, it feels like when you have the audience with you and you feel like they're, as you say, along for the ride, then you gotta be doing something right.

[Chloe Mao]

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[Naomi Elize]

Well, we're here today, back to back press appearance. I mean, we haven't really had a proper day off yet because we have been doing press really hard for this.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

I feel like a lot of it is just resting.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah. Cause we're in previews as well at the moment, which means that we come in and still rehearse before the shows. Before the shows, which makes the schedule slightly more difficult and slightly more interesting. So I think when we start getting into shows, we'll be a bit more, you know.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah. More of a routine for the Mondays off.

[Christian Allaire]

What are you most excited to do, Kit, being an Englishman living in New York for the first time?

[Emma Spector]

Well, I was playing the Sting song quite a lot.

[Christian Allaire]

Okay.

[Naomi Elize]

Oh boy.

[Emma Spector]

I'm here in New York.

[Naomi Elize]

I feel like you'll really like what we have to offer at Christmas time here.

[Emma Spector]

I think so too.

[Naomi Elize]

Christmas in New York is special. I think if you don't. If you don't live here normally, it's.

[Chloe Mao]

Special if you do live here. I have toddlers, so I guess I've.

[Naomi Elize]

Lived here for so much of my life that when I try to walk somewhere and it's bombarded with people. But I'm so excited for you to see that because we work right near Radio City, and so you're getting to see, like, the ornaments on the fountain and then, like, all of the toy soldiers at the. On, you know, in the Christmas trees and everything. It's really wonderful.

[Emma Spector]

I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to that. I'll get the full experience.

[Chloe Mao]

Do you have family who are going to come for the holidays or what's happening with friends coming to visit?

[Emma Spector]

No, they're not gonna come for the holidays. They're gonna come sprinkled through my run. But I think I'm gonna be here. I'm gonna be plaguing her with my presence.

[Naomi Elize]

No. I am so excited to house you and Tahin for Christmas.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mao]

Aw.

[Naomi Elize]

I have stockings for everybody. I'm very excited.

[Emma Spector]

Aw.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah. I love it.

[Christian Allaire]

You are certainly among the most fashionable, if not the most fashionable, Romeo and Juliets I have ever seen, both on and off. You know, we've got for those who can't see. Rachel is wearing head to toe, Thom Browne, Luke. And Kit is in a cardigan by one of my favorite designers, Stephan Koch in London. But, I mean, both of you had a very fast ascent to stardom and at quite a young age. And what has been your journey in terms of, like, figuring out your personal style under that spotlight?

[Naomi Elize]

Oh, wow. I work with a really wonderful stylist who has been by my side since 20. We started working together, really, in 2020, and then it picked up with the west side Story press tour in 2021. And she's just, like, brutally honest with me and wonderful and also incredibly kind. And it's been a really wonderful working relationship with Sarah Slutsky, my stylist. I just love her so much. We love Sarah Slutsky. She's the best.

[Chloe Mao]

She used to work at Vogue.

[Naomi Elize]

Yes, yes. She started here at Vogue, and that's kind of where I've cultivated and felt like a safe space to explore and understand what works for me and what doesn't.

[Christian Allaire]

We were talking, Kit, when we did the interview about you being a big fan of Jonathan Anderson and you've been the face of Loewe, and I remember you described fashion almost for you, as something that can be used like a kind of suit of armor. I mean, what did you mean by that? Is that still something that resonates with you?

[Emma Spector]

Yeah, I mean, I think the, like, Rachel, my stylist, Felicity K. Has been a huge influence on me and. And an incredible sort of collaborator in that sense, and being able to, you know, make me feel as comfortable in myself as possible and, you know, feel good about myself and when. When sort of going out into the big, bad world of this industry and. And. And, you know, the fun that comes with it. So, yeah, that's. That's been wonderful. And we haven't been working together for nearly as long as you and Sarah, but it's been pretty great already, so that's been huge. And then also, I think for my own kind of personal style, I think it. It changes a lot and it keeps, you know, But I. I certainly want jacket. The same car, heart jacket, you know, But I, I, My, My. My mindset with these kind of things is, like, I like to feel comfortable. I like to feel myself. I generally don't like sticking out too much in my. In my sort of personal life. I don't like being too in the way, so I like being understated and things like that.

[Christian Allaire]

Do you guys ever tease each other about your fashion choices?

[Emma Spector]

All the time.

[Naomi Elize]

It's just not even kind of true. Except I do wish you would replace those Doc Martens because they are falling apart at the seams. It's literally. You can see his sock. Like, it's peeling. Okay. On both sides, like, Jesus, go to a cobbler, bro. And so, like, yeah. That's the only thing I think I've ever teased you about.

[Chloe Mao]

Going to a New York cobbler is a grade.

[Naomi Elize]

I will be doing it.

[Emma Spector]

I just. I really find it scary. The idea of even spending a few days without my shoes.

[Christian Allaire]

That's what you need to do on your next day off.

[Naomi Elize]

You've made fun of, like.

[Chloe Mao]

And don't you wear Doc Martens during the show?

[Naomi Elize]

In the show? Yeah, I do. I call them my Olivia Rodrigo boots. They have, like, these purple hearts on them. They make me think of Olivia.

[Chloe Mao]

I want to know if there's anything you're taking from Maria for Juliet, since you're sort of playing Juliet in a different way.

[Naomi Elize]

I don't know. I mean, there's a lot of work that went into that adaptation of that script that I have a newfound appreciation for. I always appreciated what Tony Kushner did with it. But now, having done the deep dive that we've done into the Shakespeare and the language he really did such a beautiful job at building those Shakespearean characters for 1957 New York. And I just. I love Tony dearly. And so, you know, it's really playing Maria just five years younger. Juliet's 13 years old, so it's like. It's an understanding you need to have of girlhood that. But luckily I do have. I had that experience before fame took it away from me. And it's interesting to go back.

[Christian Allaire]

Were you ever almost hesitant to take on the role of Juliet because of the similarities between, you know, the parallels with Maria?

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

And, you know, it's also like, a lot of my career has been defined by reboots, prequels and sequels. And so when you're doing, like, a revival and it's also like a character you've kind of played before, there's that fear of, like, am I being boxed into something? That I'm, like, kind of going against what I really want to do. But Sam was so insistent that this was going to be unlike anything I'd ever done, and he's been absolutely spot on and correct. And I'm really glad that I decided to do it because of the gentleman sitting beside me and also because of the incredible 14 people we get to go and work with every day.

[Christian Allaire]

When you need to decompress, are you watching any trashy TV or do you order some junk food in? Like, how are you?

[Chloe Mao]

He's on the scene.

[Christian Allaire]

Nothing too. Letting us deep.

[Emma Spector]

Nothing. Trash.

[Naomi Elize]

My best friend McKenna, leaves friends on for my dog, because she'll watch the dog and then she'll leave Friends on. And he is a dog. He has no idea. But so I've been. I've been kind of watching the last season of Friends to Decompress.

[Emma Spector]

That's a heavy one.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah, yeah, it is quite heavy, but.

[Emma Spector]

It'S sweet because I used to watch. I remember when I was doing a film in. I was doing a film in Belfast for about a month and a half, and it was quite like, an intense job, and it was just heavy stuff, and I found myself also. It was also kind of written in, like, modern but Shakespearean English.

[Chloe Mao]

Oh, what is this? Do we know the name?

[Emma Spector]

Yeah, it's a film called One of Us, directed by Stefan van der Graaf. And it's a really, like. It was an incredibly interesting and really cool script and was a quite a tough role. And there was just a lot of lines written in this very poetic language that I had to learn every night. And so I would just learn it, eat some food, try and go over it again. And then I would just watch Friends because I felt like I could kind of watch it slightly mindlessly.

[Naomi Elize]

Yeah.

[Emma Spector]

It's kind of sleep.

[Naomi Elize]

It's a good brain shut off because it doesn't make you think too hard.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

That was what the iconic sitcoms really do.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah. So that was my. That was my thing. And although I think I'm just so tired, when I get back, I'm sort of like.

[Naomi Elize]

It's hard for me to sit and watch anything.

[Emma Spector]

Yeah.

[Naomi Elize]

So I'm on the grind set. I'm on that grind set, bro.

[Christian Allaire]

So lovely to see you, both of you.

[Naomi Elize]

Nice to see you again. Thank you guys so much.

[Chloe Mao]

All right, that's it for the show. See you next week. The Run through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalman and Joanna Solotarov. It's engineered by Jake Loomis, Luke Moseley and James Yost. It is mixed by Mike Kutchman. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of global audio.

[Emma Spector]

From prx.