Joey Fatone at the ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ premiere.Photo:Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images
Joey Fatoneis saying “hi, hi, hi” to Broadway again.
After a 20-year absence, the*NSYNCsinger and actor, 47, will return the boards next year, in the Tony-nominated musical& Juliet.He’ll join the production in the role of Lance, replacing original Broadway cast member Paulo Szot for a limited nine-week engagement beginning Jan. 21, 2025 and ending March 16.
“I’m excited that I’ll be joining the cast of& Juliet!,” Fatone said. “I can’t wait to get out there and sing Max Martin’s amazing songs — his hits have shaped so much of pop music. And yes, I know I’ll even be singing a couple of Backstreet Boys songs. Even though my loyalty remains with NSYNC, they still have bangers."
“See you at the show!” he added.
*NSYNC and Backstreet Boys were competitors at the height of their fame in the late ’90s and early ’00s, but have built bonds over the years.
Fatone even spent the spring traveling the country with Backstreet Boys singerAJ McLeanin a joint headline tour titled ‘A Legendary Night’ in which they joined forces to reminisce about their time in the spotlight and perform a variety of their bands' hits together, choreography and all.
Coincidentally, McLean, 46, sang with the cast of& Juliet.In May, hehosted a singalong performance of the musical, surprising the audience gather at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre for an encore performance of “Everybody” with the show’s Du Bois Band.
Fans may also remember seeing Fatone with the Du Bois Band, too. He posted with them last October, during a backstage visit to& Juliet.
AJ McLean (center) performing with the cast of ‘& Juliet’ on Broadway.Rebecca J Michelson
Rebecca J Michelson
On Oct. 27, the show will begin its third year on Broadway with a cast that includes Maya Bod as ‘Juliet,’ Alison Luff as ‘Anne,’ Drew Gehling as ‘Shakespeare,’ Liam Pearce as ‘Romeo,’ Michael Iván Carrier as ‘May’ and Jeannette Bayardelle ‘Angélique.’ Nathan Levy will join the company as ‘François’ on Nov. 19.
Gabe Amato, Daniel Assetta, Reese Britts, Nicholas Cooper, Charli D’Amelio, Jhailyn Paige Farcon, Makai Hernandez, Najah Hetsberger, Joomin Hwang, Khailah Johnson, Elsa Keefe, Alaina Ví Maderal, Daniel J. Maldonado, Alejandro MullerDahlberg, Ava Noble, Cassie Silva, Darien Van Rensalier and Romy Vuksan complete the cast.
Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake backstage at the 2000 Grammy Awards.Bob Riha, Jr./Getty
Bob Riha, Jr./Getty
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This will be Fatone’s third credit on Broadway. He made his debut in 2002, playing Mark inRent, and went on to play Seymour two years later in the revival ofLittle Shop of Horrors.
Back in February, Fatone toldRolling Stonethat he first came to Broadway ready to try new things after*NSYNCinitially split up that same year.
“Well, thank God [the breakup] didn’t force me to [reinvent myself]. I wanted to. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh damn, I’m out of a job. What have I got to do?’ " he recalled. “It was more or less, ‘Holy s—, these doors are opened. Let’s see if I can walk in. I may suck, but let’s find out.’ "
“I always wanted to do Broadway. Right after *NSYNC, I didRenton Broadway. I didLittle Shop of Horrorson Broadway. And then when I didDancing with the Stars,people saw my personality,” he said, referencing his run on the ABC dancing competition series in 2007. “People were like, ‘Oh, he’s not just a guy from *NSYNC. He’s actually a person that actually acts.’ It was interesting the path that I had to go through, but it was amazing.”
Tickets for& Julietare now on sale.
source: people.com