Joey Fatone will return to the New York City theater scene in the blockbuster jukebox musical “& Juliet” next year.
Producers announced Tuesday that the NSYNC crooner will take over the role of Lance Du Bois for a nine-week limited run beginning Jan. 21 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. He previously appeared in “Rent” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“& Juliet,” which raked in nine Tony Award nominations after its Broadway premiere in 2022, remixes the ending of Shakespeare’s iconic love story with chart-topping hits from uber producer Max Martin, who has crafted songs for the likes of Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and, of course, NSYNC.
As a wealthy French widower who finds his own unexpected romance in the story, Fatone will have to power through tunes including “Everybody” and “Shape of My Heart” — songs popularized by his group’s former ’90s rivals The Backstreet Boys.
But the 47-year-old singer says he’s up for the task.
“I can’t wait to get out there and sing Max Martin’s amazing songs — his hits have shaped so much of pop music,” he said in a statement. “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!”
Though pitted against one another decades ago, NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys produced songs with the same record company. Earlier this year, Fatone and Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean even teamed up for a walk down memory with a joint headline tour titled “A Legendary Night.”