Fatone headed back to Broadway for musical ‘& Juliet’

NEW YORK — 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!”