Charli D'Amelio is dancing onto Broadway in '& Juliet'

The 20-year-old TikTok sensation and former competitive dancer is making her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-nominated pop musical & Juliet for a limited time.

Celebs stepping into Broadway shows is nothing new, but Charli D'Amelio is breaking the mold. Through January 19, she's making her Broadway debut in & Juliet, but not in a lead role — as an ensemble character called Charmion, a featured dancer.

It's the perfect showcase for D'Amelio, who danced competitively throughout her childhood. In 2020, she exploded into global fame by posting dance videos on TikTok, on which she still has one of the largest followings of all time, and won season 31 of Dancing with the Stars with pro dancer Mark Ballas in 2022. D'Amelio's audience is in the hundreds of millions at only age 20, and as such, she has the potential to draw lots of new attention not just to Broadway ensembles, but to Broadway in general.

"Now, when I go and see a show, I'm so much more focused on the ensemble," D'Amelio said. "It's really interesting to see how each piece of the puzzle makes a show great, and every single person that puts their all into every specific part is so amazingly powerful."

Having grown up in Norwalk, Connecticut, a short train ride away from New York, D'Amelio had seen multiple Broadway shows before. & Juliet wasn't one of them, but when she attended just before starting performances, she was moved by the story. The Tony Award-nominated, girl-power-heavy pop musical sees Juliet, of Romeo & Juliet, decides not to die over Romeo and instead sets out to find herself.

"And the music!" D'Amelio gushed, referring to the score of chart-topping songs cleverly woven into the plot and originally made famous by artists like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, and Kelly Clarkson. "Every single part of the show is so well-thought out."

D'Amelio spoke with New York Theatre Guide about all things & Juliet, her dance background, and her advice for her fans and others experiencing Broadway for the first time.

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How does it feel to make your Broadway debut?

This has been so unlike anything I've ever done before. There's so many of us coming into the show that we've really gotten to build such an amazing community. There's, like, 13 of us coming in, and it's so many of our debuts as well. We're all so excited for each other.

What's the first thing you did when you got the part?

I just paced around my house for a while because I was home by myself and I didn't really know what to do! That night, I went to Mark Ballas and BC Ballas's house, and I didn't tell them yet. So I got there and I was like, "I'm going to be on Broadway." And they were like, "Wait, what?" They didn't know I had auditioned.

Mark's been on Broadway before, and I got to talk to him about how this world is and all things that go into a show.

Did you hear from anyone else in the Broadway community when you got cast?

I got here the day before rehearsals started. That day, I got to meet one of the swings from the cast, and got coffee and talked all things & Juliet and Broadway in general.

There's no type of feeling that any question is not a good question. There's so much I'm getting to learn from everyone — people that have been doing this for years and people that are brand-new.

What can people expect from your performance?

My role, Charmion, is a very dance-heavy role. I love that because that's where I come from and what I know. I'm also learning how to sing as an ensemble member, and that's not something I'm used to.

There's so many stories within the story. Even the way we dance in each number is so different: Some are a lot more hard-hitting; some are more fun and fresh. Some of the shapes are different from number to number.

How has your competition dance experience prepared you for Broadway?

I've used a lot of what I've learned growing up being a competition dancer and taking class and [doing] Dancing with the Stars: learning things quickly, doing live performances. All those things helped me be in these rehearsal rooms and and put my best foot forward every day.

What has been the biggest challenge of doing Broadway so far?

The biggest challenge has probably been being hard on myself. I'm very lucky that [...] everyone on "Team Dance" has been the absolute nicest people, and they can tell from a mile away if you're being too hard on yourself. They'll pull you aside and reassure us we are doing great and this is new for so many of us.

Did you see Broadway shows growing up?

Growing up living so close to Broadway, it was something that you take the whole family, you dress up, you make a day of it, you take the train and go see a show.

I remember being a kid and being so fascinated with [...] how talented all these people are to be able to do this eight times a week — singing, acting, dancing. Being able to watch that, and now be a part of it and see what really goes into it, has been so incredible.

I saw Wicked, which was amazing. The Lion King. I saw SpongeBob on Broadway, which I loved. And obviously, I've seen & Juliet, like, four times since I've been here.

What would you tell your fans about & Juliet if they're unfamiliar?

Just take it all in. Be present for every moment. There's something so powerful about being on stage and realizing this could be [someone's] first Broadway show. This could be someone's only Broadway show that they ever go to.

It doesn't matter where you're sitting — you want to give that amazing experience to everyone. Every time I step on that stage, I hope to connect with someone new in the audience and make their show great.

The messaging [...] that this show has put so much love and heart into — sexuality, making your own choices — there's something so special and powerful about that. And so many people know Romeo and Juliet, and I love the way everyone has made even the most emotional moments [have] so much joy and positivity. There's no way you can't want to sit and dance in your seat.

Do you have a go-to spot in the Theatre District?

We've been going to a place called [Old] Country Coffee. It's this adorable little coffee shop, it's got some wacky stuff on the walls, and it's a really fun and homey place. We went there pretty much every day for, like, two weeks.

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This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

Top image credit: Charli D'Amelio. (Photo courtesy of production)
In-article image credit: D'Amelio (left of center) and the ensemble of & Juliet on Broadway. (Photo by Evan Zimmerman)