Rachel Zegler's West End Debut Is Summer's Hottest Ticket

Graziadaily

2 days ago

Along the busy lanes of Argyll Street, Londoners and tourists weave past each other in a graceful chaos, lured into restaurants and trendy bars that charge double for the ambience. It's all a bit much. Unless of course, the sun is shining. In that case, the city shifts magically: tables spill onto pavements, spritzes sparkle in the light, and 10 pm sunsets cast an endless golden-hour spell. Lately, however, the street's charm seems to have increased tenfold. The reason? Rachel Zegler's musical interlude courtesy of Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita at The London Palladium.
You've likely come across the scene that has London's theatre scene buzzing on social media already. Every night, Zegler's Eva Perón exits the stage at the The London Palladium and performs the show's biggest number 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' to the Argyll Street audience, while the showgoers inside watch on a livestream. Much has been said and written about this fourth wall break: Why give the show's biggest number away for free? Is it a gimmick? What about the ticket holders inside the theatre? But at its core, it's a stroke of genius from Lloyd.
Zegler, who shot to fame in West Side Story , has recently weathered much backlash for Disney's Snow White , while Lloyd has faced critique of his over-reliance on an A-list cast (he's responsible for Tom Holland in Romeo and Juliet and Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell in Much Ado About Nothing) and overly minimalist sets. So, it makes poetic sense that the two have joined forces for this tale that's centered on the court of public opinion.
Far from Madonna's take on the Argentinian first lady, Zegler's Eva packs a contemporary bravado in her bra top, hot pants and boots as her charismatic star power lights up the brutalist stage setting. She plays the role with a dazzling shrewdness that's sexy and almost dangerous. There's something intriguing about watching a woman unapologetically own her ambition, especially when it's backed by Zegler's raw star power.
Zegler's star power isn't the only thing pulling Evita to the top of our summer wishlist. There's Diego Andres Rodriguez's Che, who narrates with an interrogative flair, while James Olivas' Juan Perón is a magnetic and calculating presence. The choreography is a riot of resistance and revelry. Imbued with a certain rock and roll energy, Jamie Lloyd's Evita revival is a spectacle where the narrative is messy and the politics are performative. Its timely anti-fascist sentiment makes it an apt mirror for our times. 1.
Evita
It's influence-culture and modern-day politics distilled into a dazzling performance and wrapped in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest score. Sure, if it's gowns and operatic grandeur you're after, Jamie Lloyd's Evita may not be for you. However, there's a certain thrill to watching theatre reinvent itself, on stage and in public. As radical as the story itself, Evita at The London Palladiumis an experience that deserves to be felt in person. With Zegler's full-blown ascent into superstar status both inside and out, this is absolutely the unmissable event of the summer.
If you're keen on seeing Zegler take centre stage inside The London Palladium, head to LW Theatres to book tickets to Zegler's electrifying West End debut now.