Latest news with #Don'tCryforMe
Cosmopolitan
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Rachel Zegler Is Set to Return to 'Evita' After Leaving Mid-Show
Rachel Zegler's gig as the titular character in Jamie Lloyd's revival of Evita at the London Palladium has been all over our social feeds thanks to her stunning performances, but she made headlines for a different reason during her latest show. On July 24, the Cosmopolitan cover girl suddenly exited the stage mid-show as she had fallen ill. According to People, Rachel's departure was announced during intermission, and her understudy, Bella Brown, stepped into the role despite appearing as Perón's Mistress earlier in the night. After a 45-minute intermission, Bella transformed into Evita just in time for the Tony-winning musical's second act. A source in the audience told E! News, 'The interval lasted almost 40 to 45 minutes and then the balcony scene with Bella began. You would have thought the roof was going to cave in from the applause. Even more so when she entered on stage for the first time after the balcony scene.' She opened with the iconic number, 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina,' marking her second time playing Eva Perón after she made her debut on July 14. In this production, Jamie Lloyd and Andrew Lloyd Webber pulled a page from his Sunset Blvd. book and takes the performance outdoors. At this point in the show, Eva sings to a crowd of Argentinians from the balcony of the Presidential Palace, which is actually the London Palladium's balcony IRL. Since Evita's opening night on July 1, the general public has swarmed the outside of the venue on Argyll Street to catch a glimpse of the stars in action. After Bella carried the rest of the show in Rachel's absence, she received a standing ovation that lasted nearly five minutes, and according to fans on social media, the cast had bowed 10 separate times during the curtain call. She expressed her appreciation for the cast, crew, and crowd with a series of Instagram Stories following the performance. 'Today really showed just how important swings and covers are within this industry,' the actress later wrote in an Instagram Story. 'They are pillars of a show!! A proud day to be at Evita.' In a separate post, she added, 'What a lucky audience getting to see both myself and MY ANGEL REG ZEG!!' While we hope Rachel has a speedy recovery, her rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she is scheduled to return and perform Friday evening.
Spectator
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
More drama-school showcase than epic human tragedy: Evita reviewed
Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd, is a catwalk version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. The actors perform on the steps of a football stadium where they race through an effortful series of dance routines accompanied by flashy lights and thumping tunes. It's more a drama-school showcase than an epic human tragedy. There are no interiors, no furnishings and no props – not even a suitcase for 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall'. Rachel Zegler plays the lead in black pants and a bra from M&S. In Act Two, she changes into a new bra and pants. White this time, with silvery spangles. She looks like a majorette. Why no proper clothing? Evita is a complex character who starts as a penniless street hustler and turns into a seasoned stateswoman manipulating the media from a presidential palace. She needs decent costumes to support and explain this transformation. Zegler struts about in her high street undies, leering and pouting provocatively but she can offer no warmth or tenderness. She's the baddie here. The narrator, Che (Diego Andres Rodriguez), looks like a jobless cocktail waiter. Juan Peron (James Olivas) seems uncomfortable in his Primark suit and tie. He has the truculent air of a convicted mugger at a parole hearing. Zegler sings 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' on a balcony outside the theatre for the benefit of a camera crew and a crowd of random Londoners. This is relayed to a monitor on stage. An odd decision. The punters have to watch a video of a performance that is being offered to passers-by for free. Some ticketholders may want their money back. Intimate Apparel is a genteel story about a pleasant chatty woman, Esther Mills, who lives in New York in 1905. She's a strange character for a melodrama because her life is full of delights. She loves her work as a seamstress and she receives lavish praise for her skills. She passes her time paying social calls to an array of amusing and civilised friends. Her wealthy client, Mrs Van Buren, treats her as an equal and asks if she enjoys opera and supports the suffragettes. She's attracted to a handsome Jewish tailor who emigrated from his native Romania but forgot to bring his fiancée with him for some reason. He shares cups of tea with Esther and they discuss the competing merits of taffeta, silk and lace. A romance is hinted at. After a long day of gossip, Esther visits Mayme, a sexy nightclub pianist, who drinks gin and makes cryptic remarks about her profession. 'A gentle touch is gold in any country,' she says. At night Esther returns home and enjoys the affectionate teasing of her wise, twinkly landlady who asks if she has a suitor. Sure enough, Esther is being courted by George Armstrong, an educated bachelor with a steady job in Central America. He's digging the Panama canal. It's unclear how he and Esther met but he writes her long, erudite letters full of amorous implications. George is perhaps the most high-minded navvy ever to pick up a shovel. 'I stood thigh-deep in crimson petals,' he writes, after felling an exotic tree. Esther sends him envelopes containing bits of silk and cotton which strike George as rather puzzling. They're bound to puzzle the audience too. The explanation is that the author, Lynn Nottage, links all her characters by means of fabrics and garments. Hence the show's title. This clumsy device gets more unwieldly as the play grinds forward. When Esther marries George, she surprises him with a smoking jacket made from Japanese silk. This matches the play's formula, of course. The garment happens to be too small for George's strapping frame but never mind. It's crucial to the plot. The pace picks up in the second half when George decides to buy 12 horses and open a stud farm while Esther fights off a lesbian attack from Mrs Van Buren. From here, the story ought to intensify and the characters should grapple with life-and-death decisions but instead the author de-escalates the tension and settles for a banal, soppy conclusion. It feels like a morality tale for schoolgirls written by a nun. And that's not good. Play-goers don't want to see characters having an easy time. You might as well pay to watch people sunbathing. Lynette Linton directs the show with energy and panache. And the actors do their best to bring life to their banal, well-mannered characters. For some reason, the set is a depressingly grimy structure which resembles a derelict warehouse that even the rats have abandoned. And it hardly suits the frivolous mood of the piece. Just ignore it. Instead enjoy the plush, beautifully embroidered costumes and the exceptional hairstyles and wigs arranged by Cynthia De La Rosa. If there were a Nobel prize for hairdos this show would win.
Extra.ie
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Ryan Tubridy: ‘I love a good comeback story'
I love a good comeback story, and so it was with great happiness that I'm watching one writ large here in London, and at the centre of the tale is a 24-year-old Hollywood star who is the talk of the town. Just a few short months ago, Rachel Zegler was subjected to the most unmerciful pile-on (mostly by critics) for her part in the movie Snow White. She seemed to bother all sorts of people for a plethora of reasons from the get-go: She was the wrong colour; she supported the 'wrong' side in the Gaza conflict; she was too mouthy, etc. And yet she kept on going. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW She was harassed and harangued from all quarters as the film tanked in the box office. A lot of people are involved in the making of a movie, and usually, the director or stars take the hit if the punters don't like it, but in this case, it wasn't her co-star, Gal Gadot, but rather Zegler herself. It was horrible to watch, and yet it's part of the modern narrative. Build them up, shoot 'em down. Now that we're all journalists, photographers and critics, the heat is intense. Rachel Zegler. Pic:) Which all brings us to the balcony outside London's esteemed Palladium Theatre, where a modern revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita is wowing audiences and receiving five-star reviews. At one point during the show, Zegler (as Evita) leaves the stage and makes her way onto a balcony where she sings the show's big number, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, to the general public outside! At first, the stunned passers-by had no idea what was happening, but since word got out, hundreds of people gather every night at around 9pm to witness this magnificent moment in musical history. While it has the feel of a stunt (it's got everyone talking), there is also a bit of a historical point to it as Eva Peron wants to leave the aristocracy behind and talk to the 'people', so in a way, it works. There's been some chatter as to how the ticket-payers inside feel about missing the key tune, but apparently, she sings it twice so nobody misses out. Rachel Zegler. Pic: James Veysey/Shutterstock (15383298w) The good news for Rachel Zegler is that she is being hailed, praised, lauded – whatever you want to call it, and while she has been shining for a few years already, there's a real sense that a star is born. It's a glorious comeback for a talented young woman. She's a survivor and a lesson to us all. As a postscript, some years ago, I came across Sinead O'Connor's version of 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' and played it on the radio, where it really struck a chord with listeners. It's a ghostly and ethereal interpretation of the song and one that the song's lyricist, Tim Rice, said was his favourite. Treat yourself to a listen; it's even more moving given that Sinead is no longer with us. Another bunch of young lads working hard in the music industry were busy last weekend. Inhaler are on the move, and God only knows what pressure Elijah Hewson, below, and the band must've felt when they heard that Paul McCartney was watching from the wings (no pun) at their Glastonbury turn. Elijah Hewson of Inhaler. Pic: Anthony Devlin/Hogan Media/Shutterstock (15369920da) But there he was, on the side of the stage as they did their thing. I can only assume he enjoyed it as he stayed for the whole set. The breakthrough Irish act appears to have been CMAT who is gaining serious traction over here. I heard her on BBC saying that it's taken years and years of hard graft to get here, and God loves a grafter, so good luck to her. Kneecap continues to attract headlines, but their Glastonbury set, while wildly successful, was pipped for controversy by Bob Vylan, whose comments and chants gobbled up all the media attention. Kudos to The Script for a reflective, emotional performance and Orla Gartland, whose star is on the rise here too. Ryan Tubridy and fiancée Clare. Pic: Michael Chester I was back in Dublin for my pal Joe Duffy's going-away party in The Duke pub, just off Grafton Street and while I've seen Joe and some great pals I used to work with many times in the past couple of years, I hadn't seen lots of my old comrades since my less than discreet departure from Montrose. Suffice to say that it was a warm and fun welcome with lots of hugs received and offered and old war stories retold over a few decent pints of Guinness. Everyone was so gracious and thoughtful around Clare, and it reminded me of why I enjoyed my time there and how much fun I had working with some wonderful programme-makers whom I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with. There was plenty of chatter about what Joe might do next, but to divulge those conversations here would not be appropriate! Ryan Tubridy and Vittorio Angelone. Pic: File I had a most enjoyable chat with Belfast comedian Vittorio Angelone, below, last week. I was aware that he was doing well in the UK and hoped to have him on the radio show, which duly happened. He's a smart, witty guy with an astute eye for the absurd. We got talking about the peace process and how his generation (Gen Z) has been given the moniker 'Peace Babies', to which he responded that he was born in 1996 and the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, so for two years, he was 'involved' – brilliant. The conversation covered a multitude, and I'm a fan. He has a tour coming in the autumn, so be sure to check him out.
Euronews
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Rachel Zegler serenades London from Palladium balcony in Evita
In the new West End production of Evita, starring Snow White star Rachel Zegler, one of the musical's most iconic moments takes place offstage. Midway through the show, Zegler steps onto the London Palladium's exterior balcony to sing 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' to passersby on the street and the performance is streamed live to the audience inside the theatre. The unique staging, directed by Jamie Lloyd, has drawn increasingly large crowds to the streets of London's West End, eager to catch Zegler's rendition for free. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber called the moment 'extraordinary,' praising how it captures Eva Perón's connection with the public in a way that's difficult to replicate on stage. However, not everyone is thrilled. Some theatregoers - who paid up to £245 (€285) for a ticket - have voiced frustration at watching a recorded video of the song rather than experiencing it live in the theatre. Despite the backlash, others see it as a bold, theatrical gesture. Check out the video above for footage of the performance and Andrew Lloyd Webber's comments.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Rachel Zegler wins internet as she defends her bodyguard from fan's disrespect: ‘She's literally the sweetest girl ever'
Snow White star Rachel Zegler, who is currently performing in London's West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's classic musical Evita, was recently seen interacting with fans and signing autographs outside the London Palladium. A video of the actor kindly defending her bodyguard after he faced disrespect from some fans is now winning hearts on social media. (Also Read: Rachel Zegler serenades the crowd for free in a new London production of 'Evita') Rachel Zegler defends her bodyguard. The classic musical Evita began its run on Monday, 14 June, at the London Palladium. The show stars Rachel as Argentine First Lady Eva Perón. Midway through the show, Rachel appears on an exterior balcony at the Palladium and sings Don't Cry for Me, Argentina to whoever is passing by below — a free treat for fans. The performance is streamed back on video to the audience inside. After one of her shows, Rachel was seen interacting with fans and signing autographs for those waiting outside the stage door. When a fan became aggressive with her bodyguard, complaining that he was pushing too much, the actor stepped in to defend him, saying, "Hey, I love you so much, but Danny is just doing his job, he's just protecting me. He works here and he's helping me because crowds are very, very intimidating. I know, babe, I love you so much, but please don't disrespect my Danny." Fans couldn't stop praising Rachel for how gently she handled the situation and stood up for her bodyguard. One fan commented, "She's literally the sweetest girl ever." Another wrote, "Giving huge thanks to her bodyguard for protecting our princess! My gosh, fans can be kind of crazy sometimes! Kudos to Rachel for defending him." Another added, "Awwwww good ups Rachel! This is so genuine! Good for her! Performers need to be protected and the security detail that protect them need to be respected and understood." One more comment read, "The way she is so respectful & kind while talking." Another read, "Awww she's so kind." About Evita The classic Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical follows the life of Eva Perón, the iconic First Lady of Argentina. Zegler takes on the challenging lead role, showcasing her powerful vocals and commanding stage presence. Her performance has been met with widespread acclaim. The musical is set to conclude after a 12-week run on 6 September.
