Latest news with #JamieLloyd
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Evita' Theater Review: Rachel Zegler Takes London by Storm as Eva Perón in Otherwise Uneven Revival
Could it be time for Jamie Lloyd to hit the pause button? The prolific director, whose radically reimagined Sunset Blvd. last month won Tony Awards for best musical revival and lead actress Nicole Scherzinger, is rolling out productions at such a rate that his template — big stars, event theater, a style that might be described as minimalist swagger — is beginning to look entrenched, and a bit hit-or-miss. Spectacle worked wonders with his recent, disco-dancing Much Ado About Nothing starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell. But while there was a glorious opportunity for a revisionist take on Evita — to reconfigure the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice mega-musical from the 1970s for a more politically confused and troubled age — Lloyd has simply turned up the volume. More from The Hollywood Reporter Foo Fighters Are Back With First Song Since 2023 to Celebrate 30th Anniversary What the Hell Happened With the Sean "Diddy" Combs Verdict? 50 Cent, Kesha, Aubrey O'Day and More Stars React to Diddy Verdict: "The Cultural Weight of This Decision Is Immeasurable" The result feels decidedly erratic. The central performance from Rachel Zegler at times gives you goosebumps, but at others is in desperate need of direction; showstoppers bring usually reserved London audiences to their feet (mostly unheard of here, though it happened too during Much Ado); directorial choices damage whatever narrative interest the work might have. It's entertaining and galling in equal measure. As ever, the immediate set is minimal: bare, except for tiered steps that run the length of the stage and a giant sign, EVITA, across the back (in what does feel like a contemporary spin, Eva Perón is presented here more as a brand than an icon). Other than that, the staging will be accompanied by carefully selected props: the live camera that has become ubiquitous in Lloyd's productions, a shower of blue and white confetti, blood and paint. The show opens as a tease, the song 'Requiem for Evita' sung almost as a Gregorian chant, by cowled figures gliding through dry ice. But any thought that this might be a pared-back evening are immediately cast aside as the curtain rises to reveal the Evita sign and a strutting Zegler, oozing feline sexiness in leather bra and hot pants. At the same time, Che (Diego Andres Rodriguez), an ambiguous character from Eva's own poor background, begins his protracted debunking of the Perón legend with 'Oh What a Circus.' And the musical's real face blasts into action. Throughout this number, and for some time after, Zegler endures her most difficult phase of the revival: physically commanding the stage (as she does the entire evening) but with a single, fixed expression, something akin to a teenager's attempt to appear superior, that suggests there's next to nothing going on behind the pose. It quickly becomes apparent, too, that the evening is going to be dominated by over-miked excess — the volume way too loud, the songs pitched too shrilly. Not only can this lead, at times, to a self-defeating sensory overload, but it exacerbates the issue often raised by sung-through musicals, of plot and character simply getting lost in the mix. While 'Buenos Aires' is one of the big-belt numbers — accompanied by thrilling choreography involving the whole cast — that bring down the house, many of the production's most satisfying moments involve a rare dialing down and focus. One is 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall,' poignantly sung by Bella Brown as the discarded mistress of Juan Perón (James Olivas), in a welcome change of tempo and temperature. Another, and not surprisingly the show's high point, is when Zegler puts her stamp on 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina.' There was mild controversy when it was discovered in previews that Zegler would perform the show's signature song not in the auditorium, but on the Palladium's exterior balcony for the benefit of passers-by gathered in the street — who, horror of horrors, have not paid handsomely for a ticket. As it turns out, this is Lloyd's greatest stroke of inspiration (similar to what he did with Tom Francis' Joe Gillis for the title song in Sunset Blvd. or Jessica Chastain's Nora at the end of A Doll's House). The theater audience does see the actress of course, captured on a giant, wide screen as she moves through the ornate Edwardian building. Her vampish garb replaced by a First Lady's majestic white dress, bejeweled, her dark hair now white, she sings from the balcony, the camera dissolving between her cinematic close-ups and the rapt crowd. Zegler crushes the song, eking out of it every ounce of emotion, real and contrived. The number is brilliantly conceived and executed, a genuine goosebump moment. But with the Palladium neatly filling in for Buenos Aires' Casa Rosada, it also tellingly offers what Lloyd's minimalist abstraction has hitherto denied: a sense of context and color. While there was a glimpse of Eva's feistiness and strength in the first half, Zegler as a performer is now fully unleashed. Set free from the limitations of lyricist Rice's crass social climber, the actress finds much more expression and emotion in the second half, as Eva navigates ambition, public perception and illness. Zegler's rendition of the dying Eva's 'You Must Love Me,' the song added for Alan Parker's 1996 film with Madonna, is extremely moving. It's a pity that the men can't really match her. Though he delivers the songs competently, Rodriguez (Sunset Blvd.) suffers in the way of all Ches. The character's high and mighty put-downs wear thin as the show progresses, and any political objections he may have to the Peróns are undermined by smug preening. Lloyd's casting of Olivas as Perón — in reality 23 years Eva's senior and invariably played by an older actor — seems perplexing. Why have a young man who looks exactly the same as the monolithic blockheads who are Perón's followers and henchmen? Why circumvent an inescapable age dynamic in the relationship? It doesn't help that Olivas is rather bland in the role. Lloyd's early reputation was partly built on an imaginative knack for tapping new meaning from the darkest and most interesting recesses of a play, notably but not only Harold Pinter's work (Lloyd's Betrayal, also with Hiddleston, was lauded on both sides of the Atlantic). Evita isn't the same kind of animal, but there's juice in the albeit contestable nature of Perón's political leanings. That could have resonated at a time of ever-growing right-wing populism, but is not capitalized upon here. It seems typical of the production that one brutally telling moment, Che's face and body suddenly becoming bloodied during a Peronist march, is easily lost with the actor stranded downstage as confetti distractingly showers the audience. Given that the director has cast Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in his upcoming Broadway production of Waiting for Godot, there may well be an electric guitar in the mix. Nonetheless, let's pray he doesn't drown out the Beckett play's marvelous silence. Venue: The London Palladium, LondonCast: Rachel Zegler, Diego Andres Rodriguez, James Olivas, Aaron Lee Lambert, Bella BrownLyrics: Tim RiceMusic: Andrew Lloyd WebberDirector: Jamie LloydSet and costume designer: Soutra Gilmour Lighting designer: Jon ClarkSound designer: Adam FisherMusic supervisor and musical director: Alan WilliamsChoreographer: Fabian AloisePresented by Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals and The Jamie Lloyd Company Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rachel Zegler Returns to ‘Evita' in London Friday After Exiting Performance Mid-Show Thursday Night
Rachel Zegler is returning to her starring role in Evita on Friday after making an unexpected exit during her Thursday night performance. The actress, who is performing in her London stage debut as former first lady of Argentina Eva Perón in director Jamie Lloyd's revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, exited the stage during the show's Thursday evening performance, due to illness. More from The Hollywood Reporter A Chat With Imax's CEO On How Global Box Office Dynamics Are Shifting Freddie Highmore Is Back to His British Roots (and Loving It) in 'The Assassin' Tom Basden Wants the Heartwarming Success of 'The Ballad of Wallis Island' to Give British Indie Filmmakers Hope According to People magazine, Zegler's departure was announced during the show's intermission. Understudy Bella Brown reportedly stepped in for Zegler for Act 2 and received a standing ovation that lasted nearly five minutes. 'Today really showed just how important swings and covers are within this industry,' Brown wrote in an Instagram Story. 'They are pillars of a show!! A proud day to be at Evita.' Despite having stepped away from the Thursday show, Zegler was scheduled to return and perform Friday evening, her rep confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Evita is currently scheduled to run until Sept. 6 in London. The production opened on July 1. 'I can honestly say that the sheer amount of talent in the building each day is enough to blow the roof off. and we do. eight times a week,' Zegler wrote on Instagram when the show opened. 'I never thought i would get to live my dream this way, surrounded by the most amazing people. I feel so held.' For the show, Zegler leaves the Soho theater to perform 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' on the exterior balcony, which has become a new spectacle for onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of the performance and has been commonly featured in viral social media videos. THR's review of the show said of the performance, 'The number is brilliantly conceived and executed, a genuine goosebump moment.' The original Evita, which featured music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, centers on the life of Argentine political leader Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Breaking Baz: Red-Hot Rachel Zegler Soars In ‘Evita' London Palladium Previews, Heating Up The Box Office As Chatter Turns To 2027 Broadway Transfer
EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) is a sensation as her voice soars through the London Palladium's auditorium — and beyond — portraying Eva Perón in Evita, the classic Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd-Webber show directed by Jamie Lloyd. Also, Zegler, all 5-foot-2 of her, is the biggest star in town, with punters adding $200,000 and more to the box office daily since previews began a week ago, bringing the total advance, as of late Friday afternoon UK time, to in excess of $9 million for a 12-week summer run. Broadway might get a taste of Zegler's 'highflying, adored' Evita, as one of the show's songs puts it, in 2027, but more on that farther down the column. More from Deadline Breaking Baz: 'Snow White' Star Rachel Zegler Signs To Play Eva Perón In 'Evita' At London Palladium Breaking Baz: Rapper Stormzy Launches #Merky Films With Role In 'Big Man' & Inks Netflix Deal: "I Want To Do My 10,000 Hours" And Study Acting & Movies, He Says Director Jamie Lloyd On How 'Sunset Blvd.' Goes For The Jugular, 'Evita' Rocks And 'Godot' Was Keanu Reeves' Midnight Dream - The Deadline Q&A Michael Harrison, who produces Evita for the Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals partnership along with the director's Jamie Lloyd Company, declines to discuss the production's box office figures, though he agrees that they're 'healthy.' He asserts that the show's 'gone through the roof with the public,' driven by 'pure word-of-mouth that's nothing to do with normal advertising.' Beaming, he amplifies: 'It's her! It's Rachel. People are talking about her. They're saying her singing is phenomenal. They're loving what Jamie's done with the show.' To be fair, it's also down to Diego Andres Rodriguez's breathtaking Che, James Olivas' energetic portrait of Juan Perón and the super cast and creative team. But yeah, audiences are going wild for Zegler. It's quite something to fully command, as she does, the stage of the historic London Palladium. Harrison notes that audiences at previews, which began June 14, combine those who'd seen Evita before and newcomers. Undoubtedly, the word-of-mouth Harrison refers to has been driven by how Lloyd has chosen to stage the Act 2 opener 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina,' with Zegler performing the popular number live from the Palladium's balcony, free to lucky passersby down below in Argyll Street, which then is broadcast live to the paying audience seated inside. The 9 o'clock moment has, since news spread, become a destination point. Zegler now sings to 800, sometimes up to a thousand, members of the public who roar with approval. Security has been increased to keep the throng attuned to the performance. 'At the first preview, the video shown inside the Palladium didn't show the faces of all the people on the street listening. It does now, and it conveys how Eva's addressing her people from the balcony of the Casa Rosada,' Harrison explains. Now, apparently, there are gasps when the 2,280 seated in the Palladium catch sight of the masses gathered outside. Harrison disagrees with those who say it's unfair to those who have paid good money for tickets while scores get to witness the brilliant coup de théâtre in the public square for naught. The loudest complainers, Harrison suggests, have yet to see the show. 'Audiences inside are elated when they watch Rachel on the big screen,' he says. To a degree, yes. Those experiencing Evita for the first time will know no different. Some of us boomers saw Elaine Paige (recently anointed Dame Elaine), who originated the role in 1978, from the upper, upper circle known as the 'cheap seats' at the Prince Edward Theatre and marveled at her interpretation of the sung address from the Casa Rosada balcony. It was staged by legendary director Hal Prince to be performed inside an auditorium. The effect was electrifying, with sparks embedded into to each and every one of us — sealed in memory forever. Live theatre is about connection between artist and audience. A thespian will utter a phrase or perform a song or a chorus line will dazzle. Or a piece of music, in this case by Lloyd Webber. Once in a while a strange alchemy occurs when words spoken or sung, or actions taken, music played, reaches across the footlights and zaps and zings those who watch in awe. I felt robbed of that emotion when Zegler appeared on the screen. I felt a zap, but I missed the emotional zing of her 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' while also noting and understanding Lloyd's intentions as a radical interpreter of the art of the musical. Listen, Zegler gives plenty more zing with a Z elsewhere in Evita, and as Jamie Lloyd, who was seated in front of me, exclaimed, 'Rachel sings like an angel, doesn't she?' It's true, she does. And I look forward to hearing her again at official opening night on July 1. The show that I'll see in a few days will be different from the first preview I caught. Every night since, Lloyd and choreographer Fabian Aloise have introduced new changes and will continue to do so up until next weekend. 'That's what previews are for,' as Trevor Nunn (Cats, Les Misérables, Sunset Blvd.) always chimes when he's putting on a show. There's a lot riding on this Evita that's costing north of $6 million for a 12-week limited run. Can Jamie Lloyd pull off another reexamination of an Andrew Lloyd Webber show with the same Olivier- and Tony Award-winning pizazz he did with Sunset Blvd.? Opening night will reveal whether the fixes and tightening will elevate this Evita, a version of which was first directed by Lloyd and the same creative team in 2019 at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Aside from a central piece of Soutra Gilmour's set, this latest iteration is different in a 1,001 ways. And if Zegler manages to excel beyond her fab first preview performance, then, well, let the superlatives fly. They already are from producer Harrison, as you would expect. He hails Zegler as a 'proper leading lady' who is 'brilliant on stage, and off.' What Harrison meant by 'and off' is that apparently Zegler's been 'delightful' with cast, crew, backstage and front-of-house staff. I often scoff when I hear that kinda guff, except that I saw it for myself at a relaxed, low-key, post-first-preview drinks party. Zegler entered the room and immediately headed over to castmates, hugging them with such an infectious burst of warmth that even a far-removed onlooker was moved. What's next? Evita can't extend at the Palladium because the venue's booked solid. People on the show bitch-slapped me with their eyes when I asked about a transfer to Broadway. It's way too early, they wail. Next year's out, they cry, because Rice wants to concentrate on the forthcoming Broadway run of Chess, his musical with ABBA's Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, starring Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele and Nicholas Christopher. And Lloyd Webber will be busy helping to usher The Jellicle Ball, the Perelman Performing Arts Center's radical adaptation of Cats, to bigger audiences in New York. Then Jamie Lloyd has other productions both here in London and in NYC to direct. There's intense talk of Zegler playing the Julie Andrews part in The Sound of Music at Lincoln Center. But, hold on to the 'Do-re-mi' of it all, that's not in any shape or form confirmed. So don't cry for Evita coming to Broadway in 2026. However, prospects are brighter, positively glowing in fact, for 2027. Harrison, when I saw him today, reluctantly hints that there's merit in my Broadway theory. 'But let's get to opening night,' he sighs. 'We're still in previews working on the show day and night and yesterday we had a matinee, so let us get on with it. Then we'll consider the possibilities of Broadway. And you've got to consider aligning the availabilities,' he remarks reasonably. Just realized that there's been no mention — until now! — of Disney's Snow White movie, the experience of which shook Zegler and the studio. More so those who paid to see it in theaters. Who cares about that film, anyway? It should never, ever have been greenlighted in the first place. Only Zegler with that voice of hers rises above la merde. Only to then endure opprobrium being unfairly dumped on her from wimps who should've known — and who should've behaved — better toward her when the Disney dud was released. What Zegler went through on Snow White has only served to embolden her. She's the real deal in this astute study of objectification at the Palladium. Somehow it's quite right and proper that she should triumph in Evita because what she actually suffered during the Snow White saga was a case of rampant misogyny and hypocrisy. Now she rules. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Evita, Palladium review: Rachel Zegler isn't the problem
Evita, Palladium review and star rating: ★★★ Whole PHDs could be written about the publicity campaign for Jamie Lloyd's Evita. Hundreds of people are gathering outside the Palladium every night to watch Rachel Zegler belt 'Don't Cry for me Argentina' from the theatre balcony for free, a fun PR stunt that is getting so popular it risks being shut down by the police, while the ticketholders, some paying upwards of £245 per seat, have to settle for watching the performance via video link. And on opening night, Keanu Reeves, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal were some of the A-Listers sat metres from me who gave multiple standing ovations in the first act – not at the end, but half an hour into the show. It's common to see British acting titans at West End opening nights, but this random collection of A-Listers who aren't particularly known for theatre showed how far beyond the West End landscape this production has travelled. How come? It's from Jamie Lloyd, the zeitgeisty producer behind 2023's Sunset Boulevard, the man who is basically reinventing what West End shows can look like, so anything he does generates buzz. It also stars Rachel Zegler, who was most famously racially abused for playing Snow White. Lloyd uses live video effects and radical aesthetics (think the lighting and set design from a Wembley Arena pop show) to make the point that theatre can be bigger, louder and more ambitious. But where Sunset Boulevard was more of a gentle character study, Evita is primarily a series of phenomenal ensemble numbers. Ultimately it feels more like a music concert than conventional piece of theatrical storytelling. As for Zegler, with the straying of an eye or the tilt of her head, she finds depth in the Argentinian leader's story, finding warmth, confidence and vulnerability in the tragic figure. Evita is inspired by the real-life story of Eva Peron, a working class Argentinian who married leader Juan Peron and died of cervical cancer aged 33. She is viewed as a contradictory figure because she helped establish workers' rights and paid leave, and got women the vote, but also became an early Champagne socialist; for some, her love for Christian Dior dresses and the finer things in life felt at odds with her stance about equality. The show runs at three hours but feels half that because it is stuffed with utterly incredible choreography and the litany of musical numbers, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It's difficult to imagine that anything this stimulating has ever played in the West End before. And yet, I wasn't alone in finding Evita hard work. The outdated script introduces a range of historical characters without really putting them into context, or explaining their roles properly. The cast needs more space to tell the story with visual cues, but with barely any spoken lines – everything is delivered in verse as a rock opera – and a breakneck pace, the show is hard to follow for people who don't know the story well. I was relieved when, by the interval, multiple other journalists admitted to me they were finding the show hard to follow. It doesn't help that the production is also too loud, and when she sings Rachel Zegler's diction means she becomes difficult to understand. It's the same for the ensemble numbers: too often it's really difficult to catch what they're saying. It raises whole questions about accessibility, and the amount of knowledge audiences should come into shows with. Some critics will say cult musicals are designed for die-hard fans, but I tend to veer towards thinking shows should be able to be understood by newcomers. While this new production of Evita offers plenty of fresh thinking on the scope of the type of production values that are possible in these cranky, hundred-year-old theatres, I can't help but feel disappointed that so much of it went over my head. Evita plays at the London Palladium until September
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Evita review – Rachel Zegler is phenomenal but Jamie Lloyd's rock show drowns out the story
Director Jamie Lloyd has outraged some theatregoers, who evidently feel short-changed after paying good money to see Rachel Zegler as Eva Perón. In one scene, she wanders off stage and on to an outward-facing balcony to sing a magnetic reprise of Don't Cry for Me Argentina to the gathered crowd outside the theatre. What are these grumps complaining about? Not long ago, Lloyd staged Romeo and Juliet in the West End, but here is a balcony scene like no other. It makes for a sensational moment, when Perón triumphantly addresses the crowd on her husband Juan's election victory. It is 360-degree theatre, for the rich inside (who see it on a video feed) and for the 'hoi polloi' outside – very fitting for Perón given her disdain for the wealthy. It is no less than the director's biggest coup de theatre: the public itself is enlisted for his mise en scene of populist rallies, crowd hypnotism and authoritarian charm. The crowd might represent late 1940s Buenos Aires – or mid 2020s America under the spell of becoming 'great again'. Never mind complaints of a free show – maybe Lloyd should be paying them. Lloyd previously staged this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (with lyrics by Tim Rice) at Regent's Park Open Air theatre in 2019. Then, it seemed like a dark high school musical, with stairs like bleachers and actors resembling flinty-eyed teens. This iteration has a streak of that but is bolder, more polished and pumped up. Zegler, in her West End debut, is phenomenal. Stripped to undergarments, she is an indifferently exposed Perón, conniving, deliciously villainous, pocket-sized yet steely in the extreme: a consummate ice queen. She strides with hands on hips, louche in her unstoppable ambition. There is comedy in her relationship with singer Agustín Magaldi (Aaron Lee Lambert, who sings On This Night of a Thousand Stars in a brilliant, barrel-like baritone), whom she swiftly, slickly disposes of once she has met Juan Perón (James Olivas). The new couple are well suited, their chemistry apparent in the duet I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You. If a successful musical is simply about the singing, dancing and spectacle, this one soars. The choreography by Fabian Aloise, who has previously worked on three other Lloyd shows, is out-of-this-world imaginative. The ensemble mesmerise with their sexual energy and charismatic aggression. A sinister military figure body-pops and balloons burst every time a gun is fired and detractors are popped off, one by one. These moves, this mood and this conspicuous melodrama would not look out of place in a Lady Gaga or Beyoncé stadium show. Nor would Jon Clark's lighting design and Adam Fisher's sound design: they are thunderous and pulsating. It's hypnotic but the narrative takes a backseat for this rock musical, which is almost entirely sung through, with what feels like thin connective tissue in its story. You see Perónism slipping into authoritarianism but don't quite understand how. In Lloyd's previous staging, the character of Che (Diego Andres Rodriguez, also the singing narrator) wore a Che Guevara T-shirt to let the audience know who he was. Now he is in black, and for those who are new to this story he might remain anonymous. There is an approximation to the characters as a whole, with very little focus on Perón's interiority. Maybe that is not the point, but how then can the audience feel the tragedy of her untimely death – which takes up so much time in the second half of the musical – if they cannot connect with it emotionally? The tone changes after the balcony scene, moving from blingy and bombastic to a quieter, more mournful register. For the first time you glimpse Perón's private emotion, after her great public display, as she sits in her dressing room in tears. It is an illuminating moment but this glimmer is not carried through into something more affecting. So the end bears a vacancy once the spectacle has abated – as if the real show finished some time ago. Don't Cry for Me Argentina, she sings, and you find yourself dry-eyed, although Zegler is a vocal powerhouse, as are the other performers. If you feel denied of the subtleties of story, character and commentary on populist power, you will still have an eye-popping night out. And the balcony scene is a stroke of genius. At London Palladium until 6 September
