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.
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.
Rachel Zegler as Eva Perón in ‘Evita,’ flanked by Diego Andres Rodriguez (left) as Che and James Olivas as Juan Perón (Baz Bamigboye/Deadline)
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.
Michael Harrison and Jamie Lloyd (seated ) confer at Palladium (Baz Bamigboye/Deadline)
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.
The London Palladium balcony (Baz Bamigboye/Deadline)
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.
Rachel Zegler (center) rehearses a scene from ‘Evita’ (Marc Brenner)
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.
