Rachel Zegler’s critically acclaimed performance as Eva Perón in Evita at the London Palladium has drawn both praise and concern, as fans continue to gather outside the venue in sweltering heat. The 24-year-old actress, known for her role in West Side Story, performs the iconic “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” number from a balcony above the theatre, drawing hundreds of onlookers to the street. Last Thursday, with temperatures hitting 30°C, emergency services were reportedly called to assist several fans who became unwell while waiting.
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Zegler, donning a platinum-blonde wig and elegant white ballgown, channels the late Argentinian First Lady in a bold reimagining of the 1978 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, the production explores Eva Perón’s journey from poverty to political prominence. The staging of the show’s most iconic scene outside the theatre has become a spectacle, albeit one with unintended consequences as concerns over crowd safety and heat exposure mount.
Some theatre-goers have expressed frustration over the unconventional balcony scene, with one attendee commenting on social media: “I’m excited to see her, but not sure how I feel about paying that much to watch the most iconic moment on a screen.” Another described the arrangement as “a bit of a rip-off”. Despite this, others have defended the director’s vision, arguing that staging the moment outdoors enhances themes of political performance and public spectacle integral to Evita’s narrative.
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Zegler rose to prominence in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Since then, she has starred in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, both released in 2023. Her turn in Evita continues to cement her reputation as one of the most exciting young performers on stage and screen, even as the production’s bold artistic choices provoke mixed reactions.
