Award-winning director Jamie Lloyd has announced the new star of his production of EVITA at the London Palladium this summer.
Golden Globe winner Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) is set to play Eva Perón in the musical, making her West End debut.
Evita performances start on 14 June at the London Palladium – 3 months from today. Rehearsals are set to begin in London on 28 April.
Rachel Zegler said in a statement: “Evita has been such an important musical to me since I was a little girl, when my dad and I would sing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” together on my back patio. The opportunity to bring Jamie Lloyd’s singular, visionary ideas to life onstage is an honour unlike any other. The stage has always felt like home to me, and I can’t wait to make my West End debut in such great company.”
Jamie Lloyd said: “I am so excited to be collaborating with the brilliant Rachel Zegler on Evita. She is a phenomenal talent, and I am delighted she will be making her West End debut as the iconic Eva Perón.”
Zegler was recently starring on Broadway alongside British star Kit Connor (Heartstopper) in Sam Gold’s production of Romeo + Juliet at Circle in the Square in New York.
Rachel’s movie credits include a Golden Globe-winning performance in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, and the title role in Disney’s forthcoming live-action remake of Snow White, with original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman The New Musical).
Also coming up for Zegler is disaster comedy Y2K, and Netflix’s animated musical film Spellbound, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken (Disney’s Hercules) and Glenn Slater (Clueless The Musical).
Rachel also has a following on YouTube, and performs on social media, including a past rendition of “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”.
Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose (Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story) was originally tipped to be crying for Argentina in the lead role, but scheduling conflicts meant the BAFTA, Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor had to bow out of talks with Jamie Lloyd and producer Michael Harrison to star in the show.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s epic musical Evita will play the London Palladium from 14 June to 6 September 2025.
The rags to riches story of Argentina’s first lady Eva Peron features musical numbers including “You Must Love Me”, “Another Suitcase in Another Hall”, “Oh! What A Circus”, and showstopper “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”.
Evita is produced by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals and The Jamie Lloyd Company with The Really Useful Group.
Video: Rachel Zegler performs Waiting on a Wish from Snow White
Jamie Lloyd (Sunset Boulevard, A Doll’s House, The Tempest) originally directed Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre as part of their 2019 season. The Palladium production is billed as “reimagined by the visionary award-winning director Jamie Lloyd”, and will be an evolution from the Regent’s Park show, with lots of new elements.
Fabian Alois will choreograph, with musical supervision by Alan Williams, and design by Lloyd’s longtime collaborator Soutra Gilmour.
The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production starred Samantha Pauly as Eva Peron, and had planned to transfer to the Barbican in June 2020 although was derailed because of Covid.
The production was first revealed back in October, in an interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Jamie Lloyd’s current production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger has proved hugely successful, both last year in the West End at the Savoy Theatre, and currently on Broadway at the St James Theatre, where the show opened to mostly rave reviews. It was recently announced that the show is extending its run again, for a final time, and will finish up on Broadway on 13 July 2025.
Jamie Lloyd’s current production of Much Ado About Nothing starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane has also proved to be a critical smash-hit.
Evita is playing at the London Palladium from 14 June to 6 September 2025.
Book tickets to EVITA at the London Palladium
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