Rachel Zegler's career continues to blossom. The movie and Broadway star will be starring in a new London production of "Evita," where she'll play the role of Eva Perón. The part is a storied one, played on Broadway and in films by icons like Patti LuPone and Madonna.
The news were broken by Deadline, who reported that Zegler would be headlining the new production of "Evita," directed by Jamie Lloyd. The British director who recently directed Tom Holland in "Romeo and Juliet" described Zegler as a “phenomenal talent” that will “blow the roof off the London Palladium.”
Lloyd revealed he met Zegler in a small coffee shop in Manhattan to discuss the role, being mindful of onlookers to keep the news of the casting safe. He shared that Zegler was passionate about the project, referring to the role of Evita as a "dream role" for her.
"Evita" will be a limited engagement that will play for 12 weeks at the London Palladium, kicking off on June 14 through September 6th.
The show is one of the most iconic Broadway musicals of all time, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and was performed on stage for the first time in 1978. It won seven Tony Awards, including recognitions for its lead stars LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, who played the role of Che Guevara.
Zegler's excitement to take on "Evita"
Zegler shared a statement of her own, discussing her personal connection to the Broadway show. “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," she said.
“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.”