Passersby was taken aback when Rachel Zegler appeared on the balcony of the London Palladium dressed as Eva Perón and sang “Don’t cry for me, Argentina,” a scene recorded and shared on social media one week before the premiere of the musical Evita in the British capital.
The American actress was cast as Eva Perón after Ariana DeBose left the project due to prior commitments. The production will run for 12 weeks at the London Palladium beginning June 14, and is a new adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play. The musical tells Eva Perón’s life story, from her political rise with her husband to her death at 33 in 1952.
The iconic song “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” was written in tribute to the Argentine first lady’s speech following the 1946 elections. The play premiered on Broadway in 1979, with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin playing lead roles.
