Rachel Zegler will make her West End debut as Eva Perón in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, with full cast and creatives to be announced. The production, directed by Jamie Lloyd, opens at The London Palladium on Tuesday 1 July, with previews from 14 June, and runs until 6 September 2025.
Rachel Zegler said “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.”
Rachel Zegler has been the subject of significant media attention, primarily surrounding her role in the upcoming live-action Disney film Snow White.
Since Zegler’s casting in 2021, some critics have opposed the decision to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, a traditionally German fairytale character. The actress further fueled debate by criticizing the 1937 animated classic, calling it "dated" and rejecting the traditional love story. She described the storyline as "weird" and labeled the Prince as a "stalker," which sparked backlash. These comments were perceived by some as disrespectful to the classic film.
"She’s not going to be saved by the prince, and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love," Zegler said in an interview, which angered fans who preferred a faithful adaptation. Reports suggest that Gadot disagreed with Zegler’s remarks, with a source saying, "Gal’s attitude is that you don’t criticize and cause drama for a project you signed on to do."
Reports of tensions between Zegler and co-star Gal Gadot, stemming from their differing political views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have added another layer of controversy.
Disney has reportedly scaled back premiere plans and press appearances for "Snow White," possibly in an attempt to mitigate potential backlash
Despite the controversy, Disney hopes that curiosity will drive audiences to theatres. Zegler, addressing the backlash, said: "I interpret people's feelings about this film as a passion for it. What an honor to be part of something that people feel so passionate about."