Over the last couple of weeks, Londoners have been gathering every night in the street under the London Palladium balcony to watch Rachel Zegler‘s powerful rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd.
Yesterday’s official opening night was no exception. As ticketed guests walked down the red carpet into the theater, hundreds of people queued for hours on the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of Zegler as Eva Perón for free during her viral balcony scene. Deadline was among the rapt crowd.
Zegler walked onto the balcony just after 9pm to an adoring audience that cheered her on throughout the 7-minute performance. The outdoor scene was shot live and then relayed onto a big screen to the audience seated in the auditorium. Although Zegler’s Perón urged the crowd not to cry for her, several tears were shed after her rendition of the famous song.
Several stars attended the opening night performance, including Keanu Reeves, Pedro Pascal, Sarah Paulson, Ben Whishaw, and Dame Elaine Paige, who created the role of Eva Perón in Evita in 1978.
After the show, Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye spoke to the leading lady about her favorite things about living in London, and her upcoming project with Marisa Tomei called She Gets It from Me with Julia von Heinz directing. You can watch that interview and other top videos from the night below.
Evita will play at the London Palladium for a limited 12-week summer season until September 6.
