65 Thoughts I Had While Watching Evita
Here, 65 things I thought (and things I learned!) while watching Evita.
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
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Evita, Palladium review: Rachel Zegler isn't the problem
Evita, Palladium review and star rating: ★★★ Whole PHDs could be written about the publicity campaign for Jamie Lloyd's Evita. Hundreds of people are gathering outside the Palladium every night to watch Rachel Zegler belt 'Don't Cry for me Argentina' from the theatre balcony for free, a fun PR stunt that is getting so popular it risks being shut down by the police, while the ticketholders, some paying upwards of £245 per seat, have to settle for watching the performance via video link. And on opening night, Keanu Reeves, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal were some of the A-Listers sat metres from me who gave multiple standing ovations in the first act – not at the end, but half an hour into the show. It's common to see British acting titans at West End opening nights, but this random collection of A-Listers who aren't particularly known for theatre showed how far beyond the West End landscape this production has travelled. How come? It's from Jamie Lloyd, the zeitgeisty producer behind 2023's Sunset Boulevard, the man who is basically reinventing what West End shows can look like, so anything he does generates buzz. It also stars Rachel Zegler, who was most famously racially abused for playing Snow White. Lloyd uses live video effects and radical aesthetics (think the lighting and set design from a Wembley Arena pop show) to make the point that theatre can be bigger, louder and more ambitious. But where Sunset Boulevard was more of a gentle character study, Evita is primarily a series of phenomenal ensemble numbers. Ultimately it feels more like a music concert than conventional piece of theatrical storytelling. As for Zegler, with the straying of an eye or the tilt of her head, she finds depth in the Argentinian leader's story, finding warmth, confidence and vulnerability in the tragic figure. Evita is inspired by the real-life story of Eva Peron, a working class Argentinian who married leader Juan Peron and died of cervical cancer aged 33. She is viewed as a contradictory figure because she helped establish workers' rights and paid leave, and got women the vote, but also became an early Champagne socialist; for some, her love for Christian Dior dresses and the finer things in life felt at odds with her stance about equality. The show runs at three hours but feels half that because it is stuffed with utterly incredible choreography and the litany of musical numbers, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It's difficult to imagine that anything this stimulating has ever played in the West End before. And yet, I wasn't alone in finding Evita hard work. The outdated script introduces a range of historical characters without really putting them into context, or explaining their roles properly. The cast needs more space to tell the story with visual cues, but with barely any spoken lines – everything is delivered in verse as a rock opera – and a breakneck pace, the show is hard to follow for people who don't know the story well. I was relieved when, by the interval, multiple other journalists admitted to me they were finding the show hard to follow. It doesn't help that the production is also too loud, and when she sings Rachel Zegler's diction means she becomes difficult to understand. It's the same for the ensemble numbers: too often it's really difficult to catch what they're saying. It raises whole questions about accessibility, and the amount of knowledge audiences should come into shows with. Some critics will say cult musicals are designed for die-hard fans, but I tend to veer towards thinking shows should be able to be understood by newcomers. While this new production of Evita offers plenty of fresh thinking on the scope of the type of production values that are possible in these cranky, hundred-year-old theatres, I can't help but feel disappointed that so much of it went over my head. Evita plays at the London Palladium until September
Yahoo
7 hours ago
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Lorde Tucks Nude Photo Into New Album Artwork — And Fans Are Divided
Lorde is making a much-buzzed-about return to music this summer with a new album that boasts some provocative artwork. The vinyl edition of 'Virgin,' released last week, appears on the two-time Grammy winner's website with a 'Parental Advisory' warning label that reads: 'Adult Images.' The album's accompanying eight-page insert includes a nude image of Lorde with the camera zoomed in on her crotch, visible through a pair of see-through pants. Over the weekend, a representative for Lorde confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the image is indeed of the singer, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor. Not surprisingly, the photo has drawn heated chatter among Lorde's fans. 'opened the app and the first thing I see is lorde's coochie in my face???' one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'WITH BUSH mind you.' Added another: 'Unless it is playing an instrument, I don't need to see it.' Others, however, came to Lorde's defense, with some comparing it to now-iconic images of Madonna in her 'Erotica' era. 'You all came out of one of these, it's the most natural thing in the world. You wouldn't be alive if these did not exist,' one person wrote. 'Wait... Is this the new album art from Lorde that everyone is talking about? It's a beautiful photo, and the entire vinyl package is, too, but come on, it barely shows anything,' added another. 'No need for all the discourse. 90′s Madonna would've [killed] you all.' Lorde, who hails from New Zealand, is no stranger to titillating imagery. The cover of her 2021 album, 'Solar Power,' found her flashing a hint of derrière as she ran on a beach. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Lorde said the album's cover ― an X-ray of her pelvis in which an intrauterine device, or IUD, is clearly visible ― is an homage to the Rolling Stones' 1971 album, 'Sticky Fingers,' which, incidentally, is also believed to have inspired the cover of Madonna's 1989 album, 'Like a Prayer.' 'I thought bringing that feeling to a female body was really interesting, and it sort of scared me a little bit, the image,' she said. 'I think that's sort of the feeling you need to have with art sometimes.' Imagery aside, 'Virgin' has been met with near-universal praise from music critics, with Rolling Stone calling it Lorde's 'most introspective record yet.' Grammys Producer Speaks Out On Controversy Over Bianca Censori's NSFW Look David Archuleta Is Kicking Off His 'Flirty' Era With A Powerful Message For Pride Tina Knowles Admits She Was 'Really Shocked' When Beyoncé Won Album Of The Year
Newsweek
14 hours ago
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Rachel Zegler Breaks Down After 'Evita' Performance
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Rachel Zegler broke down in tears after receiving a standing ovation for her performance in Evita. Newsweek contacted Zegler's representative for comment via email on Tuesday. The Context Zegler, 24, stars as Argentine politician Eva Perón in a revival of Evita at the London Palladium. The original production by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice debuted in 1978. The Snow White actress previously came under fire over her comments about the live-action remake. In a 2022 interview with Extra, she criticized the animated version of the film. "The original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There's a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird. Weird!" Zegler said. "So we didn't do that this time." Zegler, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in West Side Story, has also received backlash over her stance on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In May 2021, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "It will always be free palestine." Following President Donald Trump's electoral victory in November, Zegler issued a foulmouthed tirade against him, receiving further criticism in the process. Rachel Zegler, as Eva Perón, performing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" on a balcony in "Evita" at the London Palladium on June 18. Rachel Zegler, as Eva Perón, performing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" on a balcony in "Evita" at the London Palladium on June To Know Over the weekend, Zegler appeared emotional as the crowd cheered for her during curtain call. Several videos of the moment have gone viral on social media. On June 28, Instagram user @fabxo shared the original clip, writing in the caption, "Forever grateful I got to see @rachelzegler shine in Evita!" In the video, Zegler laughs and cries. She appears to say, "I don't know what to do," and one of her colleagues puts his hand on her back. At the time of publication, @fabxo's post had racked up more than 381,000 views, and Zegler herself liked the post. User @ZeglerSource, a fan account on X, also posted the clip, garnering another 1.3 million views. X user @DiscussingFilm raked in an additional 3.4 million views. In an interview posted on Evita's official Instagram account, Zegler told director Jamie Lloyd that she was "quite obsessed" with the musical growing up. She added that her dad used to sing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," one of the show's hit songs, around the house. What People Are Saying Instagram user @doodledwarf commented on the viral video: "This must've meant so much more to her after the snow white movie's backlash." User @peachysweetplinth said: "Oh she's so precious." User @leobessauer wrote: "After all the hate she's been through, she's finally back to where she belongs, the stage, to clapping audience." User @her_veronika added: "She seems like a beautiful and humble soul. Can't wait to see it in August!" User @rainbowperformer said: "She's so real for that. I can't imagine how she must feel having her dreams come true." What Happens Next Zegler is set to star in Evita for 12 weeks. However, according to the show's website, she will not be performing on several upcoming Mondays. On July 14, July 28, August 11 and August 25, her castmate Bella Brown is scheduled to play the role of Eva Perón.
