My Review of Evita at the London Palladium

7/17/2025

You either love a Jamie Lloyd production, or you don’t. Where do I begin. First and foremost I grew up with this music. I’ve spent hours upon hours singing these songs in my bedroom, memorizing every line, every affectation, every note. This music has been with me for 30 years. And it will be with me hopefully for 30 more. Now, onto the production. 

Overall, it was spectacular, a spectacle even. It was loud, sexy, raw.  It was in your face at times and other times it felt like a million miles away. It was like being on a roller coaster. For every loud, booming song, there was a gentler one right behind it. But you almost needed that break. Like catching your breath. I found myself crying as the first familiar chords began and I didn’t want to blink for fear of missing a single moment. The old songs that kind of drag the show down (you know which ones….) didn’t seem as monotonous because the high intensity numbers left you breathless and needing to bring your heart rate back down to normal.

Twice now, Jamie Lloyd has breathed new life into an old classic. He takes the old familiar and makes it fresh and young. I simply cannot believe that the show I grew up listening to, my son is now watching, ad enjoying, and even singing along to. Lloyd has made theatre cool to a new generation, has given them something to appreciate and treasure. And for that I am grateful.

Diego Andres Rodriguez as Che was wonderful. He was always “there”, as Che is. Everywhere she turned he was a stark reminder of who she really is and where she came from. His performance was gritty, raw, and it wouldn’t be a Jamie Lloyd production if someone doesn’t end up covered in blood in their underwear at the end. He has a great tone to his voice and I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself waiting for his numbers. The actor playing Peron, James Olivas, had a beautiful voice. Smooth and strong. In this production, Peron was young, and tall, and striking. A stark contrast to some Perons we’ve seen in the past. But it works because Zegler is so young. Magaldi, Aaron Lee Lambert, was funny and powerful in the role. I never really cared for the Magaldi role before, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying his performance. And now the review you’re waiting for…..Rachel Zegler. 

There’s no doubt she can sing. She has a strong, powerful voice that is pushed to its limits in 2.5 hours She reaches her highest vocal range a few times throughout the show and on a day like today when she has to do it twice, you can tell how vocally demanding it is. She’s scantily dressed throughout the performance with the exception of her famous balcony scene where she’s in the iconic Evita gown, wig, and flashy jewelry. In the first half she’s dressed in a shiny black brazier and tiny shorts which look cheap and represent her social class. I hate to admit it but it felt very much like what a street walker would wear, which I guess is the whole point. At one point early in the show Alex whispered to me that he was enjoying the music but was a little lost on the plot. I simply whispered back “it’s basically about a woman who sleeps her way to the top”. Not an inaccurate statement.  After the internal she switches to a white, flashy, studded silver bustier and more modest shorts for act 2. A representation of her new wealth and status in society. I have to say I wasn’t upset about her being outside on the balcony for Don’t Cry For Me Argentina. The audience did chuckle a bit when they panned the crowd outside and showed thousands of people gathered to watch her performance. But it works - it works really well. Inside the theatre, for us, for most of the show, she’s dressed in barely any clothing. Like we are watching the evolution of her character from behind the scenes, watching her rise to fame and her ultimate demise. But the outside world gets 4.5 minutes of this polished, put together, icon. A public figure out there to be adored by the masses while the 2,286 people inside get the real, uncensored, unedited story. 

Some of Zegler’s choreography during certain numbers seemed repetitive to the point of almost being robotic. I found that more in the first act than the second. Overall the choreography was fresh and frenetic.  The cast is putting on quite the workout for us for 2.5 hours. The lighting was blinding at times, with strobe lights and an enormous EVITA in lights as the backdrop throughout the show. There’s not much in the way of costumes, similarly to Sunset Boulevard, although somewhat more in this production.  Rachel is on stage for nearly the entire show with very little breaks. There are moments when she is incorporated into the choreography, dancing with the cast, and other times she’s standing off to the side, a bystander watching. Her chemistry with Diego (Che) was great. Maybe they bonded over both being Americans in London. And for those of you asking about her age and if she is able to pull off the role of Eva Peron - I think she does. Remember, this entire cast is young. When we see her at the beginning she’s 15 years old and when she does, she’s 33. Does Rachel Zegler look 33, no, but Juan Peron looked to be about 25 so clearly we are not trying to represent actual ages. 

A New Argentina may have been my favorite number. It was loud and flashy and the notes that were hit during that number - Impressive. Rainbow High was equally impressive but once again, you can tell that this is a vocally demanding performance for her and I think she may have held back slightly during the matinee knowing she had to do another show this evening.  I was surprised they wrote in “You Must Love Me” which was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber for the 1996 movie version with Madonna. I was never really a fan of the song. I felt it was out a place and really written so Madonna had something to release as a single. It was just OK tonight.

I don’t want to give away too much about the ending for those who will see it when it transfers to Broadway but I think it was very well done. It felt like a fever dream, mishmash, compilation of all the best parts of the show to bring us to that moment when Eva Peron enters immortality. 

Would I recommend this people? Yes. But only if you can go into the theatre with an open mind. This isn’t your mother’s Evita, this isn’t Patti LuPone’s Evita. This is Evita for a new generation, meant to bring young people to the theatre and give old people a new way to experience the old classics. If you can see it in London before it comes to Broadway where the costs will quadruple, definitely go. And enjoy!