By Daniel Welsh
Rachel Zegler is being showered with praise for her West End debut in a new production of Evita.
Helmed by Jamie Lloyd 鈥 whose unique spin on Sunset Boulevard recently earned Nicole Scherzinger both an Olivier and Tony win 鈥 this new take on the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical reimagines the show as something more like a pop concert, with the West Side Story star playing Eva Per贸n, a character previously portrayed on stage and screen by the likes of Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone and Madonna.
While there had been some eyebrows raised over the decision for Rachel鈥檚 Evita to perform the show鈥檚 signature tune Don鈥檛 Cry For Me Argentina from the balcony of the Palladium theatre, with audiences watching from a screen while passers by enjoy it for free, the risk has been deemed by critics to pay off.
And even those who鈥檝e been more critical of the show in general are hailing Rachel鈥檚 performance as 鈥渁stonishing鈥, 鈥減henomenal鈥 and 鈥渢hrilling鈥.
Take a look at the reviews for yourself, following Monday night鈥檚 press launch, below鈥
The Guardian (3/5)
鈥淶egler, in her West End debut, is phenomenal […] If you feel denied of the subtleties of story, character and commentary on populist power, you will still have an eye-popping night out.鈥
The Telegraph (5/5)
鈥淶egler makes Lloyd Webber鈥檚 music sound better than ever. Her talent demands our rapture; equally, her mass seduction of the audience feels carefully plotted, enhancing the show鈥檚 thematic thrust. Lloyd ensures the evening stokes a cult of personality 鈥 combining whistle-stop biography with a parable for our age of showbiz politics.鈥
The Daily Mail (5/5)
鈥淚t鈥檚 an audio-visual tsunami, more Olympic ceremony than stage show. Details of Eva鈥檚 tragic life story and early death are washed away in the tidal wave. Will anyone care? Probably not. Go to be knocked out by Zegler alone.鈥
The Stage (5/5)
鈥淶egler鈥檚 astonishing vocals, swooping between sweetness and grit, are as undeniable as her megawatt charisma.鈥
Time Out (4/5)
鈥淐oherence isn鈥檛 this Evita鈥檚 strong suit. But there is so much that is good about it 鈥 from Zegler, to the choreography, to the timely antifascist sentiment, to That Scene 鈥 that I can look past a few negatives. It鈥檚 not just the London theatre event of the summer, but the London event of the summer full stop.鈥
鈥淸Rachel Zegler gives an] astonishingly assured, excitingly committed vocal performance. Her sound is carefully, thrillingly produced. Her money notes catapult the crowd and she鈥檚 never less than exhilarating right though her wide vocal range.鈥
What鈥檚 On Stage (5/5)
鈥淸Rachel Zegler] really is superb, with a clear, strong voice and astonishing amounts of energy as she powers her way through the show.鈥
The Times (3/5)
鈥淸Rachel Zegler鈥檚 character is] reduced to a blank-eyed marionette for virtually the whole show. Her voice is fine but it has to compete with the musical director Alan Williams鈥檚 wildly amplified orchestra. Too many songs whirl past in a semi-audible maelstrom.鈥
Evita is playing at London鈥檚 Palladium Theatre until Saturday 6 September.