Rachel Zegler to Play Eva Perón in London Revival of Evita: 'An Honor Unlike Any Other'

Rachel Zegler made her Broadway debut this season, in the acclaimed revival of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. And now, the Snow White actress has her next stage role set.

PEOPLE can confirm that Zegler will play Eva Perón in the London revival of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber 1978 musical, Evita, about the life of Eva Perón, the controversial second wife of Argentine military leader-turned president Juan Perón.

Director Jamie Lloyd will helm the production. The musical will play a limited 12-week run this summer, from June 14 through Sept. 6 at the London Palladium.

"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," Zegler said in a statement to Deadline, who first broke the news. "The opportunity to bring Jamie Lloyd’s singular, visionary ideas to life onstage is an honor 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."

Lloyd has experience working with the Cats composer, having directed the Nicole Scherzinger-led revival of Sunset Blvd., which is now on Broadway. The 76-year-old also tapped Lloyd to direct his new musical The Illusionist, due in 2026 or 2027.

The Olivier Award winner previously directed a production of Evita in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2019, which received two Olivier Award nominations including one for best musical revival. 

Speaking with Deadline, Lloyd, 44, praised Zegler as a "phenomenal talent," teasing she will "blow the roof off the London Palladium." He said he was "struck by her incredible passion for this show" and taken by Zegler's "insights and ideas" about Perón, which she described to him as "her dream role."

“This is going to be an exciting Eva for a whole new generation,” Lloyd said.

Evita, like many of Lloyd Webber's musicals, began its life as a 1976 rock opera concept album. A stage version premiered two years later in London's West End, and won two Olivier Awards — one for best musical and another for best actress for Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Eva.

In 1979, Evita debuted on Broadway, this time with Patti LuPone in the lead role. The production was awarded seven Tony Awards, including a trophy for LuPone, one for best director Hal Prince, another for Mandy Patinkin (as the musical's narrator, Ché) as well as the coveted best musical prize.

It's the first British musical ever to receive Tony's top honor.

Since then, Evita has been revived once on Broadway — in a 2012 production from director Michael Grandage. Elena Roger starred as Eva, with Ricky Martin playing Ché. It was nominated for three Tonys, including best revival of a musical and an honor for Michael Cerveris (as Juan).

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Audiences may also know the musical from its 1996 film adaptation, starring Madonna as Eva, Jonathan Pryce as Juan and Antonio Banderas as Ché.

The score, with music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics from book writer Rice — features some of the most treasured songs in the musical theater cannon, including "Don’t Cry For Me Argentina," "Oh What A Circus," "Buenos Aires," "Another Suitcase in Another Town," and "Rainbow High."

"You Must Love Me," which was written for the movie version and won an Oscar for Best Song, is expected to be included in the revival as well.

Rehearsals for Evita, Deadline reports, on April 28. Tickets are now on sale.

Snow White opens in theaters on March 21.