Rachel Zegler’s Evita Balcony Scene Criticized After Fans Collapse in Heatwave

Why did fans faint outside the London Palladium?
Rachel Zegler’s West End performance in Evita has ignited controversy after several people reportedly fell ill while waiting in extreme heat to see her perform “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from the balcony.

Roughly 200 people gathered outside hours in advance, hoping to catch her rendition of the show’s iconic number. However, the crowd endured blistering temperatures with little crowd control, and ambulances had to intervene before the performance even began.

Critics are also slamming the show's format, arguing that Zegler’s most iconic moment is wasted on passersby rather than ticket-holding theatre-goers—some of whom paid over £350 for seats. Meanwhile, others see the open-air performance as a move to make theatre more accessible.

Zegler, 24, plays Eva Perón in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical. Her impassioned balcony delivery was visually stunning but may have come at too great a cost.

Was this a creative triumph or a logistical failure?

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