One recent afternoon, I arrived at the London Palladium to a disappointing scene: The West End’s most talked-about seats were already taken.
Outside on the street, not far from the theater’s grand entrance, two men had perched themselves on the seats — actually piles of cardboard awaiting recycling — to get a perfect view of a scene that has London’s theater scene buzzing.
In a few moments, Rachel Zegler, the actor playing Eva Perón in a revival of “Evita” at the Palladium, would appear on a balcony and belt out “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” the show’s signature song, to the hundreds of musical lovers, celebrity spotters and confused tourists gathered below.
The audience inside, some of whom had paid 240 pounds, about $327, for seats that weren’t made out of trash, would be watching her on a big screen.
Adam McCollom, 41, an academic who had scored a spot on one of the cardboard perches, said that Zegler’s street scene was apt for a musical about Perón, the wife of Argentina’s socialist president’s who was adored by the working classes. “Here I am, the pleb on the bins, about to clap the woman who’s paid billions,” he said.
Since “Evita” opened for previews this month, Zegler’s “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” has been hotly discussed on theater message boards, on social media and in newspaper comments sections. To some, it’s a publicity stunt, to others a generous way of bringing live theater to people who can’t afford West End prices.
The gambit fits in with the musical’s history. The original 1978 production featured a screen onstage that showed photos and footage from Eva Perón’s life. And some fans have pointed out that Jamie Lloyd, the director behind the revival, has used such filmic trickery before. His “Sunset Boulevard,” which is at the St. James Theater on Broadway until July 20, contains a scene in which the hapless screenwriter Joe Gillis (Tom Francis), sings the musical’s title number while walking on West 44th Street, his performance beamed back onto screens inside.
Despite that pedigree, British newspapers have played up complaints from some paying audience members. “My daughters have shelled out for this,” one commenter wrote beneath a recent Times of London article: “They are not happy at paying to see a key point of the show on a screen.”
Yet at an “Evita” performance this week, no indoor audience members I asked about it were annoyed — although I was, admittedly, in the cheaper seats in the second balcony. Hilary Colton, 65, a retired teacher on vacation from New Jersey, said that “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” was simply one song in a two-hour musical. “I wouldn’t freak out about it,” she added.
The scene unfolds at the start of the second act. Inside the theater, Juan Perón (James Olivas), newly elected as president, stands on the bare stage, a camera beaming his face onto the screen, as he outlines his political goals to a backing of dissonant, jazz-influenced music.
Then, as lush strings swell, the screen switches to show Evita (Zegler) walking through the theater’s grand halls in a glittering white gown before heading onto the balcony to declare that she’ll never forget her humble origins. The footage of Zegler is intercut with shots of the outdoor spectators, many with cellphones raised.
At the performance I saw, about a third of the auditorium applauded after this high-tech number. No one booed in disapproval, and personally, from so high up, I couldn’t see why anyone would. My seat had cost £29.50, about $40, and by that point I’d already seen enough spectacle — including Zegler running over four men’s backs during a dance number — to justify the price. Plus, from up high, I could only see Zegler’s face clearly when it appeared onscreen.
The cast and creative team haven’t commented on the spectacle while the show is still in previews. (Opening night is July 1.) The “Evita” press team declined an interview request. But Andrew Lloyd Webber, who composed the music for “Evita” appears to love the choice. His only concern, he told the “Good Morning Britain” TV program, was that if the balcony scene drew too big a crowd, the authorities could shut it down.
Outside two recent performances, the risk of upsetting the police seemed low. The scrum watched Zegler mostly in silence, cheering only for her entrance to the balcony, and, later, when she waved at the crowd and threw her fists skyward. One man shouted for Zegler to “sing louder,” but that may have been because of his proximity to a street musician playing a makeshift drum kit.
After the performance, several onlookers said they now wanted to buy tickets to the show. McCollom — the cardboard percher — gave Zegler’s turn “five stars,” adding that it was “lovely that passers-by are getting to see something like this” for free in London.
As they headed off, his friend Scott Hardcastle, 37, suggested returning to watch the scene again. “We should bring some seats next time,” he said, “and charge people to sit down.”
Alex Marshall is a Times reporter covering European culture. He is based in London.
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