2 days ago
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- Scottish Sun
Rachel Zelger's remake of popular musical branded ‘woke' after fans spot ridiculous warning signs at London theatre
Trigger warnings for shows have been criticised by acting great Sir Ian McKellen
EVITA OUTRAGE Rachel Zelger's remake of popular musical branded 'woke' after fans spot ridiculous warning signs at London theatre
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A MAJOR new production of Evita has been slapped with a woke trigger warning for 'loud music and sudden noises'.
Audiences are also told they could be upset by strobe lighting, flashing lights and haze.
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Rachel Zegler belts out Don't Cry For Me Argentina from the Palladium balcony to crowds watching for free
Credit: The Mega Agency
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Large crowds are gathering in the street every night to watch the star perform for free
Credit: The Mega Agency
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Zegler's free performance has been praised by punters
Credit: Getty
The West End musical sees American star Rachel Zegler — as Eva Peron — sing its main ballad Don't Cry For Me Argentina from a balcony to passers-by outside the venue for free.
Those who have paid up to £245 for tickets watch it on a screen inside the London Palladium.
Crowds are gathering in the street every night to watch Zegler, 24, perform.
Fans have been recording clips of her and posting them on social media, where they have amassed millions of views.
Trigger warnings for shows have been criticised by acting great Sir Ian McKellen, 86.
He said previously: 'I think it's ludicrous. I quite like to be surprised by loud noises and outrageous behaviour on stage.'
Despite the warning and Zegler's free performance, the 130-minute show has been praised by paying punters.
Evita began a 12-week run on Saturday and tells how Peron rose from poverty to become one of the most powerful women in Latin America as First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death at 33 in 1952.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote the musical and chart-topper Don't Cry for Me Argentina in 1978, with Madonna playing Peron in a film version 29 years ago.
The decision to have Zegler sing outside came from director Jamie Lloyd.
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His version of Sunset Boulevard, for which Nicole Scherzinger recently won a Tony Award, also featured an outdoor section.
Silly trigger warnings have hit several recent theatre shows.
A production of Oliver! advises viewers it will include themes of poverty, hunger and crime. Phantom of the Opera audiences were told it would include smoke and bangs.
A warning about nudity was put on a production of The Full Monty — a show about male strippers — while Matilda the Musical alerts the audience about the inclusion of a 'loud burp'.
Zegler's stage role comes three months after her live-action remake of Snow White hit cinemas.
The film had a £200million budget and made £148million at the box office as it was criticised for 'going woke.'
Actors were replaced with CGI dwarves. And the plot was changed to be about the princess becoming a fearless leader, rather than ultimately finding love.
Zegler said the Disney original was 'extremely dated when it comes to the ideas of women being in roles of power'.
She added: 'People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White, where it's, like, yeah, it is — because it needed that.'
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The star performing her turn on the balcony
Credit: The Mega Agency
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The show's inspiration Eva Peron
Credit: Getty
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