The show must go on.
Rachel Zegler, 24, returned to her role in “Evita” on Friday, July 25, after abruptly leaving the London Palladium one day earlier due to a mystery illness.
The actress marked her surprising return on her Instagram Stories, where she shared several photos of herself back on stage at the West End theater.
Zegler also shared a clip of herself taking a final bow at the end of Friday night’s show.
“An incredible performance,” one fan captioned a photo that Zegler later posted.
“Me walking into the Palladium for a two-show day here at Evita,” the actress added in another pic shared Saturday morning.
Although the “Snow White” actress suddenly left “Evita” on Thursday evening due to an unspecified illness, People reported that her departure was not announced until intermission.
Bella Brown, Zegler’s understudy, took over during the musical’s second act and performed the production’s signature song, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.”
The London audience was so pleased with Brown’s performance that they gave the young starlet an almost five-minute standing ovation.
“Today really showed just how important swings and covers are within this industry,” the actress wrote on her Instagram Stories after Thursday night’s show. “They are pillars of a show! A proud day to be at ‘Evita.’”
“What a lucky audience getting to see both me and MY ANGEL REG ZEG!” Brown added in a follow-up post.
The Post reached out to Zegler’s rep for comment.
Zeglar stars as the former first lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, in director Jamie Lloyd’s revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic.
The production, which kicked off in June and is scheduled to run through September, marks Zegler’s London stage debut.
“I couldn’t be luckier,” the actress wrote on Instagram before the musical’s opening night. “I have such a deep love for everyone who has touched this production.”
“I never thought I would get to live my dream this way. Surrounded by the most amazing people. I feel so held,” she added.
Zegler also revealed that starring in Jamie Lloyd’s “Evita” had always been a dream of hers.
“‘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,” she told Deadline in March. “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,” she said.
Still, the “West Side Story” star’s “Evita” performance has not been without criticism.
During the iconic tune “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” Zegler leaves the London Palladium stage and performs the song from an outdoor balcony while those in the audience stay inside and watch from a screen.
“I’m excited to see her, but not sure how I feel about paying that much to watch the most iconic moment on a screen,” one person complained.
“Sorry, are you saying I’ve paid that much for 2 tickets and she’s singing the biggest number outside at people who haven’t paid?” another paying theatergoer fussed.
However, others praised the “incredible” and “emotional” balcony scene.
“Absolutely stunning idea and a beautiful symbol – while the rich sit inside the theatre watching from the screen, Evita is outside on the balcony of the theatre addressing all those who can’t afford to go to the theatre and/or are living on the streets of London,” one attendee gushed on X.
Meanwhile, Zegler has been enjoying her time behind the scenes of “Evita.”
She was spotted kissing backup dancer Nathan Louis-Fernand at Hyde Park earlier this month, and the pair were pictured holding hands at a Sabrina Carpenter concert on July 6.
Zegler previously faced backlash while promoting Disney’s live-action “Snow White,” which flopped at the box office earlier this year.
After slamming those who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, she allegedly butted heads with co-star Gal Gadot over their differences regarding the Israel-Palestinian war in Gaza.
