Guide to 'Evita' on Broadway starring Rachel Zegler

Evita is based on the true story of Eva Perón, who grew up in poverty in rural Argentina before moving to Buenos Aires to become an actress. There, she met and married army colonel Juan Perón, who became president in 1946. As first lady, Eva Perón became the darling of the working classes and the spiritual leader of the nation — and later, a much more controversial figure.

The musical sticks largely to historical fact, adding the theatrical device of cynical narration from fictional everyman Che.

Evita on Broadway will play at the Winter Garden Theatre. Located at 1634 Broadway in midtown Manhattan, this historic venue seats 1,600 audience members.

Some of the most famous shows to have played at the venue include the original productions of West Side Story, Funny Girl, Mame, Follies, Cats, and Mamma Mia! The theatre currently houses the Tony-winning Death of a Salesman and, prior to Evita, it will host Much Ado About Nothing starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell and also directed by Jamie Lloyd.

Evita runs 2 hours and 25 minutes, including an intermission. This is a typical length for a Broadway musical, and the runtime is subject to change slightly once Broadway performances begin.

In London, Evita was recommended for ages 12+ due to themes of political turmoil, illness, and death. Children under 4 are not permitted in Broadway theatres.

Starting February 27, 2027, Evita will play Tuesday to Sunday, with two performances on Thursdays and Saturdays and no performances on Mondays. This schedule is subject to one-off changes, particularly around holidays.

Visit New York Theatre Guide's Evita page for a complete performance calendar.

Evita first debuted as a concept album in 1976, with the role of Eva sung by Julie Covington. The full-fledged stage show premiered at the Prince Edward Theatre in London in June 1978, starring Elaine Paige in the title role and pop star David Essex as Che. The production ran for 3,176 performances.

The musical received its U.S. premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco before opening on Broadway in September 1979, led by Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. The show ran for 1,587 performances.

Director Jamie Lloyd's new production debuted at the London Palladium in summer 2025 before transferring to Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre in spring 2027.

Evita features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and a book and lyrics by Tim Rice. Lloyd Webber and Rice have also collaborated on Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Lloyd Webber’s other projects have included Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, and Sunset Boulevard, while Rice’s have included The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Chess. Both men are EGOT winners, having won at least one Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award each.

Evita is led by Rachel Zegler, reprising her Olivier Award-winning performance in the title role. Zegler made her film debut as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s version of West Side Story, and she has also starred in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Disney’s Snow White live-action remake. She made her Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet in 2024.

Further casting for Evita on Broadway is to be announced.

The major characters in the Evita musical include:

• Eva Perón: An ambitious young woman who becomes an international icon as Argentina's controversial first lady.
• Che: A sardonic everyman who acts as a Greek chorus.
• Juan Perón: Eva’s husband, a military officer who becomes president of Argentina.
• Agustin Magaldi: Eva’s first mentor, a tango singer.
• Perón’s Mistress: A teenager discarded by Perón after he meets Eva.

The score of Evita comprises the following songs:

Act 1

• A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952"
• "Requiem for Evita"
• "Oh What a Circus"
• "On This Night of a Thousand Stars"
• "Eva and Magaldi" / "Eva, Beware of the City"
• "Buenos Aires"
• "Goodnight and Thank You"
• "The Art of the Possible"
• "Charity Concert"
• "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You"
• "Hello and Goodbye"
• "Another Suitcase in Another Hall"
• "Peron's Latest Flame"
• "A New Argentina"

Act 2

• Entr'acte
• "On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada"
• "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
• "High Flying, Adored"
• "Rainbow High"
• "Rainbow Tour"
• "The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)"
• "And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)"
• "Santa Evita"
• "Waltz for Eva and Che"
• "You Must Love Me"
• "Peron's Latest Flame Playoff"
• "She Is a Diamond"
• "Dice Are Rolling" / "Eva's Sonnet"
• "Eva's Final Broadcast"
• "Montage"
• "Lament"

The original London production of Evita won the Society for West End Theatre Awards (the precursor to the Olivier Awards) for Best New Musical and Best Performance in a Musical (Elaine Paige). The Broadway transfer won seven Tonys (out of 11 nominations), including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Actress in a Musical (Patti LuPone).

Jamie Lloyd’s production at the London Palladium was nominated for five Olivier Awards and won two: Best Actress in a Musical (Rachel Zegler) and Best Choreographer (Fabian Aloise).

Evita has received numerous major productions worldwide. Select notable stagings include:

• 1978: In the world-premiere London production, Elaine Paige plays the title role and pop star David Essex stars as Che.
• 1979: Following pre-Broadway runs in Los Angeles and San Francisco before, Evita opens on Broadway, led by Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.
• 1980: The original Australian production debuts. Patti LuPone took over partway through the run.
• 1980: The first Spanish-language production takes place at Teatro Monumental, Madrid.
• 2006: Michael Grandage’s West End revival is led by Argentinian actress Elena Roger.
• 2012: Grandage’s production transfers to Broadway starring Elena Roger and Ricky Martin.
• 2019: Jamie Lloyd directs the show at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London, starring Samantha Pauly.
• 2025: Jamie Lloyd returns to the show at the London Palladium with Rachel Zegler as Eva.
• 2027: Lloyd's Zegler-led production transfers to Broadway.

Evita received a 1996 movie musical adaptation directed by Alan Parker. The film starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce. The film received five Oscar nominations and won Best New Song for “You Must Love Me,” which has subsequently been integrated into the stage version.

Find out more about Jamie Lloyd's Evita revival, real historical facts that inspired the musical, and more.

• Jamie Lloyd's Evita revival employs his signature stripped-back style, with minimal sets and all-black, time-period-agnostic costumes. Past Lloyd productions like the Tony-winning Sunset Boulevard, starring Nicole Scherzinger, had a similar aesthetic.
• In London, Rachel Zegler performed "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" on a balcony outside the theatre, and the number went viral as massive crowds gathered to watch each night. Zegler will not do this on Broadway, but Lloyd has suggested he wants to find another way to mak that moment stand out.
• Tim Rice was inspired to write a musical about Eva Perón when he was driving and heard a radio program about her. He remembered seeing her image on Argentinian stamps as a child, and he later named his daughter Eva.
• Eva Perón’s embalmed body was stolen in 1955 and was missing for 16 years. After it was discovered in Milan, it was returned to Juan Perón and his third wife, Isabel, who kept the corpse in their dining room. Eva Perón was eventually buried in the Duarte family tomb in La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires.
• The film version was many years in the making, and Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, and Michelle Pfeiffer were all in the running for the lead role at various points before Madonna was cast.
• Juan Perón’s third wife, Isabel, served as her husband’s vice president and then president of Argentina following his death. Her fascist regime was overthrown in a military coup in 1976, and she is still alive at age 95 and lives in exile in Madrid.

Get Evita tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Don’t cry for your missed opportunity if you don't secure your seat! It’s sure to be one of the hottest tickets of 2027, with Rachel Zegler giving a once-in-a-lifetime performance in a rendering of the show like you've never seen it before.