For some YouTubers, ripping into Rachel Zegler in 'Evita' is all the rage

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 8:28pm

Rachel Zegler, a Golden Globe-winning actress, is currently reaping rave reviews in ''Evita'' at the London Palladium. But you wouldn't know it from her detractors on YouTube. A few days ago, ''Eiriks'' posted a video titled: ''Rachel Zegler in TEARS as Show Tickets Drop [to] $0 After HUGE FLOP.'' The video, which has garnered over 160,000 views, claims that Zegler's career has ''fallen apart. As reviews started coming in ... nobody was showing up [at the London Palladium]. Shows were half-empty. Ticket prices crashed. Some shows were free. Others were pay-what-you-want. ... 'Evita' became almost a joke.''

For those of you who've seen ''Evita'' or live in London, is any of this true? Or is it all B.S.? On June 20, Deadline.com reported that ''Evita'' was a hot ticket in London and had racked up $9 million in advance sales for its 12-week run. Jamie Lloyd says he hopes to bring ''Evita'' and Zegler to Broadway in early 2026.

Weeks earlier, there were YouTube videos claiming that Zegler had been fired from the show; that security had to drag her kicking and screaming out of rehearsals, and that she was playing before ''rows and rows of empty seats'' (this was posted in May, weeks before ''Evita'' even began previews in mid-June). Other videos claim there are ''mass walkouts'' at ''Evita,'' a ''so-called woke musical,'' because paying theatergoers are upset that Zegler has turned ''Don't Cry for Me, Argentina'' into a ''balcony stunt that has nothing to do with honoring Eva Peron'' (as if Zegler had chosen to do this, without any say from Lloyd, her director). Yet another video in this echo chamber claims that a petition, with ''100,000 signatures,'' is demanding that Zegler's ''Evita'' be shut down.

I've Googled and can't find any stories on legit news sites substantiating any crazy claims about Zegler's firing, ''mass walkouts,'' a petition of 100,000, etc.

Sadly, for some, Zegler has become a lightning rod and poster child for ''wokeness'' because she was a Latina cast in Disney's remake of ''Snow White.'' She called the original 1937 animated movie ''extremely dated'' in its portrayal of women. She's also roiled right-wingers because she's no fan of Tr*mp. Are the creators of these videos truly offended or just monetizing the hostility against her? Whatever you think of Zegler, she doesn't deserve these cyberbullying videos full of lies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bHpTLxxPFU&t=13s

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 8:33pm

Stop giving oxygen to YouTube Grifters. This isn't real. None of these people care about her, Evita, or even theatre at all. They're monetizing right wing rage clicks so stop indulging it. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 8:42pm

This is weird. I agree that her wishing a lack of peace on anyone is not a wholesome thing, but the Palladium has seemed very full based on all the curtain call videos. I give points to whoever came up with the pay-what-you-can rumor though. That’s thinking outside the box. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 8:47pm

TheatreFan4 said: "Stop giving oxygen to YouTube Grifters. This isn't real. None of these people care about her, Evita, or even theatre at all. They're monetizing right wing rage clicks so stop indulging it."

Correct. Embarrassing. 

[Rob]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 8:58pm

I caught the show on Tuesday night, and can confirm that it was both sold out and a wildly enthusiastic audience. 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 9:19pm

''They're monetizing right wing rage clicks so stop indulging it''

I'm not ''indulging it,'' I'm calling it out. Lies and liars shouldn't get a free pass. If you look among the tons of comments on these videos, lots of people believe this nonsense 100% because they want to believe the worst for Zegler.  I don't believe in standing idly by, as fine performers are slandered and libeled, especially by malicious, made-up garbage. 

Updated On: 7/17/25 at 09:19 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 9:51pm

By posting a link to it, you are absolutely indulging in it.

Wayman, you are one of the brightest and smartest posters on here. I love your reviews and thoughts on Asian-American actors in the theater space. Please don't spiral down the MAGgot rabbit hole and start wondering if any of these gross, sad, dumb, pathetic people (who feel like they are under attack because their Rapist Cult Leader says so) have any kind of integrity, truth, or goodness in them. They do not.

Don't give these stories any oxygen or give clicks to these abhorrent dummies. You're better than this. 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 9:54pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "I agree that her wishing a lack of peace on anyone is not a wholesome thing,"

What do you mean by this?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 9:59pm

Rob said: "I caught the show on Tuesday night, and can confirm that it was both sold out and a wildly enthusiastic audience."

I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen rob post outside of the grosses thread?

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:01pm

Reviews and sales speak louder than idiots. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:01pm

Wayman_Wong said: "''They're monetizing right wing rage clicks so stop indulging it''

I'm not ''indulging it,'' I'm calling it out. Lies and liars shouldn't get a free pass. If you look among the tons of comments on these videos, lots of people believe this nonsense 100% because they want to believe the worst forZegler.I don't believe in standing idly by, as fine performers are slandered and libeled, especially by malicious, made-up garbage."

They don't care, they have no moral compass. Calling out implying you can shame. This has been the youtube sphere for a decade at this point. Giving it oxygen is giving it legitimacy as something actually worth debating. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:11pm

They'll do anything for clicks: they don't care if they blatantly lie, get people to hate them, etc   All they care about is getting clicks and comments which helps monetize them.

 

But it's shameful, really.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:13pm

FolliesCabaret said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "I agree that her wishing a lack of peace on anyone is not a wholesome thing,"

What do you mean by this?"


The linked YouTube video showed a screenshot where Zegler wrote something like “I hope Trump supporters never know peace”, and the voiceover/presenter criticized her for it. I agree with that criticism. 

[inception]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:14pm

There is so much fake garbage on YouTube & Facebook.  

On Facebook right now there are lots of AI generated scam videos.  I had to explain to an elderly man at work last week that a video supposedly of Canada's Prime Minister telling people to send some company $350 was completely fake and a lie.

Meta and Google need to be held accountable for what they allow on their platforms.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:20pm

Influencers are the most annoying types of people in the World today. And for them to top MAGAs is really tough to do.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 10:38pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "FolliesCabaret said: "BorisTomashevsky said: "I agree that her wishing a lack of peace on anyone is not a wholesome thing,"

What do you mean by this?"


The linked YouTube video showed a screenshot where Zegler wrote something like “I hope Trump supporters never knowpeace”, and the voiceover/presenter criticized her for it. I agree with that criticism."

Of course you do, it was about you. 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 11:38pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "The linked YouTube video showed a screenshot where Zegler wrote something like “I hope Trump supporters never knowpeace”, and the voiceover/presenter criticized her for it. I agree with that criticism."

lol k

[gibsons2]

Posted: 7/18/25 at 12:37am

inception said: "There is so much fake garbage on YouTube & Facebook.

On Facebook right now there are lots of AIgenerated scam videos. I had to explain to an elderly man at work last week that a video supposedly of Canada's Prime Minister telling people tosend some company $350 was completely fake and a lie.

Meta and Google need to be held accountable for what they allow on their platforms."

All those scummy CEOs have bent the knee to the current fascist president just to be able to have unfiltered content on their platform and not to be policed. Uncontrolled AI is a part of this deal. I fully deleted all my Meta, Amazon, Google and PayPal accounts after seeing CEOs to line up to kiss the ring during the inauguration. Took some time and effort to make some of those cancelations. I know I didn't matter, but I hope enough of us divested from those bootlickers and they will notice eventually. 

[binau]

Posted: 7/18/25 at 2:48am

I had no idea this was happening and OF COURSE it’s complete and utter BS. Evita is the hottest ticket in town and the sales are among the strongest I’ve seen for any west end musical in years. Rachel clearly also is being received well by audiences too in terms of word of mouth. 

I don’t agree that bringing this to the surface ‘gives it oxygen’. That would seem to imply that calling it out seems to make it worse - I don’t believe that is true at all. At worst, there will be no impact. At best, it starts the conversation so that it becomes a shared collective understanding widely enough that this madness is happening and is not true.