Palladium’s Evita casts Diego Andres Rodriguez as Che

Picture: Sam Pickart

Rising star Diego Andres Rodriguez will make his West End debut as Che opposite the previously announced Rachel Zegler as Eva Perón in the Jamie Lloyd-directed new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita at the London Palladium this summer.

Rodriguez will reunite with Lloyd after making his professional debut in the director’s hit Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard.

Commenting on the latest piece of casting news, Lloyd said: “Before he even graduated, Diego made his professional debut as Artie in our production of Sunset Blvd. on Broadway, in which he also understudied and played the leading role, Joe Gillis. He is an incredible young actor and a fantastic vocalist. We’re so thrilled he will be making his West End debut in Tim and Andrew’s iconic musical.”

Looking forward to taking to the London stage, Rodriguez said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be making my West End debut in Evita this summer at the historic London Palladium! Being directed by Jamie Lloyd again, working with The Jamie Lloyd Company’s incredible team, and playing Che opposite Rachel is an opportunity of a lifetime. This is a dream come true!”

Presented by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals and The Jamie Lloyd Company, the production will begin performances at the London Palladium on 14 June ahead of the opening night on 27 June. The season will run until 6 September.

Announcing the production late last year, Harrison said: “It’s an honour to return to the London Palladium next summer, with my fourteenth production at the theatre. I’m even more delighted, alongside The Jamie Lloyd Company, to be presenting Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s glorious musical, Evita, and to be collaborating again with Jamie following Sunset Blvd.”

Lloyd, who originally directed a production of Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2019 added: “After an unforgettable experience on Sunset Blvd., we are excited to continue our collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and to take another look at Tim and Andrew’s musical masterpiece Evita. It is a great privilege to do so at the incredible London Palladium alongside Michael Harrison.”

Further casting and the full creative team will be announced at a later date.

Five thousand tickets for the production will be made available across the run at £25 exclusively for under-30s, key workers and those receiving government benefits. These tickets will be available across all levels of the theatre, and go on sale at a later date.

With more than 20 major awards to its credit, and an Oscar-winning film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Rice and Lloyd Webber’s Evita features some of the best-loved songs in musical theatre, including ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’, ‘On This Night of a Thousand Stars’ and ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’.

Angela Thomas