Ariana DeBose, the Oscar-winning actress, will not be taking on the role of Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s revival of “Evita” at the London Palladium. Sources have revealed that the negotiations fell through due to scheduling conflicts. The musical was set to run from June 16 to September 6, but DeBose is currently tied up filming “Scarpetta,” an Amazon Prime Video series adaptation of the Kay Scarpetta novels by Patricia Cornwell, alongside Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis.
In an interview with Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye in January, DeBose mentioned that they were close to finalizing the deal for “Evita,” but unfortunately, it did not come to fruition. The iconic musical, created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, tells the story of Eva Perón, a prominent political figure in Argentina. Elaine Paige originated the role in the 1978 West End production, while Patti LuPone took on the role on Broadway in 1979. Madonna also starred in the 1996 film adaptation of the musical.
Despite missing out on the opportunity to star in “Evita,” sources have indicated that DeBose is eager to make a return to Broadway when the timing is right. DeBose made her Broadway debut in “Bring It On: The Musical” in 2011 and has since appeared in productions like “Motown: The Musical” and “Pippin.” She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Donna Summer in “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” in 2018.
While DeBose has hosted the Tony Awards for three consecutive years starting in 2022, she recently announced that she will not be returning to host this year’s ceremony. In an Instagram post, she stated that it was a mutual decision with the producers to pass on hosting duties and allow someone else to take the stage. DeBose emphasized the importance of knowing when to gracefully exit a role and expressed her readiness to move on.
DeBose’s discussions with Jamie Lloyd reportedly began following the success of transferring his adaptation of “Sunset Blvd” starring Nicole Scherzinger from London to Broadway. Although the “Evita” revival may not be in the cards for DeBose at the moment, fans can look forward to seeing her shine on stage again in the near future.
