Rachel Zegler’s performance in Evita hit a sour note Thursday—courtesy of an untimely illness.
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The 24-year-old, starring as Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, made an unexpected exit during the evening performance. As PEOPLE reported, her departure was announced at intermission.
When the Snow White star stepped aside, understudy Bella Brown took the spotlight in the second act. She kicked things off with the showstopper “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” The audience reportedly loved it, giving her a nearly five-minute standing ovation and the cast 10 well-deserved bows.
“Today really showed just how important swings and covers are within this industry,” Brown wrote on her Instagram Stories. “They are pillars of a show!! A proud day to be at ‘Evita.’” She added, “What a lucky audience getting to see both me and MY ANGEL REG ZEG!!”
Zegler stars as the former first lady of Argentina in the musical, which debuted in 1978 and was written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. On Thursday, she performed both acts of the matinee before abruptly leaving the second show of the day.
Rachel Zegler Returned to Her Evita Role on Friday
Meanwhile, Zegler returned to her role in Evita on Friday. The actress documented the comeback via her Instagram Stories, sharing a series of photos that captured her return to the West End stage.
Evita, the story of the polarizing second wife of Argentine leader-turned-president Juan Perón, is set to run in London until Sept. 6. The production, which began performances on June 14, officially opened on July 1 to widespread critical acclaim.