Rachel Zegler’s Dream Roles: Phantom and a Twist on Javert

Life can turn on a dime, and Rachel Zegler knows that better than most. After weathering a wild ride of online backlash and support over her role in the live-action Snow White, she’s managed to keep her head above water. The fuss, mostly about CGI dwarves and a few off-the-cuff red carpet comments, seemed a bit over the top, especially considering Zegler’s age and the fact she’s been in the spotlight for such a short time. At just 24, she’s already got a Golden Globe for Best Actress under her belt, thanks to her breakout in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake. Not bad for someone who was still at school a few years ago.

While some stars have made bigger missteps—remember Gal Gadot’s infamous ‘Imagine’ singalong?—Zegler’s so-called controversies have been pretty mild. When Snow White finally hit screens, it landed with a bit of a thud, but nothing disastrous. Zegler, unfazed, moved on to bigger and better things, like selling out solo shows in London’s West End. She’s not one to sit still, that’s for sure.

From Blockbusters to the West End

In 2023 alone, Zegler juggled roles in Shazam: Fury of the Gods, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and the comedy-horror Y2K. The following year, she took to Broadway in a Jack Antonoff-directed take on Romeo and Juliet, then led the cast of Evita in London, bringing Eva Perón’s story to life for local theatre-goers. Somehow, she squeezed in a one-woman show at the Palladium, belting out tunes from her own career and classic musicals, all in the space of a few months.

It’s clear she’s got a knack for keeping busy, but even with her packed schedule, there are still a couple of iconic roles she’s itching to tackle. Zegler recently shared,

“While I’m still young and sprightly, I would love to do Christine Daaé in Phantom of the Opera. That would be a dream come true because I don’t get the opportunity to return to my soprano operatic training roots. And if ever given the chance, I would love to be Javert in a gender-bent Les Miz.”

Chasing the Classics

Phantom of the Opera, first staged in 1986, centres on Christine Daaé, a young soprano who becomes the obsession of a mysterious musical genius lurking beneath the Paris Opera House. The original production starred Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, and its soundtrack has sold over 40 million copies worldwide. It’s a role that would let Zegler revisit her classical training and show off her vocal chops.

Her other dream part, Javert, is the relentless police inspector from Les Misérables, a show that’s been running in the West End since 1985 and holds the record for the longest continuous run. The character was famously played by Hugh Jackman in the 2012 film adaptation. Zegler’s keen to put her own spin on the role, imagining a gender-flipped version that would shake up the classic dynamic.

What’s Next for Zegler

Not one to rest on her laurels, Zegler is set to keep making waves in the West End. Next year, she’ll star in The Last Five Years, a musical that follows the ups and downs of a novelist and an actor trying to make it work. The show was also turned into a film with Anna Kendrick back in 2014. With her track record, it’s a safe bet she’ll bring something fresh to the stage once again.