Study Abroad Sparks New Artistic Perspective for ASU Gammage Intern Wendy Maddox

Wendy Maddox is the ASU Gammage/ASU Cultural Affairs marketing and communication assistant.  She started her internship in January 2024 and expects to graduate in May 2026

On May 19, 2025, I began my study abroad journey and moved into a small apartment in Islington, just 30 minutes outside of central London. I spent my weeks going to art and media classes, exploring museums and just walking around different areas in the city. I was thrilled with the accessibility of the city and how much greenery it had compared to Arizona!

Outside of all of the famous sites like Westminster Abbey, my main goal for my travels was to explore the London art scene. During my time in London, I went to several different theaters across the city to see 17 performances of plays and musicals. In addition to this, I also attended West End Live, a music festival made up of performances from the West End’s hottest shows. Some of the highlights from my tour on and off the West End were Cabaret, Hadestown, and Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.

My favorite show I saw during my time there was one of the most talked about shows of the summer “Evita,” starring Rachel Zegler and directed by Jamie Lloyd. The musical tells the story of Eva Perón, the wife of Argentine president Juan Perón, and her rise and fall from power. I enjoyed it so much that after seeing it for the first time with my girlfriend, I had to go back and see it not once, not twice, but three times more. Zegler gave a career-defining performance that evoked every emotion within in me every time I saw her perform. Her facial expressions and vocals alone have made this revival, in my opinion, the best production of “Evita” in Broadway and West End history. I also had the privilege of seeing her alternate Bella Brown take on the role of Eva Perón and she was just as excellent, a shining star from the West End.

Returning back home after 3 months was bittersweet, but I was very excited to return to my family, to work and to school. While I was abroad, I took the opportunity to see two of the shows coming up on the ASU Gammage 2025-2026 Broadway season: THE BOOK OF MORMON and SIX. Now that I have returned to my marketing internship at ASU Gammage, I am looking forward to seeing the shows again and working on content for these shows with a new perspective on them.

The main thing I learned from my trip abroad is the importance of immersing yourself in the art within your community. Whether it is seeing a play, going to a museum or walking around and admiring the world around you, being able to see art in any form is a privilege and something that was so powerful during my study abroad experience. My goal is to take advantage of more artistic experiences in Arizona throughout the rest of my time living here.

For anyone looking for London recommendations show-wise, I highly seeing a show at Shakespeare’s Old Globe. After seeing three productions there throughout the summer, I can confirm it is an experience like no other, and no matter what you see, you will have an incredible time.