The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes stars a rising talent on and off-screen. For many people, Songbirds & Snakes will be the first time they see 22-year-old actress Rachel Zegler on the big screen (and certainly not the last — she’s starring as Snow White in Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation). She’s joining the Hunger Games franchise as Lucy Gray Baird, aka the titular songbird in Songbirds & Snakes. But is she a songbird in real life?
According to Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, Zegler’s more than a songbird — she’s a nightingale. And yes, that’s her singing in Songbirds & Snakes.
Zegler’s roots lie in the world of musical theatre. She performed in her first musical at the age of 12 and went on to star in productions at her high school and local community theatre, including Shrek the Musical and Thoroughly Modern Millie. During her high school years, Zegler posted song covers on her YouTube channel and sang at weddings. To this day, she occasionally posts covers on her social media accounts and shares original songs with her fans (in case you need any more proof that she’s Lucy Gray Baird IRL).
Zegler impressed audiences worldwide with her performance as María in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story remake. What’s even more impressive is that she sang almost all of her songs live on set, something she also did for Songbirds & Snakes. The film’s producer, Nina Jacobson, told Brit + Co, “The fact that Rachel, with her voice and her performance, [chose] on virtually almost every take to sing live really blew me away and I think is a really fun thing for audiences to enjoy about the movie.”
In The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Zegler plays a nomadic singer-songwriter named Lucy Gray Baird who travels with a performance group called the Covey. Together, they sing folk songs for District 12’s citizens at the Hob. Once she gets chosen as District 12’s female tribute for the 10th annual Hunger Games, Lucy Gray makes the arena her stage, and the rest is history.
Songbirds & Snakes’ official soundtrack includes eight songs sung by Zegler, including her rendition of “The Hanging Tree” which was released on Oct. 20. Don’t expect to see the Covey dance in a chorus line, though. Lucy Gray’s music is folky, rustic, and Appalachian-inspired.
Nashville musician Dave Cobb created melodies to go along with the lyrics Suzanne Collins wrote in the Songbirds & Snakes book. He told Billboard that he’s especially excited for audiences to hear Zegler’s performance of one of Lucy Gray’s most heartfelt songs, “Pure As the Driven Snow.” “Rachel has this beautiful, almost ‘30s American voice,” Cobb said. “The way she sings the last line of that song is so stunning.”
Zegler also learned to play guitar for the film to make her strumming look as natural as possible. Though she’s not actually playing the guitar on the soundtrack, she’s definitely singing all her own songs. The full Songbirds & Snakes soundtrack comes out on Nov. 17. I know whose songs I’ll be listening to first!