Evita, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, Washington, DC
Evita, currently running at the Shakespeare Theatre Company (produced in association with the American Repertory Theatre of Cambridge, MA), was the third collaboration between lyricist Tim Rice and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Their first two collaborations focused on Biblical material: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar. Writing a musical (or what one might consider a “rock opera”) about the deceased wife of an Argentinian dictator was about as far afield as possible from its Bible-based precursors. But after listening to a radio program about the life of Eva Perón, Rice convinced Lloyd Webber that this story could be dramatized for the musical stage.
Like its predecessors, Evita began life as a “concept
album,” released in 1976. Two years later, it appeared on the stage in London’s
West End and a year later on Broadway, where it ran for over 1500 performances.
It became the first British musical to win the Best Musical Tony and established
Broadway stardom for Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, who won Tonys in their
roles as Eva and Che. Numerous revivals have been staged since then, in a wide
variety of countries and languages, as well as a 1996 film starring Madonna, Antonio
Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce.
The current STC production demonstrates why the musical is
rarely revived outside of the professional theatre: it is a huge production.
The play’s program lists over 30 performers and 18 musicians with 27 musical
numbers. The “running crew” includes more than two dozen.
When entering the theatre for this production, the audience
sees Evita’s iconic white gown suspended in mid-air. We begin with “Requiem for
Evita,” sung by the ensemble, lamenting the passing of their idol in 1952. A
character appears called Che, who functions as a quasi-narrator along the lines
of similar dramatic creations (two examples from this past year include the Narrator/Mysterious
Man in Into the Woods and the Reciter in Pacific Overtures). Che
might be seen as the Argentina-born Cuban revolutionary, though that appears to
be coincidental.
We go back in time to 1934 and see young Eva Duarte at 15,
fatherless and impoverished, living in a small town. She catches the eye of a
visiting musician, Augustin Magaldi, who takes her to Buenos Aires. (Through
today’s lens, we see this as child trafficking, though the musical suggests
that Eva is using Magaldi to escape her circumstances just as much if not more
than Magaldi is using her.) She goes through a succession of lovers, seemingly
working her way up the chain until she focuses on General Juan Perón. Perón’s
hold on power is tenuous, but Eva convinces him that they belong together, singing that “I’d be
surprisingly good for you.” Together, championing the oppressed descamisados
(shirtless ones), they promise “A New Argentina” as the curtain comes down on
Act I.
Act II begins with President-Elect Perón and his first lady greeting their supporters in 1946. Eva claims that her journey is for the people, not her own aggrandizement, and sings the production’s most famous number, “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.” Having consolidated their power in Argentina, Eva determines that there are other worlds to be conquered. She sets out on a European tour, receiving less and less adoration at each stop. Franco’s Spain welcomes her, but Perón’s administration reminds Italians of Mussolini. Still, she manages to meet with the pope. The French are less welcoming and the British incur her wrath because her visit is scheduled for a “minor” castle (she sings, “Argentina’s First Lady deserves Buckingham Palace!”).
But Eva’s health is failing. She withdraws a bit from the
public eye, but sets up a foundation to do good works. In fact, Eva and Perón
are bankrupting the country. Perón’s status is in jeopardy. Eva addresses the
country by radio before she dies and the country mourns. Che notes that funds
were raised for a memorial to Eva, though only the pedestal was completed.
Later, her body was mysteriously taken from its resting place.
For all its range and scope, the cast essentially is composed of only five characters (Eva, Perón, Che, Magaldi, and Perón’s Mistress) plus the ensemble. In this production, it is the ensemble who keeps the action moving and who attain the greatest degree of empathy from the audience. This ensemble provided a welcome Argentinian atmosphere through more extensive choreography than is usually associated with Evita (thanks to co-choreographers Emily Maltby and Valeria Solomonoff). The ensemble, including two young girls, was largely effective vocally, thanks to music supervisor Karen Blodgette and music director Mona Seyed-Bolorforosh, though there were moments when lyrics were lost. Gabriel Burrafato as Magaldi and Naomi Serrano as Perón’s Mistress make the most of their brief appearances. Caesar Samayoa (whom I remember well from his appearances in Come From Away) demonstrated a stronger vocal presence as Perón than I anticipated based on his role in CFA, especially in his declaration of love for Eva in “She Is a Diamond.”
Omar Lopez-Cepero as Che moves easily between his roles as narrator and participant. I would like for Che to show more intensity and power. One of the best moments of the production is in “Waltz for Eva and Che.”
Eva is an extremely challenging role (on Broadway, different actresses played matinee and evening performances). Eva is the “hero” of the story, but Shereen Pimentel’s performance does not elicit as much empathy from the audience as it should. Pimentel sings most of her songs at the same fever pitch so that her tone approaches shrill. There is no gentleness, no vulnerability until we begin to see the signs of her failing health. As an example, when Eva is seducing Perón, there is no sign of coquettishness or playfulness, which would perhaps have appealed to him more than a full-frontal attack.
The production’s greatest assets are its visual elements. Jason Sherwood's scenic design creates a huge frame in which the action occurs; only Che, narrating, and Eva in her final moments “break” the frame by stepping outside it. The basic stage configuration includes several moveable arches, which the ensemble uses well. And the “wall” of flowers in which Eva sings “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” fills the stage with Eva not just at center stage, but in the center of the frame: a truly outstanding sight. Bravo!
Bradley King’s lighting design works perfectly with the framing device, using a range of colors to support the action on the stage. Costume designer Alejo Vietti effectively chooses a palate of muted colors (browns and grays) for the ensemble, which makes Eva’s white costumes stand out all the more, while at the same time differentiating the characters’ social classes.
Director Sammi Cannold directed the Kennedy Center’s Broadway Concert Series production of Sunset Boulevard (another Lloyd Webber musical) earlier this year, as well as Rent in Concert with the National Symphony Orchestra. In a recent Washington Post article, she asks, “How do we evaluate the legacy of somebody who is often called a slut and a whore but whose journey started as a 15-year-old being taken advantage of by a 36-year-old? And how did that color the relationships or interactions that she had with men throughout the rest of her life?”
Those are noble thoughts, but I saw little evidence
of that in this production: as stated earlier, the circumstances appear (to me)
that Eva’s skill at manipulating men was already in play at 15. No doubt,
Cannold has a promising future as a director, but her productions need more
focus in order to convey her vision.
A note: the production uses the Spanish pronunciation
of “Argentina,” with an “h” sound instead of the “j” or soft “g” sound as
pronounced in American English: thus “Are-hen-tee-na,” rather than “Are-jen-tee-na.”
It took my ear a bit to get used to the pronunciation, but cheers to
this company for their commitment to authenticity.
Despite my reservations, the production is a
must-see for Lloyd Webber aficionados, who will no doubt thrill to the
musical’s rich, soaring score.
Omar Lopez-Cepero as Che with the cast of Evita at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Photo credit: DJ Corey Photography.
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