It maybe a stretch to call a dinner theatre production of a 22-year old musical a daring proposition, but in the case of Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre's current production of the Rice and Webber rock opera, Evita, the daring is in the details. The producing Prather family has chosen this politically and sexually charged musical for only their fourth production in their still-fledgling space. The are presenting it on the tail end of the season, when other companies are winding down and going into hibernation as the mercury rises. Even more impressive, Director M. Seth Reines has chosen to present the show without cuts in deference to their East Mesa location. These facts allow for the daringness of its production. Here's the kicker, though; where the first three shows have been fleet of foot and thin of voice, this production, recognizing the limited requirements of dance, has cast full-voiced performers that are able to expertly vocalize, and occasionally even improvise the challenging score. That's not all the good news, as the dinner part of the evening's experience was every bit as good as the theatre. Following the disappointment I felt with their last production and food offerings, the company has once again made a believer of me.
The food offerings have taken a definite turn for the better, as the Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Chipolte cream sauce and the Braized Jerk Porkloin are the highlight of the main courses, and the surprisingly crisp Mediterranean Blend Vegetables and Sweet Corn with Cilantro Butter offset the somewhat mushy Black Bean Wild Rice with Dried Cherries and unimpressive Pasta Primavera. A good chocolate cream pie has been added to the dessert table, which calmed my friends concerns about the limited quantities of chocolate ordinarily available.
Reins and Set Designer John C. Rager follow the cues of the original Broadway production by utilizing a fixed walkway and stairs and the Brechtian presentational style developed by Hal Prince. That isn't to say that Reins has decided to offer a fair copy of the original production, as he has brought in flourishes of his own. For example, he uses Act I's seduction Tango Dancers (Mireille Gineste and Nathaniel Keuter excellently presenting the choreography of Millie Garvey) in Act II to perform the "Waltz for Eva and Ché." He also finds a way during two crucial moments to bring the audience into the action. He has kept the performers moving at a military clip, and finds many interesting stage pictures. Some other of Garvey's dance offerings, especially "Peron's Latest Flame" and "And the Money Kept Rolling In" tend to be repetitious and static, but no one goes to Evita to tap their toes. They're there to see a great trio of Eva, Ché, and Peron. On that point, BPW has not disappointed.
Leading the show is Kathrynne Haack, a veteran of European and American tours of Evita. While she seems a bit uneasy during the first part of the show, as the character begins to evolve, Haack takes command. Her beautiful voice and commanding stage presence bring life to this dictatorial queen. When she takes the stage in Ruben Permel's gorgeous nation gown to sing the signature "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina", the audience is witnessing an event edging toward the level of a national tour. Haack and Musical Director and Orchestrator JR McAlexander find places to add a few improvised trills and chords to the songs, a welcome choice to those of us who can practically imitate Patti LuPone's recording.
Jeremy Johnson is a softer Ché, not quite as biting and angst-ridden as some would portray him, but that does not mean his performance suffers from the choice. His beautiful voice and high energy keep him an excellent commentator on the action. Recent local transplant Edward Mitchell cuts an imposing figure as Eva's puppet, Colonel Peron. His full, rich, and deep voice and barrel-chested bravado mark this as one of the best presentations of Peron I've seen. The three leads all have great stage presence, and connect to their characters and each other perfectly.
The ensemble is the strongest vocally of any that have trotted BPW's boards, but they're not the strongest of dancers. Leading the ensemble, Jenny Fellner gives a heartrendingly good performance as Peron's usurped mistress, sweetly singing "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" quite effectively. While lacking a certain amount of charisma, Seth Wyatt Kinney is still solid as Eva's first male stairstep, Magaldi. The remaining ensemble are in the moment, strongly singing the choral parts of the show, highlighted in "A New Argentina."
Rager's set is very effective, and Russell A. Thompson's lighting handles each situation and mood expertly. Permel's costumes all appear authentically period and location-specific, while McAlexander's orchestra is spot on.
This is the best and most balanced production yet in Broadway Palm West's fledgling season in the Valley. When faced with difficult artistic material (for a dinner theatre), they haven't blunted the force of the show, and that endears this company to my heart. I only hope they won't be scorched by the heat and the departure of the area's fickle snowbirds.
Production Details:
Evita Music by Andrew Lloyd
Webber, Lyrics by Tim Rice
Broadway Palm West
Dinner Theatre, Mesa
(For a map to location,
click this
link)
(480) 325-6700
April 25th - June 8th, 2002