Reviewed 12/6/05
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Broadway touring shows are ranked as A and B tours because sometimes the quality is less than impressive. People tend to assume the worst, but there’s a production of Rice and Weber’s seminal 1979 musical drama Evita that lives up to M&I Bank’s moniker of Broadway in Arizona. The production currently running at ASU’s Gammage Auditorium is amazingly close to the production I saw as a teen on Broadway. Larry Fuller has faithfully reproduced most of Harold Prince’s original Broadway direction and added even more impressive choreography than I remember. While the chorus is markedly smaller and not quite as professionally in synch, they are extremely energetic and focused on the work. The three leads, Sarah Litzsinger as Eva, Keith Byron Kirk as Che, and Philip Hernandez as Juan Peron, are strong and bring their own interesting choices to roles that were indelibly stamped by their original creators. James Fouchard’s tour set and the costumes are faithful recreations of Tim O’Brien’s originals, too. This is a production that is worth every cent paid to see it.
Litzsinger, a professional with impressive credentials, is
a diminutive woman with a pitch perfect voice that fills the cavernous auditorium.
She transforms the character of Eva from early teen seductress through social
climber to self-obsessed monarch, making the rise and fall of Argentina’s post WWII queen fetchingly
human. Kirk is larger than life as the young Che. He’s not the right
age for the role, a stretch in looking like the famed revolutionary, and he
plays the role with a tipping toward histrionics, and yet despite a leaning
toward scenery chewing, his energy and impressive stage presence outweighs
all of the potential problems. When he starts wailing during “The Money
Keeps Rolling In (and Out),” he channels the rage of the descamisados of
Argentina under the yoke of Peronism. Hernandez’ Juan Peron is a younger,
sexier, more vibrant offering, and his scenes working the crowd and revealing
trepidations to Eva are expertly handled.
Andrew Ragone’s Magaldi is a scream, milking his troubadour’s trillings for all of their comedy without becoming annoying. Heidi Dean’s Mistress is a more beaten-down creation, but her rendition of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” is chilling and sad.
Elaine Davidson’s 12-piece orchestra sounds like a much larger group and Richard Winkler’s lighting is outstanding. However, there’s no way to avoid mentioning an opening night situation that proves that theatre is a collaborative art and even those with what they imagine the smallest roles can have a huge effect on the show. I cannot give you a name, but the lead follow spot operator seemed bound and determined to avoid the lead actors during most of their solos. Between incorrect gels, wide-right aiming, consistent cutting off of heads and half bodies, and the occasional completely missed cue, this nearly perfect show was visually hampered. This wasn’t a small thing; most everyone around me took to muttering as yet another body was illuminated without showing the actor’s head. By intermission, I was ready to go up and take over for the inept operator.
Sometimes corners are cut and performances are walked through after a lengthy tour, but that is certainly not the case with this tour. I heartily recommend this excellent production, an example of an A+ tour.
