Outside, musicians in tuxedos sporting roses on their lapels protested the eight-person orchestra enhanced by what they called a "virtual pit orchestra." In the lobby, Theater League's President Mark Edelman countered, calling it a "musical enhancement system." And onstage, Sha Newman's production of Evita played on. And on. And on. This musical is my favorite Rice and Webber creation, and one of the first "wall of music" musical/operas of the '80s and '90s that may still prove to be the death-knell of American Musical Theatre. While not overwhelmingly deep or subtle, the show does have a wonderful mix that brings Latin American Marxist Revolutionary icon Che Guevara face-to-face with right-wing Argentina's Nationalist icon Eva Duarte de Perón. In the hands of Ms. Newman, and her stars Valerie Perri and Stef Tovar, the musical lowers subtlety to the level of the Eva Duarte B-movie that opens the show.
Chronicling the life of Eva Duarte, Rice and Weber take us from her youth in a poor Argentine town through her successes as a radio and film star, until her marriage to Colonel Juan Perón and their rise and fall in Argentine politics. This is an unflattering look at a woman who slept her way to the top, then forgot her roots as she became a shrewish, power-hungry queen. A young Che Guevara, whose disgust at Perónism colors his commentary, observes all of this. It has some great songs, including "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina," "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," and "High Flying, Adored."
Ms. Newman's choreography is wonderful. She uses quite a bit of Hal Prince's original staging, and keeps the show moving briskly. Her interpretation of the performance comes across more like a Latino Variety Show, though. She allows Mr. Tovar to mug shamelessly, playing Che peeved and ironic rather than disgusted and revolted. His voice is weak, made all the more worse by his failing mike in Mark Cowburn's awful Sound Design, and he dances as well as a man in combat boots can. Ms. Perri, who is simply too old for the role, looking and acting much more than Eva's ultimate 33 years, is an excellent belter and wonderful dancer, but overacts, seeming to fear the audience not understanding her character. Trust us, we get it. The best performance from a lead is that of David Wasson as the hesitant Juan Perón. He has an impressive voice, a commanding stature, and only overplays his character part of the time, much less than his compatriots.
The show is at its best during Ms. Newman's group numbers, where the liveliness belongs. When on its feet, the Latin beat of the songs and the military clip of its pacing work well together.
Opening night for this touring show proved to be a technical nightmare. The slides and films on the central projection screen, integral to this minimalist show, were off-cue or uncentered. Kim Killingsworth's lights seemed out of synch. The mikes were malfunctioning. Ken Holamon's Scenic Design, almost a complete recreation of the original London and Broadway productions, was the only thing unaffected by gremlins.
The orchestra? Lloyd Cooper's Musical Direction of the eight-piece band is all right. Can you tell it's enhanced? Yes. Is it terrible? No. It's not exactly muzak, but when the actors stumbled, as they did on occasion, it was up to them to catch up. That's what really sucks: the performer must follow the machine, and that's a shame. This "musical enhancement system" may give the illusion of a forty-piece orchestra, but nothing will effectively replace breath, muscle, mind, and heart.
For those who have not seen this show before, or who have not memorized the OBCR by thousands of replays, you may enjoy yourself. It's certainly closer to original intentions than the movie. If, on the other hand, you fear seeing Evita played at times like a novella on Telemundo, don't bother.
Production Details:
Evita Lyrics by Tim Rice,
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Theater League
The Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix
(602) 952-2881
October 4th - 10th, 2000