Evita started life as a rock opera concept album in 1976. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice then approached Harold Prince and he agreed to direct the stage production. It opened on the West End in 1978 with Elaine Page playing Eva and hit 3,176 performances. The Broadway production with Patti LuPone hit 1,567. And the money kept rolling in.
In Sydney in 2018 Tina Arena steps into the Christian Dior shoes for one of the most anticipated events this year. The question is does the production live up to the hype. The answer is, sadly, not really.
Its a great opening, a large cinema screen showing an Argentinian movie dominating the stage – we are watching from behind it. The film suddenly cuts out, a voice announces the passing of First Lady Eva Perón and the wailing begins. The screen rises to reveal the outpouring of grief. As the performers freeze, the screen continues to show actual black and white images of the Argentinians mourning. Each image is mirrored somewhere in the montage before us. Its a creative and impacting start to the show and the emotional impact is heightened with ‘Requiem’ booming out and the coffin and funeral procession taking the stage.
The mood is broken as the cigar puffing Che [Kurt Kansley] steps in to set the record straight on ‘Saint Eva’. Its a great start but from here the show gets a little lost. For most of the show we have a bare, minimalist set with small token items like beds and lecterns being wheeled on, often in blackouts giving a slightly amateurish feel to the whole thing. For a big budget production with A Reserve tickets at $240 and Premium at $300 this seemed a little austere. Direction felt a little lacklustre. One wished Harold prince could have come out to Sydney to rattle the cage a little. Projected images continued through the show. slowly losing their impact.
Moments were rushed and relationships were shallow. The song ‘You Must Love Me’ was written by Andrew Loyd webber and Time Rice for the film version in 1996 and has been inserted into stage productions ever since. It was written to give more depth to Eva’s emotional state and explore her relationship with her husband. In this production she simply turns to the audience after a song with Che and starts to sing it. There is no lead in and no clear understanding of why she is singing the song. Perón steps on to stage-left into a spotlight in the final notes as if he had missed a cue.
Kurt Kansley [Che] was the standout performer. His worked hard on stage to give the production some chutzpah. The opening scenes felt a little under energised but he warmed into the production quickly. His accent was excellent if not a little too heavy on the consonants. Overall accents were very good, except for Eva (Tina Arena) who did not have one at all, or at best a hint of one. This was an interesting choice, I assume this was a choice. It was either an inability to do the accent or an attempt to raise Eva above everyone around her. Whatever the reason it was not clear and so added to the overall vagueness of direction.
Tina Arena has a beautiful voice but we rarely got to see how far she could go with it. We had some glimpses and they were glorious but it felt like she was being held back. Everything just felt restrained. Event the dramatic ‘Don’t Cry For me Argentina‘ seemed subdued. The anticipation for this song sits over the production and the build up as Eva walks towards the microphone is palpable. The song starts slow and subdued, filled with emotion and expectation but that is where it stayed. The ‘gear change’ that feels about to happen, never quite eventuates and the most soaring part of the song is the swelling orchestration at its conclusion. This restraint applied to the performance as well. Eve became distant and we never quite managed to connect with her emotionally. The mediocrity of emotion fell across the main roles. There was no chemistry between anyone, nor tension. We did not really care for them. Even the ‘musical chairs’ choreographed ‘A new Argentina’ felt flat and uninspired.
What really kicked was when the ensemble stepped in. The numbers soared, the power of the voices and the urgency underneath the lyrics started to raise hairs on the arms and showed how much potential was on that stage. Another stand out moment was the choreography in the wonderful ‘Perón’s Latest Flame’. The precision and the design was impressive and maximised the open space of the minimalist set.
Special mention to the wonderful performance of Alexis Van Maanen. It’s a tough role as the Mistress. An unknown body, lying on the bed as it is wheeled onto the stage. We see her – Eva kicks her out. She has no dialogue, she simply walks out the door, turns to the audience and sings ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’ and then walks off stage. She nailed it. A gorgeous voice, a loaded emotion and one of the standout moments of the production.
Paulo Szot gave a strong performance as Perón. His rich voice and powerful stage presence gave gravitas to the role. Michael Falzon gave a good performance as the tango singer who brings Eva to Buenos Aires. In the short, second rendition of ‘On This Night Of A Thousand Stars’ we get to hear just how wonderful his voice is and wish we could have heard more.
Overall the production was OK, just OK. My partner and I left with a feeling of deflation having entered with a feeling of excited expectation.
Lynden Jones – Theatre Now
Photography: Jeff Busby
EVITA
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
13th Sept-3rd Nov 2018
Tues–Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed & Sat 1pm, Sun 3pm
Venue: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Theatre Company: Opera Australia and John Frost in association with David Ian Productions.
Duration: 2 hours & 18 mins, including interval
With more than 20 major awards to its credit, the original Broadway and West End production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical EVITA opens in September 2018, directed by legendary Broadway director Hal Prince and starring Tina Arena.
EVITA charts the story of Eva Peron, wife of Argentine dictator Juan Peron, from her humble beginnings through to the extraordinary wealth, power and status which ultimately led her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’ by the Argentine people.
Featuring some of the best loved songs in musical theatre, including Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, On This Night of a Thousand Stars and Another Suitcase in Another Hall, this smash hit show promises to be THE THEATRICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR! Please note that the role of Eva Perón will be played by Tina Arena for the majority of shows throughout the season.
Due to the requirements of the role, for one performance per week Jemma Rix has been scheduled to play the role of Eva Perón.
Please refer to the below dates, when Jemma Rix is scheduled to perform:
20 September 2018 at 7:30pm
26 September 2018 at 7:30pm
3 October 2018 at 7:30pm
10 October 2018 at 7:30pm
14 October 2018 at 1pm
17 October 2018 at 7:30pm
24 October 2018 at 7:30pm
30 October 2018 at 1pm
31 October 2018 at 7:30pm
Note: The Producers of Evita cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and leave arrangements.
