Ricky Martin Will Be In "Evita"- Page 3

[sanda]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 12:28am

I never liked the show but Ricky Martin may pull me to catch it. I am sure he will be perfect.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 12:30am

"I don't think Karen Olivo could handle Evita vocally."

And neither can Elena Roger. Your point?

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:22pm

"And neither can Elena Roger. Your point?

With all due respect ljay889, Elena Roger CAN handle the role vocally. I saw her TWICE and she just blew me away with her performance. She was phenomenal.

If you're judging her by the cast recording then don't. A recording doesn't give you the whole performance.

The opposite can be said about Miss Olivo in WSS. I loved her on the recording but LIVE ON STAGE she just didn't cut it AT ALL.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:25pm

^ That's fine, I respect your opinion. But others on here have said that Elena's vocals were not much better live. Some said she sounded strained when they saw it.
I didn't see her though, so I can't judge for myself. But I sure will next year.
Updated On: 3/13/10 at 01:25 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:29pm

As a Puerto Rican I totally understand where muscle is coming from in regards to Karen Olivo not being right for the role of EVITA.

He's correct. Karen Olivo maybe Latina but she's just not right for the part: physically. She's way too dark for the part and if you plop on a blonde wig on her...forget it, she'd look downright ridiculous.

Besides, I doubt she possesses the vocal strengths to sustain such a vocally demanding role.


Updated On: 3/13/10 at 01:29 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:43pm

It's funny how most on this board seem to believe the english speaking recording market is the center of the universe as far as recorded music goes.

Ricky Martin's recording career has never derailed. He has continued making great music. He has continued to sell millions of records and sell out concerts despite what those on here choose to believe.

His personal life is his personal life and there are those that take issue with how he is handling it but at the end of the day it is HIS life and none of our business and we have no say so in the matter. But to judge someone's talent solely on how someone chooses to live their life is ridiculous.

His music has always been supported. He still has an immensely strong following in a career that has spanned some 20+ years.

Those of you who clearly know him as "that guy who sang Livin' La Vida Loca" have no idea what you are talking about.

The Latino community has always supported Ricky Martin, is music and his unselfish humanitarian efforts and he will always be a source of pride for us.

And yes, I believe he can pull this role off and it will be just another example of what a truly gifted performer he is.

[Q]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:51pm

*applauds Marquise*

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 8:17pm

Wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVPwvzgtiXg

But I bet she is "too dark" for some of you people too!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 8:21pm

Wow, indeed!! A potential Eva Peron who can sing the score and is young enough to be convincing in the early scenes! Nah, they'll never cast her...we're getting a screamer instead!

With all due respect ljay889, Elena Roger CAN handle the role vocally.

With all due respect, I have seen nothing to indicate she can. The video I linked below certainly doesn't give me a lot of confidence. Those high notes are PAINFUL. Absolutely painful.
A New Argentina Updated On: 3/13/10 at 08:21 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 11:59pm

Mandy is not too dark and could pass for Evita. BUT although she is vocally very talented, I don't think she is right for the role though.

I'm not the biggest fan of Elena Roger either, but then again I just saw her as Piaf, and she wasn't using her authentic voice.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 12:05am

Is Karen REALLY that much darker than Mandy?





Yes, Mandy is lighter. But I don't see a drastic difference.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 12:09am

I think this whole argument about the complexion of someone's skin making them right or wrong for the role is ridiculous. Given the many historical liberties the show takes, I doubt anyone would care if the actress playing Eva has a slightly darker complexion, as long as she can sing and act. The "look" isn't even all that important since it's not really a biographical piece to begin with. It's more "suggested" by the life of Eva Peron than "based" on it.

People are treating this like casting Karen Olivo would be akin to casting Cheyenne Jackson and Sutton Foster as Porgy and Bess. Updated On: 3/14/10 at 12:09 AM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 12:18am

It's not about her skin color, it's about the fact that she is mixed Dominica, Chinese, Native American and is very exotic looking, and although she is gorgeous and talented, she is just not who I would choose to play Evita, that's all.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 12:53am

EVITA is not that loosely based on Eva Perón. If anything, it's fact-based, meaning all the facts are there. It's not like THE KING AND I where Anna Leonowen's adventures are a far cry from the real Anna Edwards Owens. Take it from someone who's studied Eva Perón's life and death.

That said, Karen Olivo is physically and vocally wrong for the part. Get over it.

[Brick]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 12:56am

This complexion discussion is extremely distasteful.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 1:15am

Please stop saying "exotic."

[Q]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 1:33am

I suppose Audra is out of the question.

Because of her age, of course.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 3:31am

Fact-based? Really? I wasn't aware Che Guevara spent his youth stalking Eva Peron.

Apparently colorblind casting only exists so that white actors and Tony-winning minorities can play any character they want, and everyone else should be typecast down to the exact nationality of the character.

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 4:28am

exotic

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 4:39am

Don't make me tell everyone how you were super-late to meet me at Gaia.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 10:55am

orangeskittles, are you really that dumb? Fact-based as in, Eva left home at 15 (there are 3 versions how she did it, the show chose one) to pursue an acting career in the big city. She became a model, radio actress, and eventually a film actress, with the aid of her brother and several influential men. She met Perón at a benefit for earthquake victims, gave his teenage mistress the boot, Perón paraded her around (unlike his previous mistresses) causing the aristocracy and especially the military to disdain her. One major event the musical doesn't portray is Perón's arrest and eventual rescue by the workers, which became a big holiday in Argentina ("Loyalty Day") and earned them the nickname "descamisados" ("shirtless ones"). Then after Perón was elected, Eva took an increasingly active role in running the state, again much to the disdain of the military. She traveled to Europe, came back and opened her own charity fund after the aristocratic women refused to accept her as honorary president, as was tradition with all first ladies. She also tried to run for vice president, but due to her increasing illness and much opposition from the military she had to withdraw. She dies, has a big state funeral, the end. One gripe I have the show is that it doesn't really present or mention much of Eva's political career. For instance, she helped get women the right to vote, then later established the women's branch of the Peronist Party and appointed female judges and mayors and such. She also unofficially took over the duties of the vice president and ran the ministries of Health and Labor, controlled the radios/newspapers, as well as the trade unions (CGT). She had much more political influence than the musical would have you believe. Her bid for the vice presidency was just a way to legitimize her achievements.

As for the Ché character, of course that was artistic license. He and Eva never personally met, but being an Argentine citizen he knew of her, naturally. In fact, one time he wrote to her charity pleading for a motorbike as a joke, which was denied. His family was quite affluent (he was a medical student at the time of her death), so of course they were anti-Peronism. This is one of the reasons ALW and Rice chose him as the everyman, but mainly because by that time he had also become a cult hero of sorts.

Capiche?

Updated On: 3/14/10 at 10:55 AM

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 5:28pm

The people who really need to "get over it" are the ones throwing around the names of Karen Olivo, Mandy Gonzalez, for the role of 'Eva Perón. The role has been cast already and it's Elena Roger.

Punto y se acabó.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 5:34pm

But will there be an alternate?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 5:45pm

Of course there will be. Roger can't sing the role 6 times a week, let alone 8.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/14/10 at 5:48pm

See, BWW can still fight over that.