Saw this tonight. After seeing this, I concluded that there is probably no way to totally screw-up Evita, because I enjoyed myself, moreso in the second act, despite its being IMO a very mediocre production.
Performances and story / score aside, I thought this was really amateurish. I should note that I saw a production at the Asolo Theater in Sarasota, FL a few years ago -- I guess pre-Covid -- that was spectacularly good, so I have a recent image of a much better production. On a smaller scale than the original Broadway production, I still enjoyed it every bit as much as the original (which I saw multiple times), because it was just so well done.
Where to begin. First of all, I thought they were trying to break a record for the fastest production of Evita possible...it just seemed rushed, to its detriment. A lot of bad directorial decisions were made. The early scene where people react to the news of Eva's death was really boring, something I would have thought was impossible to do. I also thought that A New Argentina lacked the excitement of other productions I have seen...I do believe that it was also negatively impacted by the set, which just felt closed in, this in contrast to other productions which performed this number with no set at all. It was plain cluttered. Also, what was the deal with the mini-me Che...to me, it was as bad a creative decision as last year's decision to have the performers mug to the audience just in case they had not gotten the point that the script was trying to make.
In terms of production values, costumes and lighting were fine, but it had an absolutely horrible set design. In the first scene -- we were seated 6th row center -- there was this thing in front of us that looked like it was filled with wads of tissue paper...we could not figure out what it was. Eventually, we concluded it was supposed to be flowers. During the Don't Cry number, a succession of (I think) 11 rows of these things descended from the ceiling (I think some may have been elevated from the stage floor) to create a series of steps, essentially draped in flowers. I guess they spent their scenery budget on this effect, which was probably expensive and really, really ugly. This was only exceeded in bad design by the excessive use of neon throughout the show. Just horrible. On a positive note, the choreography was very good, making use of tango extensively. There was one duet danced while Evita and Peron were singing I'd be Surprisingly Good for You that was so damn good that you wanted it to go on longer than the song permitted. So, if they really are thinking Broadway, they should replace the director and keep the choreographer,
No programs, so I don't know the names of anyone in the cast. I thought the actors playing Evita and Che were both excellent. Evita had a very strong voice, fully capable of doing the score justice. Despite that, I still felt that she was miscast...she never felt like a woman ranging in age from late teens to 32. She also didn't feel like a woman who slept her way to the top. My wife thought her voice was wrong for Evita; I thought she was just different from the Evita's we have seen in the past...several times, her voice sounded like she could have sequed into some famous aria for a mezzo-soprano. Of all the Che's I have seen (7 - 
, tonight's performance was top tier. He had enormous charisma and sang the role very well. That said, his role seemed smaller somehow, although I don't remember anything of his being cut. The woman who sang Another Suitcase was as good as anyone I have ever seen in the role (other than perhaps in Sarasota (slight changes were made to have Evita sing that song).
The real issue is that, unless it is changed drastically, it will never be a hit on Broadway. After the last flop, I doubt the creators want to see a second flop in a row. They should decide to let it end in Cambridge or go back to the directorial / production design drawing board.
Updated On: 7/7/23 at 12:40 AM
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