#1
Posted: 6/4/06 at 4:25am
Saw an early preview last night. This is a very straightforward production which lacked the imagination of the original. However, I did think the set and the lighting, in particular, were stunning. Elena Roger gave an uneven performance. I thought she captured a real vulnerability to begin with and her character was developed well as the show moved on. She struggled at times with some of the phrasing (particularly in 'Rainbow Tour'), but her 'Surprisingly Good For You' was wonderful. She looked perfect, the right age, too, for the early scenes. Overall, I really liked her. Matt Rawle as Che sings this role so incredibly well and I hope he gets to record it. He lacks direction at times, but he's never better than in 'High Flying, Adored'. Gorgeous. Philip Quast as Peron is perfect both in terms of voice and performance. His character is so well developed and he was terrific in the later scenes when Eva becomes ill, capturing the bewilderment of 'so what happens now?' 'You Must Love Me' is included in the show and works really well.
The new orchestrations are wonderful; they, along with the set and costumes set the production firmly in time and place. Some of the staging lacked originality - examples being 'Rainbow High' and 'The Money Kept Rolling In'. 'Buenos Aires' was great (Rob Ashford's sharp choreography) as was 'Another Suitcase, Another Hall'. The simplicity of the latter was a lovely moment in the show; again, the lighting was stunning. Another highlight was Eva's balcony entrance. So much more dramatic than the original. She looked incredible in the dress, giving her entrance a 'dream-like' quality.
This production was very much from 'Eva's perspective; you got very little of the political undertones and this threw the actual story a little off-balance, particularly in 'A New Argentina', which lacked impact. As a result, the story missed much of its 'edge' and some of Che's dialogue didn't pack the punch it should have done. I understand that this production had to be as different as possible from the original and it really is and in many ways there is much to commend it. Overall, it will be interesting to see if others think this is the revival we've waited for.
(Edit - Oops, should've posted this on the West End Board)
The new orchestrations are wonderful; they, along with the set and costumes set the production firmly in time and place. Some of the staging lacked originality - examples being 'Rainbow High' and 'The Money Kept Rolling In'. 'Buenos Aires' was great (Rob Ashford's sharp choreography) as was 'Another Suitcase, Another Hall'. The simplicity of the latter was a lovely moment in the show; again, the lighting was stunning. Another highlight was Eva's balcony entrance. So much more dramatic than the original. She looked incredible in the dress, giving her entrance a 'dream-like' quality.
This production was very much from 'Eva's perspective; you got very little of the political undertones and this threw the actual story a little off-balance, particularly in 'A New Argentina', which lacked impact. As a result, the story missed much of its 'edge' and some of Che's dialogue didn't pack the punch it should have done. I understand that this production had to be as different as possible from the original and it really is and in many ways there is much to commend it. Overall, it will be interesting to see if others think this is the revival we've waited for.
(Edit - Oops, should've posted this on the West End Board)
...fragment of the day...
Updated On: 6/4/06 at 04:25 AM
