Hal Prince's EVITA Aims for Broadway? — Page 2

GeorgeandDot said: "I wonder if Lady Gaga could sing the whole score.  She's got a great voice decent acting chops and certainly has star presence.  She'd be perfect for the part, but I'm not sure if she could hit all of the top notes.  Plus she'd sell like Bette Midler."

 

Of course she could sing it. Despite being perfect for the role, I don't see her ever playing it. The hateful Madonna comparisons would come back with a vengeance.

So much craziness in this thread. Evita would not be played by a 68-year-old Patti Lupone, as if the role could be cast like Mame or Dolly. Also, back at the turn of the 20th century, Argentina was one of the world's 10 richest countries, and European immigrants came to the country by the thousands, particularly from England, France, Italy and Germany. The result is that Argentineans are often pretty indistinguishable from most North Americans, and do not conform to what most Americans think of as a "Latin look." So sure, Mandy Gonzalez or Eden Espinoza are fine, but the role is not inappropriately cast should they go for a "white girl." And last I checked, Elaine Paige, Terri Klausner, Nancy Opel, Derin Altay and Loni Ackerman are all very white. 

As long as they don't cast someone like Elena Roger.  Her voice was quite underwhelming.  Whoever plays her should have a strong voice, I think.  I was there at the first preview of the 2012 revival.  

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the 2012 revival. I saw it twice, once with Christina Decicco and once with Roger, and enjoyed their performances, flaws and all. Roger's voice isn't great but I found her performance to be visceral. The set was gorgeous and Grandage's direction impressed me at points--especially leading up to Buenos Aires. 

I hope this happens!

Javier Munoz as Che? 

Well, the simple fact is that Prince understands how to make the material interesting on stage as opposed to interesting on record. One of the major problems with musicals that begin as "concept albums" is that the tend to be expository, which was the chief issue with the last revival (this is also why I believe Jesus Christ Superstar has never had a successful production - albeit for the opposite reason: Evita needs a concept, Superstar is hindered by one). Prince knew this and, with minimal rewrites, created an extraordinary and theatrically thrilling event that made Evita into a concept musical as opposed to a narrative musical. Even the Times, who didn't like the show that much, recognized the strength of Prince's direction while condemning the vague strokes Rice drew the primary characters in.

The revival tried to soften the role of Evita, make her more "likeable". This doesn't work with the character as written, and all it did was stop her from belting the more thrilling notes of the score, instead moving to falsetto. The addition of "You Must Love Me" is unnecessary and gives Eva three big ballads in act two, for no reason. Besides, it's a song added for a diva in the film version, hoping to get an Oscar, and it shows. It doesn't blend with the rest of the score (along with Superstar, Webber's most cohesive) and what does it really add to the story? Another generic pop song? I wouldn't have been surprised had I learned Glenn Slater had served as lyricist as opposed to Rice.

Sally Durant Plummer said: "Well, the simple fact is that Prince understands how to make the material interesting on stage as opposed to interesting on record. One of the major problems with musicals that begin as "concept albums" is that the tend to be expository, which was the chief issue with the last revival (this is also why I believe Jesus Christ Superstar has never had a successful production - albeit for the opposite reason: Evita needs a concept, Superstar is hindered by one). Prince knew this and, with minimal rewrites, created an extraordinary and theatrically thrilling event that made Evita into a concept musical as opposed to a narrative musical. Even the Times, who didn't like the show that much, recognized the strength of Prince's direction while condemning the vague strokes Rice drew the primary characters in.

The revival tried to soften the role of Evita, make her more "likeable". This doesn't work with the character as written, and all it did was stop her from belting the more thrilling notes of the score, instead moving to falsetto. The addition of "You Must Love Me" is unnecessary and gives Eva three big ballads in act two, for no reason. Besides, it's a song added for a diva in the film version, hoping to get an Oscar, and it shows. It doesn't blend with the rest of the score (along with Superstar, Webber's most cohesive) and what does it really add to the story? Another generic pop song? I wouldn't have been surprised had I learned Glenn Slater had served as lyricist as opposed to Rice.

"

Sally - appreciate your thoughts on this... you made some interesting points I hadn't really thought about.  I suppose my appreciation of "Evita" started in the 90's when I first got interested in ALW/theatre.  Had seen Aspects of Love (and really loved it) so I started going back and listening to the other scores.  And the music of Evita really caught me pretty quickly.  Soon after I saw a production of Evita done by a University that was following the Hal Prince Direction/production.  And not too long after the movie started coming into fruition.   

To me, the movie succeeded only because expectations were so low for Madonna and for a "movie-musical".  (People tend to forget that at the time, this was the first movie musical done in ages... let alone a sung-through 2hour plus musical).  But the difference was I think I saw this as a completely  different animal than a staged version.  

The addition of "You Must Love Me" where it was sung over rather than sung out by Eva on screen was moving as it was ambivalent is she saying you MUST love me like a command or is it a realization like - oh, you must love me - right at the moment when everything is about to collapse for eva - her ambition, her dreams - her very life.   I agree, on stage/live it's harder to pull off though to the same effect.

Photos from the first leg of the international tour are out.

adamgreer said: "How exciting! The 2012 production was horrendous in every way (look BC, we agree again!), starting with the nightmare that was Elena Roger's "singing." Cerveris was the only bright spot in an otherwise awful production.

I would fly up and pay a large sum of money to see LuPone take on the role, regardless of her age. However, I don't see that happening under any circumstance, so I'd be more than happy with Mandy Gonzalez or Eden Espinosa in that role.

Also, talented as she may be, I can't imagine they could get with casting Jen Colella or any white woman besides LuPone. Did this Great Comet fiasco teach us nothing? Cynthia Erivo would be all over that bit of casting in a second."

Didn’t we have this discussion recently and conclude Eva was actually a white woman? I mean, I don’t doubt at all that the casting of a white woman as a historical person who is a white woman would cause controversy in 2017. But I would sincerely hope it wouldn’t. 

qolbinau

You're right about Cynthia Evita...err..Erivo, then they could cast Okie as Che with Mandy Patinkin playing Juan this time....and of course, Lin-Manuel as Agustin Magaldl...(are tickets on sale yet?)

And add in Terri Klausner, while we're being nostalgic. Klausner's first act was superb, sexy and youthful, and LuPone's 2nd was of course remarkable, iconic. They were both terrific in the part, and I saw both twice (I saw the first preview, 9/10/79). It's worth noting: people who saw Klausner with the original two male stars weren't cheated. 

I'm glad to see that the remount of Hal Prince's Evita looks just as jank as the original one. They couldn't even bother taking Magaldi out of that mariachi looking outfit.

Miles2Go2 said: "Patti is over twice the age (68) Eva was when she died (33). Do you envision that being an issue? I ask this with all due respect to Ms. Lupone."

 

True, but Patti can still sing it, which is pretty remarkable and thrilling!!  A one night concert event with LuPone and Patinkin would be A M A Z I N G !!