rosscoe(au) said: "Why put her in the white gown and blonde wig on the balcony for “Don’t Cry” if you’re putting her in shorts and dark hair for the rest of the show?"
I think this is a fair question, but if you saw the show you wouldn't ask it trust me haha. It all makes sense in the context. As others have picked up, the blonde wig and costume is part of the theatrical device about how artificial and fake she is. We actually see her take the wig off after the song. So what the 'public' see - warm, lyrical, sweet, made up in a beautiful wig and gown, is in fact all an act. What we see on screen is Eva manipulating the public (who are all crowding around lapping up - LITERALLY I mean look at the videos filmed from outside. It's like that white bear episode of Blackmirror where everyone has their phones up they can't help it, they can't turn away). it's all fake so it even seems fitting that it is on screen and not real. What we, the audience, see is the 'real' Eva. Cold, calculating, ambitious, starving for fame. It's almost sickening to watch her "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" because we know how fake it all is.
Note: We can't actually obviously see how big the crowd is from the inside, they don't show us. I only knew it was big because I saw it crowding at intermission (I guess what you'd expect for first preview). I assume that they can't predict there will always be crowds so they can't build in a crowd shot by default, but if they could/if it turns out there is a small crowd each day I think it would be chilling if they did.
One of the other major conceptual elements of the show is it's kind of presented like a high energy pop concert (which is very unlike Sunset). That is why her Eva has this skimpy black outfit - because she is kind of presented like an Ariana Grande type on her latest stadium tour but the reason why it works so well and why it's so chilling is we are being performed to with the stage presence, dancing, high quality vocals as if Eva really is a real mega pop star but the subtext of the whole thing is that we can see through the facade, we can see that she is letting her act drop in moments - her face tweaks out of place, or she loses patience and her eyes show her frustration, or she just has that kind of celebrity narcissistic face come through when she lets her guard down. The tone of the whole thing is almost like Margaret Qualley's character in "The Substance". In fact, the whole concept of the show I think would work extremely well as a movie musical where it could pan between say the real world and the hyper fast paced pop musical dance concert kind of world a bit like 'Chicago' film.
The visuals of the show are very important and planned, right down to the exact body type and look of every character.
Rachel Zegler is the stunning, sexy, archetype of a beautiful young woman who will do anything and everything to seek fame and fortune. Her face and body are beautiful, but on the inside she is a callous monster who will easily let others suffer, at first perhaps as a means to an end to achieve her goals but by the end it almost looks like she is doing it for fun (with what happens to Diago's character throughout representative of this). At one point, she is literally grabbing Diego by the balls while he is in underwear. It feels like a satire of the worst kind of celebrity of modern day culture and - this is where there perhaps is similarities conceptually to Sunset almost as a companion - which is that they are both exploring modern celebrity culture but at different parts. Evita is rising celebrity and peak whereas Nicole's is on the opposite end of the time curve to fading away and neglect.
Diego is the earthy, hunky commoner who will 'speak truth to power'. It doesn't seem like he has much money or a high end career, but he is so charismatic and attractive that there is a bit of sexual chemistry with Eva - and and very intense intimate bond because they both know who each other really are, Eva isn't fooling him for a second.
James Olivas is a very tall, white, ripped beast as a metaphor for a kind of privileged upper status - the complete opposite of Diego. The three of them look nothing alike and together make for such an interesting combination/look. He doesn't feel too young in this hyper conceptual interpretation (regardless of real life ages), I think what Jamie Lloyd is doing is keeping age a constant while manipulating every other variable to demonstrate the effect of class/status/power/privilege etc. Age is almost an easy way to do this, so to be able to do it without being able to pull the age lever is interesting. It might not work if they don't have the right look for this actor.
Jamie Lloyd talking to fans after the show
After the very long ovation the first thing he did was have a big hug with a colleague likely relief after things went so well
Andrew Lloyd Webber was also in the audience, and it is enjoyable wondering how happy he must be to have found a Director to make his work 'cool' and relevant after (Bad) Cinderella etc.
As for differences with the Regent's Park version, I am not obsessed with ALW (unlike Sondheim) so I don't study every production I watch or see them multiple times, but this is my recollection:
* Similarities - the concert concept, use of microphones, definitely some of the choreography is reused (but if it isn't obvious from what I talk about I don't consider myself to be very expert when it comes to dance interpretation so I don't know enough to compare everything). For example, the REALLY cool, smooth, dance solo by the muscular black woman in I think "The Art of the Possible" I remember this was so striking from the 2019 production they repeat it here. I assume much of the ensemble choreography is repeated. The core set bleacher thing was also similar.
* Differences - The lighting now that it's inside instead of outside, a lot darker, a lot more use of shadows etc. very much more like sunset; I THINK the costumes are mostly different and they do wear different costumes throughout depending on the part and 'act' - like Sunset there are a lot of monochrome moments but unlike Sunset there is also a lot more colour too at points. The use of video and Don't Cry For Me concept etc.
Rachel has an AMAZING Entrance, I don't really want to spoil it but it was so fun.
The show was reasonably polished, but I did notice a couple lighting cues need to be tightened up and the sound squeaked a couple of times. And maybe there were some moments in act two that seemed to drag a little, but I think this is more likely in the writing than the production.
The act one closing "A New Argentina" they have streamers and everything go into the audience. So it's actually another real showstopper like a Phantom Chandelier perhaps.
The sales look strong and the early word of mouth on 'that other board' appears positive. I think Jamie has another hit on his hands!!
Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.
Updated On: 6/15/25 at 04:27 AM
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