Photo Flash: First Look at EVITA's Stars - Ricky Martin, Elena Roger & Michael Cerveris; Previews Start March 12 — Page 2

Great, then we're all set for this production.

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Updated On: 10/27/11 at 01:51 PM

"Saying Elena Rogers is Argentinian is like saying Gisele BUNDCHEN is Brazilian. Bundchen's blue eyed family has lived in Brazil for generations but they are German. Native South Americans DO NOT have blue eyes my dear."

Well then, by your standards then, most of us is really American, is that right? Because Native Americans are the ONLY Americans. (Despite the fact we're a nation of immigrants, not unlike Argentina. My family has only been here for a few generations on one side, does that mean I'm not truly American???)

Ms. Roger is Argentinian, identifying herself as such. She is clearly of mixed background-as I pointed out before many Argentinians (including Evita) are. Argentina developed very differently from the rest of South America, which is why there is such an amalgamation of cultures and nationalities that make up the identity of Argentinian.

Why is the guy from Menudo staring at Daddy Warbucks & Blossom?

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Would that I could shop a Blossom hat onto Elena's head.

But Ricky Martin is giving the sidiest side-eye I've ever seen.

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I think it's funny to read so often the argument that Elena Roger is "authentically" Argentinian and how much she looks and behaves like the "real Evita," and yet we have Mr. Clean opposite her as Juan Peron and some how it's "Shakespearianly" justified.

Okay.

Last time I checked, MB, there weren't any known photos of Julius Caesar or Cleopatra or Richard III for reference. No cameras. They were just a bit before Kodak came around. The Perons, however, were world figures, icons--photographed, painted, and sculpted almost as much as the Beatles were in their day. But the people buying tickets now, the unwashed masses, won't be able to find poor Juan on the Interwebs. No photos exist! And none of them have smart phones or computers, poor things. They'll only care enough to pay $250 a ticket, but not to know anything about what they're seeing. So it's fine if he looks like Daddy Warbucks or Harpo Marx or Tevye. Or even Eva, for that matter.

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Updated On: 10/27/11 at 02:51 PM

I understand your points Best12, I just personally don't believe its important to recreate photo-realism in a musical like EVITA which in itself is a fantasy combining characters and situations that are total exposition in theatrical conceit. Its just a matter of artistic preference; I'm sure there are many theatre goers who would agree with what you say 100%, and would find it distracting if they know the realities of what these characters actually looked like (though I would argue if they actually knew the true story of the Perons they would probably be equally distracted by the musical's totally inaccurate representations of history).

My personal belief is that theatre should purposefully avoid that trap of realism. Totally my bias.

I would argue, Goth, to hit on what you mention in the post above, that if (and this revival doesn't) the production used actual footage of the real Perons, that is all the reason more why its NOT necessary to costume the actors to be carbon copies and to instead explore the allegorical quality of the work.

When EVITA was written it was a statement on the British politics of the 1970s (complete with Margaret Thatcher power struggles). EVITA today in a political enviornment where we are actually seeing female Vice Presidential candidates and other women in politics facing a lot of the scrutiny the character of Eva faces in the musical *could* for my money be a much more interesting theatrical playing ground for this musical rather then just seeing a photo=realistic docu-drama.

Nobody is wrong here - its just a matter of personal artistic tastes.

Updated On: 10/27/11 at 03:21 PM

Best12, I'm not sure if that is directly aimed at me, but yes, I don't think most audience members today will know (without purposeful research) or especially care what the real Perons look like, and I think if the director does his job correctly they will go on whatever journey he asks his audience to go on, just as Hal Prince took huge risks in what he asked of his audience for the original production of EVITA.

I would actually (and sincerely) like to know the reasons why you think it is important that the actors resemble the actual historical people. You've mentioned that some will be distracted because of their knowledge of history but what else?

It wasn't aimed just at you, mb. It's a general comment that the arguments for casting here and mentioned elsewhere are contradictory, to say the least.

"I would actually (and sincerely) like to know the reasons why you think it is important that the actors resemble the actual historical people. You've mentioned that some will be distracted because of their knowledge of history but what else?"

That's it. It's the only reason. If the Perons had existed before photography I don't think it would be an issue, any more than casting a blond John Adams would freak the masses out. (Maybe just a little bit, but not much.)

Now, cast a Latina as Marilyn Monroe. Or a freckle-faced redhead as Paul McCartney. Or an African American as Amelia Earhart. They were photographed as much as the Perons were. See if you can have people concentrate on the performances rather than the appearances of the actors.

And to be honest, if you take away the "authenticity" of Elena Roger as Eva Peron, you take away the primary reason for casting her. There are many singer-actresses who can outshine her, particularly vocally. Part of the thrill, according to those who have seen her, is how uncanny she is in the part.

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Updated On: 10/27/11 at 03:53 PM

I was just listening to Roger's cast recording again today. And I'll say it again, her vocals are truly painful. Totally unlistenable. Her diction is beyond atrocious, and yes I know her accent is authentic. But how are audiences going to understand a word she sings? I know the lyrics, and it's still difficult to understand her on the cast album.

And yes, I know, people say she sounds "much better live!" But people also said that about Tyne Daly in Gypsy, but once you hear or see live footage of Daly, it's clear that her vocals are are almost exactly the same as on the cast recording.

I'll give Roger a chance this spring, but I'm not expecting much from her vocally. I just would love to hear a thrillingly sung Eva. But if people were able to give Douglas Hodge's vocals a pass in La Cage, I'm sure they will give Roger a pass too.

Updated On: 10/27/11 at 04:10 PM

ljay---not to threadjack here, but Tyne didn't sound much better live. I saw her in L.A. before the production transferred to Broadway, and her voice wasn't nearly as tired as it is on various recordings. She had a bit more energy then, but that's it. She still sang it as she sang it. She hit the notes musically and not much else. Seeing her live did make a huge difference, though, since it was her acting of both the songs and scenes that blew me away. She's still the best Rose I've ever seen, for that reason. I can only say "you had to be there."

And Rose, for example, is a "real" person, too. But because she wasn't photographed like a movie star and didn't have her own postage stamp, audiences can see and hear a wide variety of interpretations and accept it.

"But isn't part of the challenge of theatre in the asking the audience to look beyond realism?"

As I said before, MB, trying casting a Latina or African-American Marilyn Monroe or Amelia Earhart and see how far you get.

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Isn't most of Argentina's population descended from white European Immigrants? I've always thought that that was the case, but if I'm wrong, and someone has and if someone can correct me with stats or facts, feel free to correct me. I always thought Argentinians were closer to the Spanish neighborhood of Latin than they were to say a Mexican or Puerto Rican, which I think are what Americans tend to think of when they think "Hispanic."

At any rate, as others have said, Elena Roger IS Argentinian, blue eyes be damned, so the complaints about her being somehow inauthentic because of her heritage seem to be the cries of people who will bitch about anything. I think she looks more like Eva Peron than Patti LuPone or Elaine Paige (who also has BLUE eyes!) ever did, but I've never really thought Evita hinged on the actress being a dead ringer for Eva Peron.

If this really mattered to anyone, wouldn't there be some complaining about the production of Evita starring Lauren Kennedy? (Unless that's what DontHate was saying? I can never really make out her posts. For someone who has "Don'tHate" in her name, she sure does a lot of nasty bitching)

I mean, it's not like Godspell of Jesus Christ Superstar, where care is always made to be sure Jesus is played by an Aramaic, or at least someone of Middle Eastern decent. I can only imagine the uproar on this board if someone every tried to cast a white Jesus!

Updated On: 10/27/11 at 04:43 PM

From what I understand, 80-90% of the people of Argentina are of European descent, many of them from Spain or Italy. (I remember reading somewhere that the name "Perón" itself was a Hispanicized version of the Italian "Peroni.") Wikipedia says that Eva's parents were descended from Basque immigrants, which I can't seem to find a source for; considering the time and place, though, it's far from unlikely.