Why was Julie Covington Not the Original Evita?

[helloagain]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 11:46pm

Does Any one know why she did not Originate the role along with Colm Wilkinson as Che?

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/29/06 at 11:47pm

Tim Rice had this thing going on with Elaine Paige.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 12:37am

No, that romance didn't happen until after Paige was cast. Rice and Webber actually desperately wanted Covington to do the role on stage: she had after all had a number 1 hit in the UK with the single of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and having given such a vivid portrayal of Eva Peron on the original concept recording, it was difficult for them to even consider anybody else for the role.

Covington at the time, however, was interested in doing dramatic theatre and was worried that repeating the role on stage would somehow typecast her. She has also said in interviews that she frankly "didn't like the lady [Eva]" and thought it would be disingenuous to play her on stage when when she felt that way.

Covington has said in interviews over the years that she often regrets not playing the role on stage: she had a very turbulent career afterwards, but she is something of an erratic personality. She actually agreed to play EVITA in Australia some years after the original production and quit very unexpectedly just days before opening night. Patti LuPone was famously flown out to replace her.

[alterego]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:00am

Correct about her signing on for an Australian revival of EVITA, yes she did quit (or was fired?) from that production. A lot of talk at the time suggested that she couldn't sing the role live. It was Stephanie Lawrence an English Evita who was flown out a couple of days before the opening. The revival was a financial failure. Patti Lupone appeared for 3 months in Sydney during the original run of EVITA here.

[Kringas]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 1:10am

I just don't care for her voice. I find it shrill and grating.

[wiggum2]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 6:20pm

Quote: Covington at the time, however, was interested in doing dramatic theatre and was worried that repeating the role on stage would somehow typecast her. She has also said in interviews that she frankly "didn't like the lady [Eva]" and thought it would be disingenuous to play her on stage when when she felt that way.


In one of ALW's books, She said something along the lines of plays by Ibsen called her not some musical. She put down the genre IIRC

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 6:27pm

Ego -- thanks for the correction regarding Stephanie Lawrence - I was thinking about that last night after I wrote the post and realized LuPone couldn't have replaced Covington as she was doing another project in NYC at the time.

There was also a rumour at the time that Covington, a very politically charged woman, refused to do the original stage EVITA because she disagreed with Hal Prince's political views. She later refuted that in a news article thats easy to find if you go to the website dedicated to her on the web.

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 6:34pm

I think we can thank the theatre gods that Colm didn't originate Che. God that would have been painful.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 6:36pm

Oh I think Wilkinson is much more appealing on the original concept recording than David Essex...

[Carl Magnum]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 6:42pm

I prefer Mandy, but thats just me. I have never hear Essex so I guess I should give him a listen before passing judgement. Wilkinson has always gotten on my nerves. It always sounds like he's singing through a mouth of cotton and I thought his Phantom was wretched.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 7:02pm

It's funny to hear all the praise hyped on Covington.
As a huge fan of "Godspell," I think she's terrible on the original London cast recording. She sings a frantic, out of tune "Day By Day."

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/30/06 at 8:28pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYTY1NERLqM...related&search=

I like Colm a lot too.

[Incognito]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 7:27am

I often think about Covington, and what she did by rejecting that role. In old Europe they have a saying that typically covers what she did, kicking your luck with your feet.

I'm interested to learn she has admitted regret over not taking the role, talk about repenting at leisure...

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 10/31/06 at 9:44am

Oh, God, that's right, she did do "Day By Day."

"Daaayy baaaaahh daaaaayyyyyaaaaaayyyy...."

UGH.