Evita

Following on from their fantastic production of ‘Spamalot’ earlier this year, Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company have produced another hit musical in ‘Evita’!  It is clear that the director (Louise Colohan) had a vision for this show and it was perfectly carried off.  This show contained many moments of creativity and injected suitable humour into what is a generally ‘depressing’ show.  I’ll be totally honest and say that I’m not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows – this one being by far his worst!  However, this version had everything.  Moments of stillness and repetition, moments of creative flair, visually stunning and made the audience question whose side they were on.  I loved the darkness and shadows that were used, the set was used very well throughout, the chorus of women were used very well and overall the commitment to character and role was great.  There were of course a few weaker parts to this production such as the long scene changes (I think to aid costume changes) and the various technical issues with lights and sound.  I also felt that the band were far too loud, particularly the drums which meant that lots of parts of the story were lost in this sung through show.  Overall – the visuals and the vocals were strong and the sell-out audience (myself included) appreciated the creativity.  Highlights for me were the moveable set and the way in which it was used throughout and the musical chairs scene and the way in which the whole company were used throughout.  Well done to Louise for your creative vision!

The musical director for this production was Marilyn Blank.  I cannot decide if I loved the orchestra or hated the musical score?  I personally felt that the band and the cast were in a fight with each other with timing, particularly in the first act.  I commented to my guest that I felt it was missing a conductor.  The drummer, who played outstandingly well, was a little too fast and loud for me which made the lyrics of this sung through musical hard to hear at various intervals.  Saying that, I very much appreciated the hard work from the 14-piece orchestra, who sounded great, and it was a joy to watch them play.  Some of the music stand lights on stage right of Marilyn were shining directly into the audience which was a little distracting.

Like the direction, the choreography was creative and inventive.  There were no big dance numbers (and I was hoping to see an Argentine Tango), but Liz Cardall made use of the entire cast, including the slightly more mature members and it was a joy to watch!  I loved the choreography in using the chairs and there were some lovely moments throughout.  I must say though that the officers were a little awkward to watch at times as some of them couldn’t march correctly.  Although I loved the marching choreography, there were times when some of them were standing with their legs closed and others standing in second /hip width apart.  I am, of course, being VERY picky and I doubt that anyone else noticed this.

As I mentioned above, the set was great and used very well.  Because it was so high there were some issues with lighting and follow spots.  I really loved some of the lighting states and really appreciated the lighting design.  The colours used were fab, especially the blues in act 2.  I also loved the church gobo’s on the back cloth etc.  However, there were many times when the cast were in darkness or cast in shadows that clearly wasn’t intentional.  There was also a random bit when Eva died (in total darkness), then walked up the stairs to the light.  I don’t know if this was symbolic but in my opinion it didn’t work.  I think part of the issue was having a set lighting state rather than an actual follow spot.  Some of the lighting cues were late – again, this may have been down to costume changes?

The sound was a little hit and miss for me.  Not everyone’s mics were cued correctly and on time and Eva’s mic kept fading at points which negatively impacted on the storyline in a sung through show.  I don’t know if the orchestra were mic’d but they were a little too loud.  I appreciated the colour palette of the costumes, as well as the work of the make-up and wigs.

Eva Peron was played by Colette Williams.  Eva is a huge part to play as she is barely offstage and has a ton of costume changes as she ages from 15 to 33.  Whilst I appreciated the effort and commitment to her role, I just felt that this role was a little too big for Colette.  Colette struggled in the upper register and I lost lots of the lyrics because of this.  I found Eva quite unlikeable and I wanted to fall in love with her just as the people did.  I would’ve preferred Colette’s Eva to be a little more sincere.  Colette was MUCH stronger in act 2.  She was brilliant in the quieter moments.  I cannot fault Colette’s commitment to this role, and she gave 100% effort throughout.  The audience certainly enjoyed her performance so what do I know?

Andrew Lee played the role of Che.  I think it’s fair to say that Andrew’s vocals are stunning!  He was superbly cast in this ‘role’ and I felt totally at ease whenever he was on stage.  He told his story well and was a great narrator.  Brilliant performance!

Michael Shneck played the role of Eva’s husband Juan Peron.  Michael brought a good air of authority to this role and certainly looked the part.  I would’ve preferred a little more diction and articulation but overall, Michael did well to convey this character.

Stuart Dutton was great as the Tango singer Magaldi.  Although not in the show for very long, Stuart made an impact and performed with great energy and pace.  Stuart was also very strong as one of the officers.

Laura Merriman played the role of the Mistress.  Like Magaldi, this is only a smaller supporting role, but I have to say that Laura’s vocals were gorgeous!  She left me wanting much, MUCH more!  I look forward to seeing Laura in future productions!

Phoebe Robinson and Emily Murison did well as the Santa Evita children which was a lovely moment in the show.  In fact, I was suitably impressed by the whole chorus.  Each performed very well, particularly the women.  If I may single out on of the chorus women for her excellent commitment to everything she did… Claire Bentley – keep doing what you’re doing – it doesn’t go unnoticed!

Despite the fact I hate this show – this was a great version.  It had creativity, and some lovely moments throughout.  I loved the quieter moments and the moments when repetition was used.  I like it when theatre pushes the boundaries and makes the audience think or see things in a different way and this show certainly did that.  Perhaps things need to be a little slicker technically but overall this was an enjoyable night at the theatre.  I thank Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company for their wonderful hospitality and wish them all the best for their Youth production ‘The Addams Family’ in a few weeks time.

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