Evita

EVITA  by  Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber is a musical that tells the story of the rise and demise of ambitious and illegitimate Eva Duarte.   It chronicles her early life, rise to power and her death, covering the period 1934 to 1962 in turbulent and politically charged Argentina.   It’s a complex musical, often poignant, sensational and a massive mountain for the leading lady to climb.   

The set was practical and made good use of the space with use of an upper level (ensuring good visibility for all) which was used for balcony scenes and doubled up as the orchestra ‘pit’.  Screens either side of the set were used to great effect – showing actual footage of various times and locations and that gave a greater insight into the lives of the Perons and Argentinian people.    The props were amazing, especially the coffin, the hospital bed and wheelchair. 

The costumes (for Eva) were many, impressive and immaculate and a good representation of her character and matched press/media coverage of the time. Peron’s uniform too was very smart and well fitted.  The ensemble costumes were in keeping with the period and everyone seemed comfortable in their outfits.   

The lighting was effective throughout, well controlled and a warm red light was used for the opening which complimented the sombre funeral procession.

The outstanding talent of the cast and backstage and technical support was evident throughout this excellent production.  Victoria Howard-Andrews was a force of nature with a powerful voice and her massive energy shone throughout the entire evening.  She conveyed every emotion needed for her transformation from poor struggling actress to the poise, manipulation and seduction needed to become First Lady of Argentina.   She was equally matched by Martin Sampson as Juan Peron and Nick Main as Che.     Rebecca Rogers was outstanding as The Mistress and sang ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’ with tenderness and vulnerability.      This was a very polished production from the breathtaking opening scene as Eva’s coffin was brought in through the auditorium, to her final moments as she lay dying in her husband’s arms, in bed.     The more upbeat numbers were well thought out with imaginative choreography.   Voices were strong and clear and well co-ordinated with the excellent music provided by the orchestra led by Musical Director, Julie Dance.  The experience of the human dynamo, Sue Sampson, as Director, was evident in this sensational show which hit all the right notes and tugged at every emotion.    This will be a hard act for AODS to follow.

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