Evita - Adelphi Theatre (Review)
Review by David Munro
EVERYONE must have read how Tim Rice, driving in his car in 1973, heard a radio broadcast on Evita Peron and got a revelation that it would be a good idea to write a musical about her (he must have been on the road to Damascus one assumes!).
Of all the ideas in the world that would have seemed the screwiest; on a par with writing one about Herr Schicklegruber! (As Bernard Levin commented in his review). Well, I suppose he thought if Mel Brookes can get away with Springtime For Hitler/Anything Goes (sorry Tim! Cole Porter got there first) and it was a revelation after all.
In 1974, Tim Rice went to Argentina where he wrote the synopsis for the show. It was not perhaps the most auspicious time to visit the country as the Buenos Aires theatre, where his and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar had opened, had burnt down and the cinema where the film of the stage show was shown had been bombed – after that reception of one’s work who bothers about the critics (as he remarked in his book on Evita).
The book and score (by Andrew Lloyd Webber) were completed in 1975 and the major part of 1976 was spent in preparing a concept recording of it which was released in 1976 as a double album complete with a booklet of the lyrics.
As Lloyd Webber had conceived his score as more operatic than plain musical comedy (the album sleeve describes it as “an opera based on the life story of Eva Peron: 1919-1952”) there are no individual tracks on the disc, which makes the designated breakdown of the scenes seem somewhat superfluous.
This recording (which was reissued on CD in 1996 as “the 20th Anniversary edition”) has Julie Covington as Eva, Paul Jones as Peron and C.T.(Colm) Wilkinson as the narrator/commentator, Che and a galaxy of well known names such as David Hemmings, Mike d’Abo and the authors in bit parts. It proved a great success. As a result, a stage production was scheduled and the American director, Harold Prince, agreed to direct it.
The story follows the rise of Eva Duarte in her career from the sticks as an actress, to the wife of the dictator Juan Peron and finally to her death.
The first act shows how she slept her way to prominence starting with a tatty vocalist, Magaldi, whom she persuades to take her to Buenos Aires where she discards him and takes on a succession of lovers until she meets Peron and becomes his mistress.
The second act opens with Peron’s achieving the Presidency and Eva, now his wife, establishing their position with the people. It progresses, as she does, through her rising ambition and surreptitious exploitation of the people.
She buys expensive clothes and goes on a tour of Europe, which is a flop. Returning to Argentina, she starts the Eva Peron Foundation ostensibly for the help of the impoverished but actually, it is alleged, to line the pockets of the Perons and their immediate circle.
She is then diagnosed as having cancer and her and her husband’s grip on the people weakens; after a final broadcast made in an attempt to win back her popularity, she dies.
The story is progressed by a sardonic commentary by Che, originally intended as a Narrator, but in the original production (when he was played by David Essex) he became more involved in the story as Che. In the current production, he has reverted to the author’s original intention which is more logical as Eva and the historical Che (Guevara) never met.
The original production opened on June 21, 1978 at the Prince Edward Theatre with Elaine Paige as Eva (Julie Covington having refused the role), Joss Ackland as Peron and David Essex as Che and ran for well over 2,000 performances, ending on February 2, 1986.
It opened on Los Angeles in May 1979 in a slightly modified version and transferred to Broadway four months later. It was subsequently seen all round the world.
Its first London revival, directed by Michael Grandage, opened on June 21, 2006, at The Adelphi Theatre in The Strand where it is still running.
Having seen both productions I can honestly say that I consider the current production superior to the original one. That is not to say that the original one was not good – it was.
Harold Prince’s production was slick and full of tricks whereas Grandage’s is more down to earth; for example, Peron’s rise to power was exemplified by Prince as a game of musical chairs whereas Michael Grandage makes it a more believable round table power struggle; both are effective but the latter is more powerful.
And this applies to the whole show. Prince’s was glitzy and full of showbusiness tricks, Grandage’s is grittier and more lifelike.
Another plus is Elena Roger. An Argentinian by birth, she sings beautifully and dances up a storm in the first act and one regretted it when she became the more staid Senora Peron in the second act.
She showed the peasant under the glamour very convincingly whereas Elaine Paige, who was a very memorable Eva, always gave the impression she was a “lady”.
Philip Quast looks like Peron and carries off the part well; his subservience to Eva is believable whereas Joss Ackland, the original Peron, always seemed in command.
As I have indicated, Che is now more of the narrator on the sidelines and Matt Rawle gives a delightfully waspish reading of the role – he sings it well also!
Grandage has made the production very much his own – most notably by cutting the original opening in the cinema, or perhaps this was the authors’ decision as I seemed to detect variations in the lyrics and at least one new song.
At any rate, Grandage proves once again that he can breathe new life into old warhorses very successfully.
If you cannot get to the show (and I strongly recommend that you should) there is a very good Original Cast Album although like the original 1978 “Original Cast”, it is only a selection.
If you can lay your hands on the original American Cast Album that is reasonably complete and gives one a very good idea of the show. It differs in some respects from the concept album although this is worth having for the vocalists and superb orchestral accompaniment by the London Philharmonic under Anthony Bowles.
Evita is a very complex but ultimately satisfying score and although both the authors have gone on to other things, hearing and seeing it once again, one realises that this show is the best they did.
Would that they get together again as if they did I feel sure the musical theatre could only benefit. Until they do, be thankful for this revival which proves age cannot wither Evita, nor custom stale her ultimate charm (sorry WS I like it better this way!).
I hope this production exceeds the run of the original as it deserves to do.