Photographer: Richard Termine
Caroline Bowman as Eva and cast in the National Tour of EVITA
The Broadway touring production of Evita has a short run at the Arsht Center. After Sunday, Evita moves on — another suitcase in another hall. The previous suitcase reference is an insider’s tip for those Evita-ites like me who have seen this show more times than can be counted on two hands.
I missed the re-imagined Broadway production (brought to Broadway from London by British director Michael Grandage) before it closed in January of 2013, but here it is on stage at the Arsht, minus Ricky Martin in the role he played on the Great White Way. Darn!
If you’ve never seen Evita, your wanting to offer a standing ovation after some of the most incredible songs of modern musical history will be well understood. This production, however, relies heavily on the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical is a proven can’t miss. Grandage has created an Evita for the 21st century that plays well in this current environment of Kimye’s extravagant wedding splashed across the pages of People magazine, and TMZ’s affection for chronicling Bieber buffoonery.
Photographer: Richard Termine
Caroline Bowman as Eva Peron in the National Tour of EVITA
Photographer: Richard Termine
Christopher Johnstone as Magaldi in the National Tour of Evita
Eva Perón, the first lady of Argentina from 1946-1952, known as Evita by her ardent followers, is chronicled in a tale of a woman who basically slept her way to the top, finally ending up in the bedroom of military man Juan Perón, who ended up being the country’s president. Evita, however, became the more beloved public figure, and milked it for all it was worth, according to Webber-Rice’s 1978 musical.
The show at the Arsht Center is truly spectacular in its choreography and its set design (at the top of the show, Evita’s "Requiem" features a backdrop of a video reel that is actual footage of Eva Perón’s 1952 funeral procession). The problem is with the three leads that need just a bit more star quality; they never climb to the energetic frenzy needed to match up to the sizzle that surrounds them.
Perhaps it’s the overshadowing of Rob Ashford’s choreography, which takes centerstage here. He boosts the Latin flavor by using some amazingly inventive variations on the tango in almost every number that requires dance. A fight of military men The Art of the Possible becomes a choreographed tango between dueling soldiers (for anyone who has seen Evita, you’ll be grateful like me that the musical chair choreography has been ditched). And Ashford could care less if his leading lady has to continue singing while she’s tossed around, sometimes almost put on her head, while maintaining Lloyd Webber’s musical vocal acrobatics, too. Speaking of Lloyd Webber, he and David Cullen created some new orchestrations for the updated production, which helps add a modern Latin infusion to the score and serves to match the tango heavy movement.
Photographer: Richard Termine
Josh Young as Che in the Touring Cast of EVITA
Photographer: Richard Termine
Krystina Alabado as the Mistress and Josh Young as Che in the National Tour of EVITA
Photographer: Richard Termine
Sean MacLaughlin as Juan Peron and Caroline Bowman as Eva Peron in the National Tour of Evita
What doesn’t match up are the leads. While Caroline Bowman as Evita is a triple threat — she can act, sing and dance — she doesn’t have the presence needed to be convincing in portraying the "I’ll stop at nothing" María Eva Duarte de Perón. Her Evita looks like she’s channeling Marilyn Monroe, and when the score calls for power notes, Bowman’s top range is shrill. Her voice sounded tired and perhaps being on the road since September is the cause. She does kick ass in the dance numbers, however.
Josh Young as Che snaps and scowls his way through the score; Che is always in need of anger management classes, but Young doesn’t try to add any nuance. You almost feel sorry for Evita having this constant nag on her back. Let up, man. Young is a strong singer, an incredible tenor (his voice is mildly reminiscent of Mandy Patinkin who originated the role of Che, and probably what helped to get him cast), and his singing in the beautiful High Flying, Adored is a highlight. And the high notes he hits in the rollicking And the Money Kept Rolling In hit the ceiling of the Arsht and bounced off down Biscayne.
As Perón, Sean MacLaughlin suffers from the same one dimension as Young’s Che. He, too, has a strong voice but his character is so thinly drawn that it seems like a paper cutout rather than a power hungry politico.
Photographer: Richard Termine
Sean MacLaughlin as Juan Peron in the Touring Cast of EVITA
Photographer: Richard Termine
Sean MacLaughlin as Juan Peron and Caroline Bowman as Eva Peron in the National Tour of Evita
A strange bit of casting is Juan Perón’s mistress. Krystina Alabado looks so young (I’m sure she’s not, but she looked 18 or younger) to be sleeping with the older Perón that it feels uncomfortable.
It’s Christopher Johnstone as nightclub singer Magaldi, who brings the most richness to his role, albeit one of the smallest roles in the show. He definitely adds a spark, especially in the always fun number Perón’s Latest Flame, where Evita goes through men quicker than the Victoria’s Secret undies she’s wearing.
Beautiful, yet somewhat distant in its presentation, at the end of two hours, it seems like we’ve never really spent time with the Peróns. It’s more like they were celebrity figures clipped from a magazine. And that is reason to lament.
Photographer: Richard Termine
The Touring Cast of EVITA. Photo Credit
NOTE: For those attending the Saturday matinee or Sunday evening performance, you won’t see Bowman; Evita will be played by understudy Desi Oakley.
Evita runs only through Sunday, June 1 at the at the Ziff Ballet Opera House, Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; Also, 2 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. (305) 949-6672 or www.arshtcenter.org.
