Evita (musical)

Abigail Jaye as Evita (Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, in 2010)

Act I

On 26 July 1952, a crowd in a Buenos Aires, Argentina theatre is watching a movie ("A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952") that is interrupted when news breaks of the death of First Lady Eva Perón. Both the crowd and the nation go into a period of public mourning ("Requiem for Evita") as Che, a member of the public, marvels at the spectacle and promises to show how Eva did "nothing for years" ("Oh What a Circus").

In 1934, 15-year-old Eva Duarte lives in the province of Junín, and longs to seek a better life in Buenos Aires. Eva falls in love with a tango singer-songwriter, Agustín Magaldi, after she meets him at one of his shows ("On This Night of a Thousand Stars"). Eva persuades Magaldi to take her with him to Buenos Aires and though he is initially resistant, he eventually accepts ("Eva, Beware of the City"). Upon her arrival at the city, Eva sings about her hopes and ambitions of glory as an actress ("Buenos Aires").

After her arrival, Eva is quick to leave Magaldi, and Che relates the story of how Eva sleeps her way up the social ladder, becoming a model, radio star, and actress ("Goodnight and Thank You"). He then tells of both a right-wing coup in 1943 and Eva's success, implying that Argentine politics and Eva's career may soon coincide. Che also makes a point to introduce the figure of Colonel Juan Domingo Perón, an ambitious military colonel who was making his way up the Argentine political ladder ("The Lady's Got Potential"). In a game of musical chairs that represents the rise of political figures, Perón and other military figures compete for power and exhibit their political strategy ("The Art of the Possible").

After a massive earthquake hits the town of San Juan, Perón organizes a charity concert at Luna Park to provide aid to the earthquake's victims. Eva attends and briefly reunites with Agustín Magaldi, who coldly shuns her for her past actions. Perón addresses the crowd with words of encouragement and leaps off the stage, meeting Eva as soon as he exits ("Charity Concert"). Eva and Perón share a secret rendezvous following the charity concert, where Eva hints that she could help Perón rise to power ("I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You"). Eva dismisses Perón's Mistress (the character is known only by that title), who ponders the rejection ("Another Suitcase in Another Hall").

Upon moving in with Perón, Eva is introduced to high society only to be met with disdain from the upper classes and the Argentine Army ("Perón's Latest Flame"). In 1946, after launching his presidential bid, Perón discusses his chances of winning the election with Eva. After reassuring him of their chances of winning, Eva organizes rallies for the descamisados and gives them hope for a better future while Perón and his allies plot to dispose of anyone who stands in their way ("A New Argentina").

During the period between Act I and Act II, Eva and Perón are married – a fact merely alluded to, in the "Casa Rosada balcony" scene, at the start of Act II.

Act II

Perón is elected President in a sweeping victory in 1946. He stands "On The Balcony of the Casa Rosada" addressing his descamisados (shirtless ones). Eva speaks from the balcony of the Presidential Palace to her adoring supporters, where she reveals that despite her initial goal of achieving fame and glory, she has found her true calling to be the people of her country ("Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"). Che analyses the price of fame as Eva dances at the Inaugural Ball with Perón, now the president-elect ("High Flying, Adored").

Eva insists on a glamorous image to impress the people of Argentina and promote Perónism. She prepares to tour in Europe as she is dressed for success by her fashion consultants ("Rainbow High"). Her famous 1946 tour meets with mixed results ("Rainbow Tour"); Spaniards adore her, but the Italians liken her husband to Benito Mussolini. France is impressed, and the English snub her by inviting her to a country estate, rather than Buckingham Palace. Eva affirms her disdain for the upper class, while Che asks her to start helping those in need as she made a promise ("The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)"). Eva begins the Eva Perón Foundation to direct her charity work. Che describes Eva's controvertible charitable work, and possible money laundering ("And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)").

Eva appears at a church to take the sacrament in front of her adoring supporters ("Santa Evita"), but passes out suddenly, and while unconscious, appears to have a dream that reflects upon the conflicting views of her life. In her dream, she and Che heatedly debate her actions; Che accuses Eva of using the Argentine people for her own ends, while Eva cynically replies that there is no glory in trying to solve the world's problems from the sidelines ("A Waltz for Eva and Che"). At the end of the argument, Eva finally admits to herself and Che that she is dying and can't go on for much longer. Che points out the disastrous results of Perón's policies on Argentina: its treasury is bankrupt, its once-thriving beef industry is under rationing, and the press and other critics of the regime are muzzled.

Perón's generals finally get sick of Eva's meddling and demand that Perón force her to leave politics. However, Perón objects and claims that if it wasn't for her, they would never have achieved as much as they have ("She Is a Diamond"). But he also concedes that she won't be able to keep working for long as she will soon succumb to her cancer. Even so, Eva is determined to run for Vice President, and Perón fears that the military will stage a coup if she runs and that Eva's health is too delicate for any stressful work, but Eva insists that she can continue, despite her failing health ("Dice Are Rolling/Eva's Sonnet").

Realizing that she's about to die, Eva renounces her pursuit of the vice presidency and swears her eternal love to the people of Argentina ("Eva's Final Broadcast"). Eva's numerous achievements flash before her eyes before she dies ("Montage"), and she asks for forgiveness, contemplating her choice of fame instead of long reign ("Lament"). Evita dies, and embalmers preserve her body forever. Che notes that a monument was set to be built for Evita, but says that "only the pedestal was completed, and Evita's body disappeared for 17 years."

• Eva Perón (mezzo-soprano): Lead. Playing age 15–33
• Che (tenor): Lead. Playing age 21–35[1][2][3][4]
• Juan Perón (baritone): Lead. Playing age 32–50
• Agustin Magaldi (tenor): Supporting. Playing age 23–35
• Perón's Mistress (mezzo-soprano): Supporting. Playing age 16
• Chorus (men, women and children of Argentina)

Notes

• *This song is usually cut from most of the productions and replaced with "The Art of the Possible," but a modified version has appeared in a number of stagings. It was revived by Alan Parker for the film, with modified lyrics by Tim Rice to remove the insecticide sub-plot.
• **These two songs are often credited as just "She is a Diamond".
• °This was replaced by "Junin, 26 July 1952" for the Japanese productions, London and Broadway revivals.
• "You Must Love Me", written for the 1996 film, was added to the 2006 London production and several other post-film productions; its placement varies from right after "Waltz for Eva and Che" to right before "Eva's Final Broadcast."
• See Evita for the song list from the 1976 concept album.

A bus in New York featuring an Evita advertisement in 1982.

In 1972, Robert Stigwood proposed that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice develop a new musical version of Peter Pan, but abandoned the project.

Travelling late to a meal one night in 1973, though, Rice heard the end of a radio show about Eva Perón which intrigued him. As a child stamp collector, he had been fascinated by her image on the Argentine stamps, but was unaware of her significance in Argentina's history. He began research and was introduced by a Cinema International Corporation executive to the Argentine film director Carlos Pasini Hansen who had produced the TV film Queen of Hearts, which had aired in the UK on 24 October 1972. The executive also arranged for Rice to see the film at Thames Television which he did "at least twenty times" saying also that "by that time I had seen Pasini's superbly researched film, I was hooked."[5] The more Rice investigated Eva Perón, going so far as to travel to Buenos Aires to research her life with many documents and contacts that Pasini had supplied, the more fascinated he became by the woman; he even named his first daughter after her.

Rice suggested the idea of a musical based on the subject to Lloyd Webber, but although the idea of writing a score including tangos, paso dobles, and similar Latin flavours intrigued him, Lloyd Webber ultimately rejected the idea. He decided instead to collaborate with Alan Ayckbourn on Jeeves, a traditional Rodgers and Hart-style musical based on the P. G. Wodehouse character, which proved to be a critical and commercial failure.[6] After Jeeves, Lloyd Webber returned to Rice, and they began developing Rice's proposed musical.

The authors of the 1996 book Evita: The Real Life of Eva Perón claim the musical was based on Mary Main's biography The Woman with the Whip, which was extremely critical of Eva Perón.[7] Though Rice praised the Main biography, it was never officially credited as source material. Rice created a character, Che, to serve as a narrator and Greek chorus. Although he had recently discovered Che Guevara was Argentine, he did not necessarily intend that the character be based upon him, despite inserting specific biographical details into the lyrics that clearly apply to Guevara. When Harold Prince later became involved with the project, he insisted that the actors portraying Che should use Guevara as a role model.[8] In the 1996 film adaptation, the character returned to his more anonymous roots. This was also the case for the 2006 London revival.[9]

Lloyd Webber and the conductor Anthony Bowles presented the musical at the second Sydmonton Fest before making the recording with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.[10]

As they had previously done with Jesus Christ Superstar, the songwriting team decided to record Evita as an album musical and selected actress and singer Julie Covington to sing the title role, after having caught an episode of Rock Follies and remembered her from the original London production of Godspell. The recording, which was released by MCA Records who had previously marketed Jesus Christ Superstar, commenced in April 1976 and was produced by Lloyd Webber and Rice. The recording was engineered by David Hamilton Smith, whose work Rice later acknowledged was effectively that of a third producer. He also delivered the line, "Statesmanship is more than entertaining peasants," a rebuttal to Eva's balcony speech on the album.

Released in 1976, the two-record set included Paul Jones as Juan Perón, Colm Wilkinson as Che, Barbara Dickson as Perón's mistress, and Tony Christie as Agustín Magaldi. The writers had originally considered Steve Marriott and John Fogerty but neither was interested. Murray Head, who had enormous success with the Superstar album, recorded some demos but Rice later admitted they "didn't really reproduce the magic that his portrayal of Judas had." Colm Wilkinson had recently played Judas in the London production of Superstar and agreed to audition: "It only took a couple of verses to know he was our man."

Mike d'Abo, who had succeeded Paul Jones as lead singer of Manfred Mann, had a minor role on the album which was notable as the first one which both had appeared. Mike Smith, former lead vocalist with the Dave Clark Five and d'Abo's then working partner, also appeared.

Pasini wrote the dialogue in Spanish of the first scene, "A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952". On this recording, he played the part of the actor in the soundtrack of a movie that grinds to a halt and also read the official communique of Eva's death. When the album was presented to the press at Lloyd Webber's country home Sydmonton, Pasini organised a photographic presentation with his colleague Anton Furst to accompany it. His contribution to the development of the project was recognised as Rice and Lloyd Webber acknowledged him first in a thank you speech afterwards.

In Britain, Australia, South Africa, South America, and various parts of Europe, sales of the concept album exceeded those of Jesus Christ Superstar; in the United States, however, it never achieved the same level of success. Covington's recording of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (originally titled "It's Only Your Lover Returning")[11] was released in October 1976. It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart[12] and enjoyed similar success internationally. Dickson's "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" also became a hit. In the US and UK, respectively, Karen Carpenter, Olivia Newton-John, and Petula Clark released cover versions of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina".

The musical employs an eclectic range of styles. Classical music in Evita includes the opening choral piece ("Requiem for Evita") and a choral interlude in "Oh What a Circus", as well as instrumental passages throughout the musical such as the orchestral version of the "Lament" and the introduction to "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". Rhythmic Latinate styles are heard in pieces such as "Buenos Aires", "And the Money Kept Rolling in (And Out)" and "On This Night of a Thousand Stars", while ballads include "High Flying, Adored" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall". Rock music includes "Oh What a Circus", "Perón's Latest Flame", and a song cut from the original production called "The Lady's Got Potential". The song was reinstated for the 1996 film with revised lyrics by Rice, and has also been used in Japanese,[13] Czech,[14] and Danish[15] stage productions to expand on Argentine history for audiences less familiar with the subject.

Tomas Eloy Martinez noted:

Che as well as Evita symbolise certain naïve, but effective, beliefs: the hope for a better world; a life sacrificed on the altar of the disinherited, the humiliated, the poor of the earth. They are myths which somehow reproduce the image of Christ.

— Tomas Eloy Martinez[16]

The lyrics and storyline of the musical are based on Mary Main's biography, Evita: The Woman with the Whip, which drew heavily upon the accounts of anti-Perónist Argentines. Shortly after the musical appeared, Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro published a more neutral account of Eva Perón's life, Evita: The Real Lives of Eva Perón, in which they claim that many of Main's assertions (which had influenced Rice's lyrics) were false, such as the suggestion that Eva had first gone to Buenos Aires as the mistress of a married musician, Agustín Magaldi. Instead, they wrote, Eva's mother Doña Juana had taken her there when she aspired to become a radio actress. Some critics also suggested that Rice's lyrics disparaged Evita's achievements unnecessarily, particularly her charity work. According to Navarro and Fraser,

[Evita] was based for the most part on the earliest and seamiest versions of Evita's life, something happened to the tale in its retelling and the Evita who emerged each evening, dressed first as a teenager, then a hooker, and finally, in tulle and silver foil, as First Lady, was far from being unsympathetic.[17]

Following the success of the film version of Evita, in 1996, an Argentinean film biography of Eva Perón was released, Eva Perón: The True Story, asserting that it corrected distortions in the musical's account.[18]

There have been numerous US and international touring productions of the show:

Plans for a film directed by Ken Russell developed soon after the West End and Broadway openings. Much speculation of potential leads included Barbra Streisand or Liza Minnelli as Eva, and Barry Gibb or Elton John as Che.[71] These plans never came to fruition.

Russell has said that his own first choice for the film lead was Karla DeVito, who had come to fame in rock tours and on Broadway, where she had impressed the wife of Andrew Lloyd Webber. DeVito was screen tested for the role while in England shooting music videos for her solo album "Is This A Cool World or What?" DeVito's performance of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" in the screen test caused much positive buzz. Russell wrote that she brought viewers to tears (except Tim Rice – who wanted Elaine Paige, with whom he was romantically involved). Although Russell rejected the idea, Paige was screen tested twice.

Russell's biography indicates that he met with Barbra Streisand, who dismissed the role immediately. He wrote that he then suggested Liza Minnelli. A year had passed between the first screen tests and Minnelli's, which Russell reports was amazing. Russell approached Stigwood with Minnelli's test, convinced she had the necessary talent and star quality, but he was soon told it was going to be Elaine Paige. Having already protested that idea, Russell quit the film. Years later when he saw Karla DeVito again, Russell addressed her as "My Evita."

It was not until 1996 that Evita came to the big screen. Alan Parker directed the film, with Madonna in the title role, Antonio Banderas as Che and Jonathan Pryce as Perón. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one for Best Original Song ("You Must Love Me," composed especially for the film). Madonna received mixed reviews but received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her performance. The film was choreographed by Vincent Paterson.

Evita came in sixth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Number One Essential Musicals".[73]

One episode of The Simpsons, "The President Wore Pearls", has a plot loosely based on the musical, with Lisa Simpson in Eva's role. The episode includes parodies of songs such as "Don't Cry for Me, Kids of Springfield". At the end of the episode, a comical disclaimer is displayed stating, "On the advice of our lawyers, we swear we have never heard of a musical based on the life of Eva Perón".

During Glee, "Special Education", the characters Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry sing "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" when Kurt is auditioning for a solo in the Warblers for Sectionals. In the season three episode "Hold On to Sixteen", a rival showchoir sings "Buenos Aires" as their competition piece.

In the short "The Ballad of Magellan" in the cartoon series Animaniacs, the country of Argentina is depicted with a sign reading, "EVITA Coming Soon!".

Cover of Original Broadway Recording

First recorded by a cast assembled specifically for the recording in 1976, the first stage cast recording of Evita was of the original London production in 1978. The original Broadway cast was recorded for an album released in 1979. Lloyd Webber and Rice produced these first three recordings.

At least 25 English language cast albums have been released, along with many foreign language recordings. There are currently four in Spanish, five German, three in Japanese, and two in Hebrew, with additional recordings in Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Portuguese, and Swedish.[74]

Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa recorded a complete operatic version of the score with Christopher Lee as Perón. This recording, however, has never been released. Marti Webb also recorded a highlights album of sorts for the Pickwick Records label that featured Dave Willetts and Carl Wayne. It was released to coincide with the 1995 UK Tour of the show in which Webb starred.

• Citron, Stephen, Sondheim & Lloyd-Webber: The New Musical (2001). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509601-0
• Fraser, Nicholas, and Navarro, Marysa. Evita: The Real Life of Eva Perón (1996). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-31575-4

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