'Evita' kicks off the Broadway season in L.B.

By Chan Tran
Daily Forty-Niner

The 20th-Anniversary production of "Evita" at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre showcased a show ahead of its time, but the performances lacked the enthusiasm necessary to move an audience.

Winner of seven Tony Awards, "Evita," is perhaps the signature show for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's early career.

The musical provides intricate snapshots of Eva Peron's rise to being the spiritual figure of Argentina during Juan Peron's presidency, highlighted by the centerpiece song "Don't Cry For Me Argentina." Musically the show has survived the changing tides of Broadway by such contemporary shows as "Rent" and "Ragtime."

In recent years, "Evita" has enjoyed renewed interested due to the Alan Parker-directed Hollywood movie starring Madonna. But the movie lacked dynamics and energy, as only the stage production could provide.

Unfortunately the production at Long Beach, which kicked off Theatre League's 2000-2001 Broadway season at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center on Oct. 27, did not fulfill this duty.

The backbone of "Evita" is its high-energy Latin-pop music, perhaps Webber's most accomplished piece. What the book lacks in concept and where Rice's lyrics meander, it's up to the performers to accent the melodies and dance numbers.

Valerie Perri (Eva), who headed the first National Touring production under legendary director Harold Prince before reprising it again on the second world tour, offers an aesthetically pleasing but vocally uninspired Eva. Perri's thin alto lacked the tenderness for slow songs such as "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You," and the power to raise the roof with the high-paced "Buenos Aires." Sensuality, an often overlooked side of the show, was lost in Perri's cold portrayal of Eva. The seduction of Peron (David Wasson) and her first lover Augustine Magaldi (Daniel Guzman) were tame. One wonders if she is too familiar with the material, a fact that destroys the energy needed to show Eva's firey ambitions. During the crucial death scene, the misguided acting left the audience without a reason to care.

Che, the omnipresent narrator, was portrayed with uncanny bravado and vocal clarity by Stef Tovar, in his West Coast debut. Tovar wisely underplayed the disenchanted Che, a character that could easily be annoying in the hands of a flamboyant actor. His singing was clear and emotional from the opening solo number "Oh, What A Circus" (a melodic carbon copy of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina") to the somber "High Flying Adored." Tovar showcased effortless vocal and body control on "And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)," a technically amazing syncopated-beat number, and "Waltz For Eva and Che," a non-touching ballroom dance.

Wasson provided a dominated physique for Peron, but was too soft vocally to command power.   Guzman's portrayal of Migaldi amounted to what would be considered a wallpaper character, unemotional and forgettable.

Only Deanna Aguinaga (Peron's Mistress), in her only stage appearance for "Another Suitcase In Another Hall," brought a refreshing change to the minor characters, as evident in the extended applause that followed.

The direction and choreography of Sha Newman, although adequate, was lackluster and did little to advance the story. At one point, two stage hands came out to remove sets as the last scene was being acted out, a perplexing stage direction.

To keep with the tone of a touring production, the sets were minimal, utilizing the basic lighting and hidden-banner-on-the-roof tricks.

A controversy over how much music in the orchestra was prerecorded and how many numbers were played live shadowed the show.

The Theatre Musicians Association had flyers announcing that the production uses a virtual orchestra to save money. The Theatre League replied with an insert in the program denying the accusations and commenting on how state-of-the-art musical systems are being used to enhance the performances.

Theatre League's Broadway season continues with Chicago, which is scheduled for Dec. 8-10. Season tickets are on sale now at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center box office.

Valerie Perri, above, plays Eva Peron.

Perri on the balcony of Casa Rosada singing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina."

David Wasson portrays Argentina President Juan Peron in the Theatre Leagues' "Evita," kicking off the Broadway season.

Photos Courtesy of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center