Evita - stimulation and sensory overload at the London Palladium
The musical Evita returns to the West End stage and it's a circus, says our reviewer - in a good way.
The musical Evita returns to the West End stage and it's a circus, says our reviewer - in a good way.
It won't be easy, you'll think it strange, when I try to explain how I feel... but most of the things I loathed about Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2019 I loved on opening night for the supersized version at The London Palladium.
There's no scenery, no historically accurate costumes and no attempt to properly tell the story at the heart of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's sung-through musical.
The character of Che does get a bit of extra narration, but you wouldn't know who he's meant to represent or just how poor, scrappy actress Eva Duarte snares politician Juan Perón and, as Argentinian First Lady to his President, becomes one of the country's most powerful and divisive figures.
Lloyd isn't concerned with plot; he's keener on bombast and spectacle. And, with more dancers, more lights, louder music and a much bigger EVITA logo at the back of the stepped stage, he amps things up to a fever pitch.
It's like being at a political rally, and you don't need fancy scenery when you have an ensemble frenetically throwing themselves into Fabian Aloise's roof-raisingly energetic choreography for such numbers as Buenos Aires and And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out), with the band playing so loudly that some of Sir Tim's wittier lyrics get lost in the maelstrom.
Diego Andres Rodriguez is a brilliantly cynical Che, eyeing Evita's rise with disbelief.
Aaron Lee Lambert is a hoot as corny club singer Agustín Magaldi, Bella Brown gives a lovely rendition of Another Suitcase in Another Hall, and James Olivas is a younger, sexier than usual Perón. He and Eva court favour with Argentina's poor descamisados, aka "the shirtless ones", but he's a sleeveless one so he can show off his muscles.
Then there's Rachel Zegler, who at age 25 is younger than the usual Evas, but then Eva herself was only 26 when she married Perón. Zegler has a powerhouse voice that belies her tiny frame, but at first she comes across as distant, a little bored even, and she doesn't connect with the character emotionally until she swaps her leather bra and shorts for the iconic white dress during Don't Cry For Me Argentina.
The fact that she performs the song on the balcony outside, with those inside watching it on a screen, has made headline news. It's a gimmick but it really works, since it's all about her putting on a show for the public.
And oh what a circus, oh what a show this Evita is. Go expecting subtlety and clear storytelling and you'll be disappointed. But go for stimulation and sensory overload and you'll be vibrating in your seat.
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