Evita (Leeds Grand, 11/07/11)

Our last theatre trip of the season, and the last thing we've got booked until November, Evita was an excellent way to end a great run of shows at the Grand and WYP. I'd been looking forward to this one for a long time, as I thoroughly enjoyed the Madonna-starring film version and have listened to the soundtrack numerous times since. 

Charting the life and death of Eva Peron, who became First Lady of Argentina in the 1940/50s, the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice score features non-stop music and singing to tell an extraordinary true story of ambition and Latin American politics. The large ensemble cast was lead by three wonderful leads, in Susie Griffin (Eva), Earl Carpenter (Juan Peron) and Mark Powell (narrator Che) who were barely ever off stage, particularly in the case of Griffin and Powell. The staging was exceptional, particularly in the use of simple staircases that moved around the stage to evoke varying settings

Act I

1. Junin July 1952 – Crowd
2. Requiem For Evita – Chorus
3. Oh What a Circus – Che and Crowd
4. On This Night Of a Thousand Stars – Magaldi
5. Eva Beware of the City – Eva, Magaldi and Family
6. Buenos Aires – Eva and Crowd
7. Good Night and Thank You – Che, Eva, Magaldi and Lovers
8. The Art Of The Possible – Perón, Generals and Eva
9. Charity Concert – Perón, Che, Magaldi and Eva
10. I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You – Eva and Perón
11. Another Suitcase in Another Hall – Perón's Mistress and Men's Chorus
12. Peron's Latest Flame – Che, Aristocrats, Soldiers and Eva
13. A New Argentina – Eva, Che, Perón and Crowd

Act II

1. On The Balcony Of The Casa Rosada – Perón, Che and Crowd
2. Don't Cry For Me Argentina – Eva
3. High Flying Adored – Che and Eva
4. Rainbow High – Eva and Dressers
5. Rainbow Tour – Perón, Advisers and Che
6. The Actress Hasn't Learned The Lines (You'd Like To Hear) – Eva, Aristocrats and Che
7. And The Money Keeps Rolling In (And Out) – Che and Crowd
8. Santa Evita – Children and Chorus
9. Waltz For Eva and Che – Eva and Che
10. She Is A Diamond – Perón and Officers
11. Dice Are Rolling – Perón and Eva
12. You Must Love Me - Eva
13. Eva's Final Broadcast – Eva
14. Montage – Eva, Che, Perón and Chorus
15. Lament – Eva

Every one of the many songs has a purpose in telling Eva's story, and each is memorable, with stand outs being Buenoes Aires, Peron's Latest Flame, Rainbow High, And the Money Keeps Rolling in, and of course, Don't Cry for Me Argentina. Watching this show I finally understood that the 'crying' in this song is not weeping, rather shouting, with Eva advising the adoring public not to shout for her and idolise her since she's one of them. It's a sentiment that fades as Eva gets more power and influence. I learned afterwards that You Must Love Me was actually written for the movie and has since been inserted into the theatrical production, which perhaps explains why its inclusion here is rather shorter than I remembered.

The production was so full of energy and emotion, dark as well as light - it opens with Eva's funeral and a mournful requiem - and tells a complex story that bears repeated viewing as it's easy to miss the odd line here or there or to read more into some of the action. Evita leaves me wanting to learn even more about this fascinating character, and wanting to listen to the soundtrack album over and over again!