★★★ REVIEW: Evita (Curve, Leicester) | 2023 revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice musical
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
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OHMYGOD HEY!
I recently headed to the Curve Theatre in Leicester to see their latest production: a bold revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita.
The show, which has previously starred Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone, and Madonna as Argentinian former first lady Eva Peron, features such songs as 'Oh What a Circus', 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' and 'You Must Love Me'.
Check out today's brand new video review for my thoughts on this production and what about it invited comparison to Jamie Lloyd's recent revival of Sunset Boulevard...
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00:00 | introduction
02:22 | history / synopsis
07:30 | what is this revival like?
11:22 | shortcomings
21:24 | performances
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#musical #evita #theatre - Zábava
"you may know him from t-shirts" 🤣
That got me too! Hahaha!
Perfection 😆
Wonderful to hear your praise of Chumisa Dornford-May. This exceptionally talented young woman was a student at the school where I work. During the time she was with us I got to see her in school productions playing Mimi in Rent and Deloris in Sister Act. We always knew she'd go far. Hope to see her in the West End in the not to distant future.
My first Broadway show. Age 20.1979. Evita. Patti LuPone. Mandy Patinkin. Bob Gunton. No words. I WAS HOOKED!
Wow!!! That must’ve been amazing!!!! So jealous…
WOW!!!!!
I used to teach Chumisa dance! We knew she was a star from her first day at Sixth Form. She played Deloris in our Production of Sister Act and I’m sure you can imagine how wonderful she was in the role. I adore the girl and I am so proud of everything she has already achieved!
God I love listening to your reviews. You always impress me with your insights and well thought out comments. It never seems like you are attempting to follow the crowd, nor be contrarian just for the sake of it, but that you allow yourself to have genuine reactions to the shows you see, and then articulate them perfectly for us. Thanks for keeping it real.
Always love your reviews, MickeyJo! Evita 2, Argentina Never Dies... stop hush don't say that! What if Lord Andy hears you and decides to do it out of spite?
Another Suitcase is one of my favorite songs, her rendition sounds amazing!
The way you didn't mention how awesome the gameshow concept was for Money Kept Rolling In blows my mind - it's all we could talk about after the show! It was so simple and I loved it so much! I've booked to see it again on Saturday. It was in my top shows of 2023.
See, I wasn’t sure about this! I think it’s a good idea on its own but it didn’t seem to fit with the aesthetic of the rest of the show at all - it felt oddly dated when they’re also referencing social media?
I’m always so relieved when someone gets that Evita is one of ALW’s best by quite some distance. When done well it’s INCREDIBLE theatre.
My first experience of it was being in it, at age 10 lol. Australian production in the 90’s so you’d know no one - Tina Arena’s cousin Francesca was playing Eva, with Fiona Choi understudying.
Also I was so confused by your comments on The Lady’s Got Potential, then realised I grew up on the concept album as my primary reference, so it’s always been there for me.
I've seen this production 3 times (we're local to Leicester) and had mixed feelings but overall did enjoy it very much. Our first time seeing it was from the first row of the circle, a view which made the already expansive stage seem even larger, and I did feel at times as though the show wasnt 'filling' the stage, especially when there were fewer cast members on stage. The other times I saw it from the stalls and this 'emptiness' wasn't perceptable at all and I enjoyed it a lot more.
We saw Chumisa as Eva and she was wonderful - her voice reminded me a lot of Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music - very clear and bright. She sings with great diction as well, which is very important to me as I like to hear every lyric and really understand the story. I am sure we will see her on the West End before long.
Like you, after falling in love with Sunset I now have ridiculously high expectations for camera use on stage, and I found the cameras used in this show quite 'jittery' which was slightly off-putting. I think they used gyroscopic mounts (or something similar) in Sunset, but not in Evita. There were also some odd moments where the camera would be carried across the stage between shots, but the video would still be streamed on the screen, and you'd see some of the cast members feet for a few seconds. This wasn't a technical error as it happened during each performance we saw. I found it a bit strange but only a minor distraction. Overall I didn't appreciate the use of cameras as much in this production, but I didn't feel like they were completely unnecessary - like you, I think there were times that they were used very effectively. I'm just haunted by Sunset (in a good way!) and now compare everything to that 😅
Tyrone was also brilliant - I thought his acting was great, and I did love the way he starts the show in the audience as a spectator.
Of course, the music is beautiful and any chance to hear it live is a treat 🥰
The bit about Eva’s body going missing first appeared at the end of the original West End production with David Essex recounting this as Che.
One thing I’d like to point out is that when magaldi is singing his reprise of on this night of a thousand stars peron and the mistress are watching and being affectionate towards each other. I brought this up because you say by cutting the adolescent phase line it makes peron seem softer when to me he’s harder cause he’s being so affectionate with her and then dumping her literally moments later just makes him more ruthless. (Apologies for this mini essay and can confirm Chumisa is a phenomenal Eva)
Thank you, I thought I was crazy that I had heard Evita sing "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" before!
Thanks for this video. I saw the original Evita on Broadway with Mandy Patinkin and Teri Klausner, who was Patti LuPone's alternate. Great show.
☎️ ring ring
“Hello. Sir Andy? I have just 5 words for you. Evita 2: Argentina Never Dies.
❤ it!!!
I'd planned to see this last Saturday matinee, but unfortunately it got cancelled. Was so gutted as I was really looking forward to seeing it. Can't get back before it closes either :(
Between 2nd and 6th of Jan I saw 5 shows. Hamilton Tour, Pacific Overtures, Sunset Boulevard, Sondheim Old Friends and Evita.
This was my favorite! I saw Jessica Daley. It did take me about half of Oh What A Circus to get used to the way Tyrone Huntley was playing Che both accent-wise and playfulness but I very quickly got on board with and enjoyed it.
I was briefly in Evita as a supernumerary when it toured to Sunderland Empire. Seamus Cullen was our Che. Evita always holds a special place in my heart
I'm not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, but "Evita" is one of my favorite musicals. Never got to see the original with Patti Lupone, but have seen many local and regional productions and enjoyed every one of them. (Even the movie with Madonna isn't bad, except for her stealing the Mistress's song.)
I never realized Don't Cry for Me Argentina and Oh What a Circus were the same, although I picked up that Lloyd Webber uses the same musical themes over and over. 😄
I agree with you that You Must Love Me doesn't fit any production.
The "adolescent phase" line is not in the original Broadway cast album (the first time I heard it was in the movie), and the OBC ends with Che saying Evita's body disappeared for 17 years.
Very detailed review. Makes me wish they filmed some of these productions for international audiences.
Actually the original was the West End version with David Essex and Elaine Paige🙂
@@behindthemirrorofmusic4351 I said the cast album from the original Broadway cast (hence, "original Broadway cast album"). I know the show was first a concept album and then premiered on the West End.
There was just a production of Evita here in Washington DC that was beautiful. Unbelievable dance sequences. While the casting was more representative, they only ever used an accent while saying “Argentina.” So many Ar-HEN-Teena’s
I saw that production! I agree, the dancing was phenomenal. And I loved the set piece with the flowers and what they did with her dress.
I hope the world is finally acting out my secret evil plan to get an Evita revival to broadway and have Solea Pfeiffer star. I never enjoyed Evita until i heard her do it.
I completely love and adore you! ❤ your channel is positively ace, your passion beautiful! John-Paul from Atlanta USA =^,,^=
The line in ‘Hello & Goodbye, I just unemployed you….’ appears to have been cut for a while. When I was directing the show last year, I noticed it was missing. And the script we were given was the 2010 version. So it was most likely gone for the 2012 Broadway revival. Also I feel adding ‘you must love me’ works in the context of the show, but I understand why it can feel strange, but I figured if Hal approved it, then it must be a good choice.
With regards to accents and cultural representation in the show, there is a clip of Raoul Esparza playing Che in a Los Angeles production. It's wonderful, the actor is all Spanish pronunciation (Arhentina has gone to town) and on fire with rage. He should have been in the film.
Interesting to hear your thoughts on the revival.
I saw the Sydney Opera House production a few years ago which was directed by Harold Prince and re created the sets a costumes of the original production.
An interesting choice, but I really liked seeing the original on a great scale.
We love Chumisa! She's on as Eva tomorrow (Wednesday 10th) matinee if you wanted another visit ha ha
OMG, heard both songs so many times, never heard it has the same melody.
Different keys and tempos do wonders
It’s Che turning Eva’s torch song on her after her death - I really like the way it’s done!
I seem to recall "adolescent phase" only appearing on the original concept album and original film soundtrack. Think it was cut for stage
Indeed it was - I recently went back to the OBC version with Patti LuPone and noted the line's absence, which is a shame because it is such a weighty (and clever) line.
The line, “you’re obviously going through some adolescent phase” was in the original concept album, then was cut for both the original broadway and london productions, was added back in for the movie, and then was cut again for the revival both in London (2006) and broadway (2012). So basically, it’s never officially been sung in the stage show. If you’ve heard it, you’re remembering it from the movie/concept album, or someone threw it back in there unofficially in a random production 🤭
I do know that the "adolescent phase" line is not on the Original Broadway Cast Recording.
The "adolescent phase" line has been out since the original London production. It was put back into the movie but it has never been in any stage production.
I saw Chumisa as Ava Peron and she was INCREDIBLE. Her voice is unmatched! I would have loved to see Jess Daley as well as she rushed over on saturday to perform! I'm also very intrigued how that worked with her at the side of the stage
I can still hear Mandy Patinkin at the end of the album talking about her missing body…Yes a spooky choice.
I've seen Evita at the Phoenix theater in London in 2018 I think
I love that Leicester is considered "travelling up to the north" 😂😂😂
We are very much Midlands and just over an hour from London by train. Lol
I went to Manchester first to see Hamilton which is why I said that 😅
@MickeyJoTheatre I know you did, but the way you worded it just tickles me. 😂😂 Said with complete affection and playfulness btw. X
I love Evita over Sunset. Evita score is memorable songs.
I concur - a stronger score
@@MickeyJoTheatre thanks for all your videos i have fun watching them. From NYC trips to everything else. Came upon your channel when i was going to see Moulin Rouge on the West End to see anything on Jamie Muscato & Melissa James, your review of them made me excited to see them & they were sexy on stage together. Saw & Juliet on broadway it was funny, the cast perfect, saw Joe as Shakesphere and nostaglia songs for me especially 90's. My mom and i had no expectations for sweeney todd we came out & loved it especially annaleigh. i worked as a usher on bway.
Her body was never on display - except for the viewings before and during her funeral. The body went missing for 17 years. Her body was buried in Italy for that time in an unmarked grave. There were copies made of her corpse made to misdirect people. Her body was kept in an attic of an officer.
The details of what happened to her body would take another whole act of the show/story. I think that part is more about Peron, rather than Eva.
I saw this and whilst I did enjoy it, I agree about the ‘Eva was an influencer’ concept - it isn’t a particularly interesting idea, especially when one of Eva Peron’s most notable skills was interacting directly with a crowd. I thought Martha Kirby’s vocal performance was absolutely beautiful, but she didn’t convey the ruthless determination of Eva for me. Maybe that was down to the direction. My other issue was that this story didn’t feel specific to Argentina - the costuming, set design, choreography and accent choices all left it very nondescript - which would be fine, if the lyrics didn’t refer to Argentina so much! Oh and they also cut the second verse of the Lament at the end - a mistake as it reveals (hypothesises) a fair bit about Eva’s character and motivations.
I really enjoyed Tyrone Huntley as Che, and agree that Chumisa Dornford May was a standout - she injected an anger into Another Suitcase that I hadn’t heard before. The lighting and orchestra were wonderful.
Evita is my favourite ALW score and for me the benchmark was the 2006 production with Elena Roger, Philip Quast and Matt Rawle. It wasn’t just the authenticity Roger brought to the part, being from Buenos Aires herself - she is a triple threat in the truest sense of the word and in terms of her acting, I entirely forgot that I was watching a performance. Incredible stage presence. Her voice has real range - it could be incredibly harsh in places, but that added to the characterisation for me. That production also had Argentine Tango choreography doubling up as political assassinations during The Art of the Possible - I reckon it would change your mind on that song!
How intersting thank you! Visually different! But that blinking horrible 90s green velour dress can get in the bin, YUK. Looks like it was bought from Shein.
Concept: Musical about how the body of Eva peron went missing from the creators of Operation Mincemeat
I was looking forward to your review on this. I saw it in Leicester shortly after Christmas and felt underwhelmed by it. In the interval was thinking 2* but landed on 3* by the end. I had never seen Evita (on stage or the movie) and so was largely unaware of the story. From my perspective as someone who’s never seen it, I found the majority of the first act difficult to follow. Everyone I went with also said the same with the exception of the one person who had seen it before.
I’m not a massive fan of ALW’s work and really wanted to like this more. I’m worried about seeing Jesus Christ Superstar at Curve next month 🙈🙈
But the positives to me were the staging, production, the singers were excellent. And yet I felt underwhelmed and desperately want to enjoy this more. Hey ho. Onto Jesus next month 😊
JCS is so great! Did you see it already.
@@Mungoteazer11581 not yet, I’m seeing this Saturday evening’s performance ☺️ I hope it’s great! 🤞
As an argentinian the stolen body its such a weird out of pocket line considering all the rumors that there is behind it. What was the thinking process?
Ive seen this production of Evita twice, first time ever seeing this show and actually sat in front of Sir Tim Rice last night!
Saw both Maria and Chumisa and think Chumisa portrayed Eva a bit better. I hope to see her in more things
I do think, though, this was my least favorite of the curve produced musicals recently
Despite the wonderful Chumisa as the Mistress, I found this show a huge disappointment, so many missed opportunities - where was the Argentine choreography, where was Che’s cynicism and where was the cinema in Buenos Aires. It was however wonderful to hear the score sung so well and the orchestra were marvellous. Mickey Joe - your comments were spot on!
Hi how are you doing
"You may know him from t-shirts" 💀
I prefer the song where the generals sing of Eva Duarte's rise by the use of wealthy and influential men, ending up with Top Dog and pedophile Peron. Art of the Possible is just Peron telling us how he successfully plays the Game of Thrones er politics. This production is definitely a C. My first Evita starred Patti Lupone and then I saw the LA production. And Evita as all WASP or English is completely missing the diversity a Latino cast brings
Just for the record audiences do not think that it’s so cool. When you strip everything away it can be good sometimes but I’m so sick of all these people who say it’s a new retelling with like new sets and stuff. There are no sets y’all think that redoing a show means stripping it down to the very bare minimum make it new, not devoid of color or life
Leicester is not northern, it’s the midlands.. stop being so London centric.
What did I say? 😅
@@MickeyJoTheatre something about going up north .. the north of England starts at Leeds 😂… it’s the midlands… yes we have theatre and electric and running water.
Guess that’s why you are “international reviewer” going to far flung places like Leicester..
Leicester is north of London though so he did go “up north” but maybe I’m just being pedantic
@@richhoward3305 just watched it back - so I went to Manchester, then headed to Sheffield and Leicester, so I did 'travel up to the North' but appreciate Leicester is the midlands.
Also spent Christmas with my fiancé and his family in Wolves, no disparagement here whatsoever!
Can confirm that as far south in the North as Sheffield, Leicester and other parts of the Midlands also sometimes get referred to as ‘the South’ 😂
I would have ZERO interest in seeing a production that is so far removed from the original. This trend of "minimalistic" presentation seems silly to me (...and disrespectful when it's used to "reconceive" popular shows).
Please lord also stop with the cameras it ruined west side story on Broadway the revival was amazing actors wise but the damm cameras so so distracting like p,ease stop
I was so disappointed by this show. It was my first Curve production but it seemed so amateur, it was very disappointing! Rough round the edges as things went wrong, like accidentally leaving the camera on, dropping props, the big lighting mechanism dropping and sounding like it was about to collapse etc. It felt confusing to watch as they were trying to include too many 'cutting edge' elements like the cameras, minimal costuming/set, etc but then having some very fancy costumes in places, and a few more elaborate pieces of set in others, so it didn't feel cohesive - too many ideas but none carried out to the full extent. The english accents were so jarring as well - you hit the nail on the head with what they were doing, as the english accents were TOO english. Evita is one of my favourite musicals so this version was very disappointing. Also, for such an unpolished performance it was very expensive! Very surprised to see so many 5 star reviews from the online blogs, so I'm glad you did a more realistic one. I'm wondering if this is the usual standard for Curve productions because it has made me hesitant to give it another go.
I also thought Chumisa's singing was good, but it felt extremely over-acted, although maybe this was because the other characters were under-acted. It just didn't feel realistic
Rubbery Robbery Evita 2. Rice and Lloyd Webber deny its' existence but they wrote the sequel.