Skylight’s "Evita" Has More Than A “Touch Of Star Quality”

Long before Andrew Lloyd Webber put a pen to paper to compose Cats or Phantom of the Opera, he collaborated with lyricist Tim Rice on a musical about the rise and fall of controversial Argentinian first lady Eva Perón. After seeing a documentary about her in the early 1970s, Rice was obsessed with the story, even visiting Buenos Aires to do his own research on the charismatic leader. The resulting musical, Evita, was translated from a concept album to a Broadway production, and in 1980 the hit show garnered seven Tony Awards. With a complicated, historically-based story, two killer lead roles, and a plethora of musical styles – from experimental, wonky dissonance, to Latin tangos, to ’40s radio ballads, to guitar riffs and soft rock sounds of the ’70s – Evita is a challenging piece that isn’t performed frequently enough. Now, after originally programming a concert version of the piece pre-pandemic, Skylight Music Theatre has outdone themselves, with a fully staged spectacle that is a combination of incredible choreography, brilliant performances, and exceptional music. Playing in the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, the show runs through February 19.

Led by Argentinian director and choreographer Gustavo Zajac, the performance begins with an exquisite tango by internationally recognized dancers Guillermina Quiroga and Mariano Logiudice, underneath a movie screen that fills the stage with historic black and white footage of the Peróns making public appearances surrounded by throngs of their supporters. At the announcement of Evita’s death, the entire country seems to mourn. Then we are led back to the beginning of the story, where Eva is an ambitious teen growing up far from the bright lights of Buenos Aires, dreaming of bigger and better things.

In the title role, Milwaukee actress Rána Roman bursts onto the stage in a multi-faceted performance, first revealing Eva’s youthful exuberance and her ambition, then her more machiavellian side, as she manipulates the media and a series of men to get what she wants. Looking just as regal in a simple house dress as she does in Evita’s signature sparkling white gown (incredible and voluminous costume design by Kristina Sneshkoff) Roman shows audiences Eva’s polished public side and her private discontent; her strength in the face of criticism and her physical frailty as she battles the cancer that would eventually take her life. Onstage for almost the entire show, Roman soaks up the spotlight, dancing and using her strong, clear soprano to tackle some very well known anthems as well as some interstitial songs that reach far above and below the scale. Her “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” is triumphant, as is her call for glamor in “Rainbow High.” They are beautifully juxtaposed with Evita’s quiet plea to her husband, “You Must Love Me,” which is virtually still and emotionally rich.

Roman reunites with her Kiss Me Kate co-star Andrew Varela as Juan Perón, the dynamic military leader who governed Argentina from 1946-1955. Varela is known for his enormous voice and a gregarious stage presence, but here he is carefully restrained as the general who is trying to control his military, his wife, and his countrymen at the same time. Only towards the end of the play when Juan and Eva are quarreling does his unguarded, passionate side slip out. While Juan Peron is a necessary character, he’s not the one with all the lines and melodies – those are reserved for his harshest critic – Che.

Richard Bermudez is extraordinary in this role, as the voice of the Argentinian people, whose job is to fact check the Cinderella story of Eva Perón, and give another perspective on her meteoric rise to fame and power. Cynical, gritty, and fiercely protective of his country, in the hands of a president who acts a little too much like a dictator, Che stands for truth in the face of PR campaigns. He is convinced that far from saintly, Eva Perón’s messages and goals are much more self-serving then they are patriotic. Dressed in browns and khakis the color of the land, he stands in stark contrast to the glittering, colorful gowns that Evita insists upon once she is in the capital. Burmudez clearly relishes this role – one he has played professionally twice before – leaning into contradicting the party line. His operatic tenor handles Che’s challenging vocal parts with ease, infusing his songs with righteous anger, and calls for accountability while speaking directly to the audience about the “circus” that the Peróns have created in lieu of a functioning government. In a cast full of talent, Burmudez stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Director Zajac keeps the musical moving at a good pace, alternating between big crowd scenes and smaller interactions, and uses the high balcony level of Erik Diaz’s intriguing set to great effect, along with its long staircase. In the second act both the disapproving upper class ladies at their tea parties and disgruntled rank and file military members, are particularly well staged. Dance numbers are high energy but a tad repetitive (like the musical motifs). And they suffer slightly by comparison; the only disadvantage of having an expert tango couple in the cast is they tend to upstage all of the other choreography in the show.

The set Diaz created works exceptionally well, having to stand in for dozens of locations over decades of time. Riffing on the performative nature of Eva’s life and politics in general, it is a theater that mirrors the Cabot almost exactly, from the color palette and decorative painting to the light fixtures. Shiny and impressive at first, the set deteriorates in front of our eyes as Evita’s powerful façade begins to weaken and crumble. Plain steel is revealed underneath the artifice. The analogy isn’t subtle, but it is apt.

In his program notes, Zajac writes that he hopes American audiences will see Evita as more than a historical fable, but as a cautionary tale. In an age where public figures are packaged and managed like rock stars, critics of governments around the world are being silenced, and a cult of personality can earn more favor than any substance underneath it, it is increasingly important to separate leaders from their mythology. In an ironic proof of concept, Zajac also stated that Evita could not be performed in his home country because the sometimes unflattering portrait of Eva Perón would not be tolerated. Thankfully we can enjoy the sublime production here.

Post Script

Skylight’s "Evita" Has More Than A “Touch Of Star Quality”