Reviews: Evita 2010 vs. Evita 2011

Musical: Evita [UK Tour]
Date: 11th September 2010
Venue: The Lowry, Salford, UK
Cast: Natalie Langston (alt. Eva), Mark Powell ( Che), Mark Heenehan (Peron), Abigail Matthews (Mistress) and Nic Gibney (Magaldi)
Rating: ***


Date: 12th July 2011
Venue: Grand Theatre, Leeds, UK
Cast: Abigail Jaye (Eva), Mark Powell (Che), Earl Carpenter (Peron), Sasha Ransley (Mistress) and Reuben Kaye (Magaldi)
Rating: ***1/2


Reviews:
Last year I saw Bill Kenwright's production of Evita at the Lowry in Salford which unfortunately, I didn't write any review of it. This year, the production came by Leeds and since I had an evening all to myself, I decided to revisit the musical once again. So this review will mainly be a comparison between the two performances of the same (but not quite the same) production.

Productionwise, the two shows I saw were pretty much identical. I think the stage designs were quite impressive. I think the production utilizes the many staircases very well. However, I feel that the visibility of the backstage team as they wheeled and locked the sceneries was somewhat distracting. The choreography was quite good if a bit confusing in some scenes especially in "Peron's Latest Flame". I didn't recall some of the choreography that I saw in Leeds but maybe it was there but I just didn't remember them, that's all. The costumes were quite outdated and uninspiring and the wigs were, frankly, horrible.

"Buenos Aires"

In the role of Eva Peron, Natalie Langston an alternate Eva, assumed the role when I saw the show in Salford while in Leeds, I got to see Abigail Jaye. Vocally, Jaye was definitely stronger and brought quite an interesting dimension to the character. She played a more "mean" Eva than Langston. Langston, on the other hand, was very "LuPone-ish" in her appearance and vocal. Though slightly inferior than Jaye, I think she still performed the role quite well. My little issue with Jaye was that she was a bit harsh in her interpretation of the character and it was kinda difficult to sympathise for the character in later scenes especially in an emotional piece like "You Must Love Me" while Langston's rendition of it did bring me to tears. Both "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"s were the highlights of the evening, though Jaye's version maybe a tiny bit better.

Abigail Jaye

 

Natalie Langston as Eva Peron
during "High Flying, Adored"

Abigail Jaye's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Natalie Langston's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

Mark Heenehan was our Juan Peron in Salford and he delivered the role very well and the role and the vocal seemed to suit his personality perfectly. In Leeds, it was the famous Earl Carpenter who took on the role and I think he was equally good, again, if not a tiny bit better. I like how he added a little laugh and facial expressions and pauses here and there to make it more like he was "acting" the role rather than "singing" the role. (Note: Evita is a sung-through musical so there were no spoken dialogues throughout except for the speech at the beginning of act two and some of the narrator's narration).

Mark Heenehan as Juan Peron
(seen here with Abigail Jaye)

Earl Carpenter as Juan Peron

Both performances had Mark Powell as Che and I think his performance was a better in Leeds. He gave the role an interesting aspect and his acting and skepticism of Evita came across really well. I think he sang better in Leeds too. However, I think his vocal still needs working during the piece where it needs a stronger sound such as during "Sing You Fools" in "Oh What a Circus" or in "A New Argentina". If he could do that, he would definitely command the stage and audience for sure. He seemed to be a bit chubbbier when I saw him in Leeds, but I digress.

Mark Powell as Che, the narrator

Magaldi and the Mistress in Leeds (Reuben Kaye and Sasha Ransley) were hands down stronger than the ones I saw in Salford. They may even be the best ones I've seen in the role so far. Their renditions of their signature numbers "On This Night of a Thousand Stars" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" were impeccable. The ensemble were equally good, however I felt that the ensemble in the Salford company was slightly stronger and more in unison in their numbers.

The Ensemble during "Buenos Aires"

The Ensemble during "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
(seen here with Eva and Peron on the "Casa Rosada")

Overall, I enjoyed the performance I saw in Leeds slightly better as can be seen from the half star increase in my rating. It may be due to the fact that I was sittting in the centre of the theatre so I got the perfect view of the show, compared to in Salford where I got the seat slightly to the right and back. Also, Leeds Grand Theatre is a more intimate space than The Lowry (at least in the stall) so it's easier to feel like being a part of the show.  Still, it wasn't a flawless production, I still found that many of the scenes could have been stronger. This is probably due to direction decisions. Though "Buenos Aires" and "Rainbow High" were done beautifully, I never understood the "Art of the Possible" scene and "A New Argentina" scene could have told the story more powerfully whereas now it was a bit of a confusion for the audience as things wrapped up in act one. However, I would still recommend this show to anyone who loves musicals because it is still a well-produced production and it was definitely worth it to see it with such a strong cast like this.

MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Requiem for Evita... Company
Oh What a Circus... Che, Eva and Company
On This Night of a Thousand Stars... Magaldi
Eva Beware of the City... Magaldi, Eva and Family
Buenos Aires... Eva and Company
Good Night and Thank You... Che, Eva, Magaldi and Lovers
The Art of the Possible... Peron, Eva and Colonels
Charity Concert... Magaldi and Peron
I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You... Eva and Peron
Another Suitcase in Another Hall... Mistress
Peron's Latest Flame... Che and Company
A New Argentina... Che, Eva, Peron and Company


ACT TWO
On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada... Che, Peron and Company
Don't Cry for Me Argentina... Eva
High Flying Adored... Che and Eva
Rainbow High... Eva and Dressers
Rainbow Tour... Che, Peron, Eva and Ensemble
The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)... Eva and Company
And the Money Keeps Rolling In (and Out)... Che and Company
Santa Evita... Child, Mother and Priests
Waltz for Eva and Che... Che and Eva
She Is a Diamond... Peron and Officers
Dice Are Rolling... Peron and Eva
You Must Love Me... Eva
Eva's Final Broadcast... Eva
Montage... Company
Lament... Eva