By James V. Ruocco
In Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's monumental "Evita," Actor's Equity performers Samantha Pauly, Yurel Echezarreta, Kyle Barisich and Julian Alvarez brew up an intoxicating, savory mix of musical theater alongside the students of the Broadway Method Academy and a group of well-chosen featured dancers, chock full of dizzying, bestowing benefits.
Romantic ambivalence.
Glory-chasing tirades.
Political debates.
Sexual ambiguity.
Bitter, ironic commentary.
Cult status and celebrity.
Hola, buena gente!
Estás listo?
"Evita" is back on the musical stage in Westport to show theatergoers once again that Argentina's favorite leading lady and political wife means business, lock, stock and, oh yes, rock style.
So sit up straight, succumb to her calculated passion and revel in this oft-told tale of fame and fortune bathed in cynicism, range, wistfulness and spectacle.
To the point, there hasn't been a musical opening more exciting and eagerly anticipated than this mounting of "Evita" by the Broadway Method Academy. And who better to bring it to life than actor/director Connor Deane, a refreshing, gifted, hard-working talent whose love of theater and love of live performance knows no boundaries.
Amazing.
Commanding.
Intriguing.
Mesmerizing.
Powerful.
Thrilling.
His "Evita" makes for wonderful, utterly beguiling musical theater.
Deane's take on "Evita," in particular, its complex, effective material, its depiction of the rise and fall of Eva Peron (backed by Ryan Howell's colorful, moody, masterful set design), Che's stalking of the sainted, worshipped Eva and the rapidly accelerating momentum of the musical's "fortune's made and fortune's fade agenda," gives this production its allure, its electricity and its feverish pitch.
In short, this "Evita" explodes in glorious, three-dimensional Technicolor. But what's astonishing is the way it all comes together on the Westport stage. You sit there transfixed, afraid to move or blink your eye, for fear of missing a single second of Deane's visionary, virtuous storytelling.
This "Evita" is perfect. It unfolds with seamless urgency. Its artistic choices are revolutionary and spirited. The actual stage blocking is natural and straightforward. There's also a refreshing intimacy, as devised by Deane, that thrusts you right into the immediate action of the piece (as silent observer, that is) in a room full of people, where, it seems, the actors are playing to you...and only you.
Then and now, the musical score for "Evita," as written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will always have its place in musical theater history, i.e., London's West End and Broadway. The "rock opera" score is ambitious, fluid, nervy, lilting, magical, exciting, vital, hummable and classic.
The Latin-inflicted music, coupled with the rags-to-riches story of a fiercely-driven, independent woman who becomes the wife of Argentine President Juan Peron and achieves sainted, celebratory status with the populace is also epic, revolutionary and challenging.
Music direction for the Broadway Method Academy production of "Evita" has fallen into the more than capable hands of J. Scott Handley who has music directed everything from "Carousel" and "Hair" to "Into the Woods," "Hairspray" and "Spring Awakening."
What's remarkable here is Handley's fresh perspective toward the "Evita" material. Yes, we know the music. Yes, we know the lyrics. Yes, we know the interplays. Yes, we know the transitions and the pungent beats and rhythms. But this "Evita" often takes us by surprise, as though we are hearing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "Oh, What a Circus," "High Flying Adored" and "A New Argentina" for the very first time. Just amazing!
Moreover, there is just the right amount of attitude, frankness and ambivalence in Handley's musical and orchestral depiction of Argentina's sanctified first lady. Nothing is taken for grated. Not the blunt, beautifully amplified words. Not the exemplary, cynical rock style music. Nothing. This "Evita" is a sight to behold, all dressed up with everywhere to go. Well done, Mr. Handley.
For "Evita," immensely talented choreographer Eric Santagata has devised dynamic movement, stylization, pulse, beats and rhythms that splendidly punctuate Eva's journey and upward rise to cult and celebrity status. Every one of the dances unfolds with intoxicating sweep and attentive detail that cleverly master's the musical's thematic ambitions, politics, propaganda, sarcasm and passion. The featured dancers (Ryan Cyr, Jared Smith, Alex Mandala, Jordan Eagle) and those pulled from the student population of the Broadway Method Academy, never once execute a misstep or false move. Instead, they offer a seamless dance performance that is fast, fluid, graceful, steamy, intoxicating, muscular and graceful, always reflecting the hallmark Argentine flavor and logistics of "Evita" as dictated in the original "Evita" musical score.
To portray Eva Peron, Deane has cast the luminous, alluring Samantha Pauly to take center stage as Juan Peron's grand, glamorous wife and lover. A wonderfully compelling actress and singer, she proudly steps into the role made famous by Elaine Paige in London and Patti LuPone on Broadway and without hesitation, makes you forget everything you know and love about Paige, LuPone and every other actress who played Eva Peron in London, on Broadway and on National Tour.
It's a fearless, dynamic performance that is moving, awe-inspiring and effortless. Make no mistake about it, this is Pauly's role from start to finish. She plays it. She owns it. She impresses. She soars. She sky rockets. She summons up every emotion imaginable to make us feel what the character of Eva is feeling. And she creates the necessary sparks, angst and manipulation to chart Eva's rise from whore to mistress to wife and first lady with sardonic believability, personality and attractiveness.
In terms of the "Evita" vocals, which include "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "Buenos Aires," "You Must Love Me" and "A New Argentina," Pauley's quick transition from powerhouse belt to soft, melodic sweetness (or back again, depending on the musical score) is both incredible and seamless. She never once channels the show's female originators. Instead, she offers her own take on this fiery, iconic role and creates a thrilling musicality that reflects Eva's grasping ambitions, her impassioned climb to the top and finally, her fall and unexpected death decree.
Pivotal to the musical telling of "Evita," is the character of Che Guevara, the Argentine Marxist revolutionary, who serves as Greek chorus member, observer, commentator and storyteller, all rolled into one.
The casting of Yurel Echezarreta is a stroke of genius and one that thrusts the actor....full force, that is, into the limelight....to enlighten and entertain both the on-stage actors and the audience with the events of Eva's life (in reality, they never actually met) and what they mean, using the full operatic sweep of the subject matter.
Completely at ease with the robust, often acerbic Webber-Rice material, the actor is witty, calculating, feisty funny, manipulative and a three-ring Argentine circus showman. Vocally, his extraordinary, dynamic range ("Oh, What a Circus," "A New Argentina," High Flying Adored," "And the Money Keeps Rolling In (And Out") is ovation worthy...and then, some.
At 6', 3", Kyle Barisich, as Juan Peron, the founder and leader of the Peronist political movement, offers a suave, slick performance, very different from that of his predecessors. In this "Evita," we get a handsome, sexy, broody Peron that is well-grounded, groomed, athletic and politically powerful.
Vocally, his commanding, expressive voice ("A New Argentina," "Dice are Rolling," She Is A Diamond") finds a variety of tones to express Peron's upper-class persona, his political agenda, his worship of Eva and lastly, his acceptance of her idol worship by the Argentine populace.
Julian Alvarez, as Magaldi, the smoldering tango singer whom Eva seduces and beds as her transport ticket to the alluring Buenos Aires, offers a distinctive, wry characterization that is fraught with real emotion and humanity, punctuated by appropriate dash, sleaze, suave and egotism. Vocally, he creates a strong impression with singing that is rich and exciting, phrasing and enunciation that is superb and concentrated maneuvering that reflects the original intent and meaning of the material as indicated by the show's creators.
Broadway Method Academy student Julia Vitale is cast in the supporting role of Peron's Mistress, a young woman who is shown the door in assumptive fashion by Eva. But before she disappears into the Argentine moonlight, she pauses and delivers "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," a haunting, brokenhearted rendition of this quietly understated solo. Her vocal performance is not only sensational, but it is just as magical as the one set forth by Siobhan McCarthy in the original West End/London production of "Evita" and that of Jane Ohringer, who assumed the role on Broadway, a year later.
One of the key points of this presentation is to showcase the vocal, acting and dance talents of the dedicated, hard-working students of the Broadway Method Academy (ages 14 and up; ages 13 and under). And what better way to do that than with the frisson of vitality that is "Evita."
Under the direct tutelage of Deane, Handley and Santagata, each BMA cast member succumbs to the hypnotic, confident beat and allure of this production. They are assured, animated, excited and emotional young performers, completely in sync with the "Evita" story, its musicality and its theatrics. And finally, they reflect BMA's on-going commitment to nurturing and shaping the raw, real talent of tomorrow.
In the end, the power and gleam of BMA's "Evita" lies in its ability to reawaken the past and make it undeniably present. It's an intoxicating night of theater that is well earned. And one, that reaffirms the cadence, the ingenuity and the artistic sophistication that is Broadway Method Academy.
Note: The Broadway Method Academy production of "Evita" was staged at the Westport Country Playhouse (25 Powers Court, Wesport, CT), Feb. 7 through Feb. 10, 2018.
For information about Broadway Method Academy, call (203) 675-3526
website: broadwaymethodacademy.org
For tickets or more information about Westport Country Playhouse, call (203) 227-4177.
website: westportplayhouse.org
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