The Long Beach Terrace Theatre staged a production of “Evita” on Friday night that could only be described as uneven: uneven acting, uneven production and uneven attendance. The crowd in the theater seemed more akin to a city council meeting than the opening night of such a well-known show. Several patrons were able to take their pick of available seats to find the best view of the stage. It didn’t matter where your seat was, though, because the audience had a general reaction of, “It was just OK.”
“Evita,” a hit Broadway musical made popular by the 1996 film staring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, is about the life and tragic death of one of Argentina’s most famous women, Eva Peron.
The musical begins at the end of the story with the announcement of the death of Eva Peron in a movie theater. The next scene transitions to mourners circling the coffin chanting, “Evita, Evita, Evita.” Capturing the scene for the audience is narrator Che Guevara, who says, “She’s not the only one who’s dead.”
The rest of the story tells of Evita’s humble beginnings, from her impoverished upbringing in Argentina to her rise in power as the wife of dictator Juan Peron. Evita first became known in Argentina through her radio show and B-movies. The musical shows her life at that time as an open door to all sorts of men, which Guevara narrates through the aptly titled song “Goodnight and Thank You.” When chancing upon Juan at an event, Evita seizes upon her chance to move up to the top of the social and political food chain. Evita marries Peron and, through him, becomes the most powerful woman in Argentina.
Guevara captures the whole affair for the audience. Though Guevara has been immortalized on college students’ T-shirts across America for his legacy in Cuba, he originally hails from Argentina. His iconic status as a revolutionary, and the flamboyance of the character in the play, make him an ideal foil for the larger-than-life persona of Evita.
Guevara, played by Omar Lopez-Cepero, was a breath of fresh air in this musical. He was funny, witty, good-looking, had great mannerisms and expressed sarcasm and cynicism as a voice of the people. The rest of the cast had difficulty keeping up, especially compared to other recent local productions of “Evita” – namely the one at the Orange County Performing Arts Center that ran last year.
Seeing Cameron Leigh Wade take on the title role in “Evita” most often felt like watching a square peg being forced into a round hole, with the same splintered results. Her voice and acting seemed far more suited for Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, such as “Oklahoma!” In this production, however, Wade’s voice and acting simply lacked the depth needed for a character who slept her way to become the power behind the throne of Argentina. The end result of the mismatch was clear in the death scenes; though the crowds on the stage were weeping over Eva Peron, the crowds in the seats were breathing a sigh of relief.
The staging of this musical was a high point despite the other problems. “Evita” was performed in the style of Harold Prince, the original director of “Evita” in 1979, and for which he won a Tony in 1980. Prince is known for musicals with an over-arching theme, often with political overtones. Unfortunately, the imbalance of this production of “Evita” simply missed the mark that Prince’s plays had set at their height.
If you must sit through this production, you can look for Guevara, and probably appreciate the music. “Evita” is known for its raw and overwhelming music that pulls at your heart. Most will recognize the hit “Don’t cry for me Argentina,” and even if you picture Madonna while hearing the song, at least it’s nice hearing a song you know some words to.
