Marina Nebro: Arts and Culture

I Cried For You, Evita

…and not a good cry or a proud cry for the woman who was such a beloved figure in Argentina in the 1940’s and ’50s (and arguably still remembered to this day), but a sorry cry. I must say that Elena Roger, the Argentinian actress cast as Evita, did a poor job at portraying Eva Perón. By the end of the show, I felt no fondness for the fallen heroine. But let me not jump the gun here – who was Evita?

Born in 1919 as Maria Eva Duarte, she grew up in rural Argentina as one of “the people.” She aspired to be an actress and made her way to Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, and worked her way up the social ladder. In 1944 she met Juan Peron, then, simply a military man on his way up, and soon after married him. Together, they ran for the Argentinian presidency and won the election in 1946. The political men in charge made Eva the “cover girl” of their party, taking attention away from their corrupt actions behind the scenes. Eva was loved by the people of Argentina as she helped the poor and was relatable to them as well. Many high society women disapproved of Eva Peron because of her poor background and lack of education. For this reason, she started her own foundation, named after herself, to help the poor. She also aided in women’s rights.

Now, that’s the real Eva’s background. What about the show? It has been a huge box office hit because of Ricky Martin’s role as Che. Of course, I went to see it as a TDF member with my family, and so Ricky Martin did not perform in this afternoon’s performance. I don’t think, though, that his presence would have helped my experience very much. Though the part of Che (Max von Essen) is an important role as he narrates the entire story and has various solos, he is not the main focus, as the show is titled EVITA. Andrew Lloyd Weber’s composition, as always, is very powerful, and of course, he likes to play with dissonance. Dissonance can be beautiful when executed properly, but when done poorly, can sound like “nails on a chalkboard” – that’s how one of the ladies on the line at the restroom after the play described the lead actress’ voice as well. Especially in the song “Goodnight and Thank You,” one faulty step, and the entire number will crumble – and that’s what happened. I think a lot of people were disappointed with Elena Roger – applause was very weak throughout the entire performance and at the end of the production not a single member of the audience stood in appreciation. I’ve never experienced that before!

But what about the good parts, for there were indeed some good parts of the entire show? The set was absolutely phenomenal. Who knew the addition of a couple of windows could change a set from looking like an exterior to an interior of a building? The set designer created an ultra-realistic setting enhanced by excellent lighting. The ensemble, as well, was fantastic. They were great, in the dance numbers especially, and held the entire show together.

I would like to now give a little background information about my connection with the musical. In 5th grade, all Great Neck students go on a trip to see a musical performance. My elementary school was the only one that didn’t attend a Broadway show, but instead brought us to Bellport’s Gateway Playhouse where we saw Evita. I must admit, this is not a musical for a 10 year old, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed the performance there. My mom, being a chaperone, was also impressed by the caliber of Gateway’s production and later took out a summer subscription to the Gateway Playhouse for our family, a tradition we kept for five years. Thus began my exposure to professional theatre – and I haven’t stopped since! Too bad the Broadway performance did not live up to my past experience or my expectations.

Marina B. Nebro