Evita

Evita
Lone Tree Arts Center
Lone Tree, CO
April 13-29, 2017

Evita is one of the most political shows in musical theater. It seems very timely for the Lone Tree Arts Center to present it.

The focal point of this show is always Eva. The casting of Lauren Shealy was nothing short of perfect. She had the charisma, the voice and the beauty to fully bring this character to life. It was easy to fall for her just as the people of Argentina did for Eva. Her chemistry with Peron paralleled that of the real couple. There was a clear physical attraction beyond the mutual political benefit.

The casting of Che was not as beneficial to the story., Che’s role was designed to be more than just a narrator – his biting commentary should keep the audience from completely falling under Eva’s spell. Unfortunately the bitterness and anger Che usually demonstrates was so watered down that anytime he attempted to interject his option into the narrative it fell flat.

The supporting role of Peron was well cast with a man much older than Eva – as he was in real life. He was commanding and yet malleable in the hands of Eva. On the other side, Magaldi was a bit too talented for his role. I don’t know if I have ever heard “On This Night of A Thousand Stars” performed better, however, he’s not supposed to be a great singer, so that piece didn’t actually fit.

The talent of the ensemble was impressive. At times they seemed to be stretched a bit thin. To have the men playing Eva’s rejected lovers dress onstage to become the military men competing for power in Argentina made no sense. In other songs it was difficult to determine the difference between the aristocracy and the peasants.

The set evolved well with moving pieces to give playing area many levels and some movement. “The Money Kept Rolling In” was spectacularly choreographed. Eva’s costumes were also a highlight, showing the audience what a clothes horse Eva had become.

Despite many flaws, it was an enjoyable production. The performance of Lauren Shealy alone was worth the price of admission. Evita was an ambitious choice for Lone Tree Arts Center’s first original production and I look forward to seeing their next effort.