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Madalena high flying and adored
Marti Pellow as Che and Madalena Alberto as Eva Perón Evita
Malvern Theatres
***** IN musical theatre it is hard to top the superb
team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, but add in Bill Kenwright as
director/producer plus the incredibly talented Madalena Alberto as
leading lady and you are presented with magic. Evita was the fourth musical from Rice and Lloyd Webber, following on from The Likes of Us, and the hugely successful Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar. Written almost 40 years ago, Evita tells
the story of Eva Duarte and her journey from fatherless poverty to a
career in radio and socially upwards through a series of romances until
she enchants and marries Colonel Juan Perón, one of Argentina’s most
powerful men. Eva worked hard to win support for her husband, paving his
way to becoming president in 1946. Headstrong and ambitious, Eva, fondly known as
Evita, was also plagued by ill health, which put an end to her dream of
becoming vice-president. Her speeches and visits to ‘the common people’
made her a much loved figure, and although this praise was far from
universal, she was viewed by many almost as a saint. The role she
created for herself, her glamour and her European tour to spread a
message of peace coupled with her obvious fragility make comparisons
between Eva Perón and Princess Diana striking.
And then of course there is Eva’s cruel death from cancer at the age of just thirty three. Evita, alongside her husband, brought great changes for ‘her people’, especially the working classes, and worked hard to secure women’s right to vote, granted in 1947. However, their rule was seen by many as a form of dictatorship by stealth, and some of the country’s wealth seemed to disappear into the Peróns’ own (Swiss) coffers. It is a huge role, which Alberto inhabits
fantastically. The actress acknowledges that Evita is one of the most
demanding female roles in musical theatre due largely to the almost two
hours on stage and the physicality of the role. On stage, Portuguese Alberto is glamorous (she
has eighteen costume changes), sings with great emotion and truly leads
the audience to love Evita as she was loved by her people, faults and
all. In one of her final scenes she seems not only to age, but to grow
weaker and slighter in front of our eyes as she nears death. Theatre allows Alberto to demonstrate all she is
capable of, which other media such as film would not demand. Her
rendition of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina at the start of Act Two
was incredibly moving, as she looks out to the audience as her people
from the balcony of
Such a well known song, it is difficult to make
it sound fresh, sincere and un-clichéd, but Alberto does far more than
this, somehow making us feel that she is giving her message to each one
of us. She strangely had us all rooting for her and Perón’s success and
for a bright future for Argentina. You can imagine my distress when she
died.
Mark Heenehan did a great job as Perón, with a
fine voice and acting skills, and graciously acknowledging that his
role, although vital, was a supporting one to Alberto’s, as Perón’s was
to Evita’s. And so we come to Marti Pellow. Former Wet Wet Wet frontman
Pellow is now a solo artist and actor, and his continued popularity
would seem to make the decision to cast him as the story’s narrator, Che,
a wise one. However, his singing was my only niggle with this
production. Professional singer or not, in my opinion his voice was just
not strong enough, and he often seemed to struggle to keep up with the
music. Alberto’s powerful voice only served to highlight Pellow’s
weaknesses, and it seemed a shame that the most important character in
this production after Evita was picked more for who he was than on merit
and his ability to sing with depth, clarity and emotion. Special mentions must though go to Sarah
McNicholas as Perón’s unceremoniously deposed mistress for her sweetly
sad performance of Another Suitcase in Another Hall and to the
locally recruited children, one of whom impressively sang solo in
Santa Evita. Other plus points were the live orchestra
squeezed into the pit, the grand set design, lighting, costumes and
choreography which together made the show a wonderful spectacle. Rice
and Lloyd Webber perhaps make less obvious use of comedy in Evita
than they do in other work but it is still there throughout. Mood changes such as the one between the amusing
Goodnight and Thank You which sees Evita waving goodbye to a
string of lovers, and the sinister military-sounding song The Art of
The Possible, show how expert Rice and Lloyd Webber are at
manipulating an audience’s emotions and plausibly using contrasting
extremes which ought not to work. Similarly, it is difficult to imagine
how the spirit of the recently deceased Eva Perón could not only appear
on stage but also sing with other cast members, without appearing
utterly ridiculous and saccharine, but Rice and Lloyd Webber pull this
off with gusto. A marvellous production, the story of Evita is
fascinating, and the disappearance of her body for years after her death
only adds to her air of divinity amongst her admirers. Admirers of Marti
Pellow were out in force, and fans in the front row were shocked at my
suggestion that Pellow’s acting and vocal skills were anything less than
perfect. ‘But he’s beautiful,’ I was told. I suspect their review might
read slightly differently from mine. At the end of the show there was a well deserved
cheer for the girl who sang solo, a huge cheer for Pellow (although not
from me) and a standing ovation for the absolute star of the show
Madelena Alberto. Any marks for this show that I may have deducted for
Pellow’s flaws, Alberto earned back easily and ought to be billed above
him in the promotional material, regardless of who may have achieved
some chart success in the 1980s. This production of Evita continues to tour
Britain into the summer so catch it when you can. To 10-5-14 Amy Rainbow
06-05-14
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The
Casa Rosada in a sparkling white replica Christian Dior sequinned dress
and diamonds.