For a Tuesday night, the Oriental Theatre’s showing of
“Evita” generously fills the lobby with an older crowd cleaning their glasses
as they proceed onward to their seats. “Evita” is known as a historic Broadway
show with hit songs your grandmother knows like, “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina”
and “Buenos Aires.” The themes of passion, politics, poise and power invoke our adult minds
because these ideas surround us daily.
As a thirty-plus year old show, this performance grasps our attention to
witness a classic musical resulting in a hefty audience.
Caroline Bowman is originally cast to play the seducing,
generous, authoritative diva, Eva Peron who tries her best to kill ‘em with
kindness. On the September 24th performance, Desi Oakley, the
under-study, performs as Eva. Oakley improves her vibrancy as the story moves
forward after intermission. Oakley has played Eva before in a college
production and at times that is what it felt like, she needs to crank up the
drive a few notches---this is Broadway! For instance, Eva’s encounters with
various lovers to her husband, the sexual connection lacks. Eva is sexy, she’s
a superstar, there needs to have some Marilyn Monroe underneath that nightgown.
Costumes and
make-up help aid us through Eva’s growth. Eva’s hair history evolved from a
short, classic, flapper-esque, brunette crimp into an old Hollywood wavy
blonde. A simple floral dress to Oscar’s
inspired high-slit dress to an A-line skirt suit with a jeweled broach, the
evolution of class and age sold more through costume than Oakley’s performance
at times. At the point of Eva’s high maturity and illness with cancer, which
looks like a minor stomachache, didn’t blossom until fate decides her life path
and ends with Oakley's strongest piece “Lament.”
The ensemble’s energy is wonderful all the way through.
Every time they flood the stage, a connection moves through the audience...as a
lead role should be doing. During, “On This Night of a Thousand Words,” Eva
(Oakley) is beginning her journey to climb up the ladder of stardom. As she
flirts with singer, Malgaldi (Johnstone) in a tango club ears and eyes focus
straight to the atmosphere of customers interacting with each other. Voices of
the one group that always seems to be too loud, cackling laughter, burping and bickering
of the regulars gives the audience the warmth of relation. The chemistry
between these dancers hypnotizes. Its strength and thrill were more dazzling through choreography than Eva and
Peron’s relationship. The movements set the mood and attitude with intensive ballroom to jazz. Choreographer,
Rob Ashford does an excellent job.
As for, Josh Young who plays Che, the true lead with
incredible vocals hitting notes from Soprano to Baritone performed as if it was
Opening Night. Young projects his desire to intrigue the audience in his entire
narration; he plays with the audience’s energy by inflecting his voice or
making movements on the balcony a bit larger than life.
Once “Evita” ends, there is a moment of second-guessing if
it really is over. For a weekday the cast feels speedy for ending the show
about fifteen-minutes earlier than predicted. The show as a whole was worthy of
the 25-dollar student ticket. It was entertaining and concrete. Not as
memorable as other Broadway tours with specific mesmerizing scenes and
goose-bumps from vocals, which the New York audience probably received from
Ricky Martin’s performance as Che. This production of “Evita” is something to
see, if time and money permits.
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