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Evita’s unsympathetic lead seems to sing, ‘Don’t cry for me’
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Without a strong Eva Peron, the lead protagonist in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Evita,” the musical follows the same aimless path trodden by his “Cats” or “The Phantom of the Opera.” Sadly, this was the case this weekend at the Overture Center.
Madison’s Overture Center for the Arts’ presentation of the national tour of “Evita,” directed by Larry Fuller, had a few great performances highlighted by effective scenic and sound designs, but lead actress Cameron Leigh Wade’s weak performance as Eva Peron undercut the power of Weber and Rice’s work, giving the audience an unsatisfying experience and leaving us to wonder, “So what?”
“Evita” depicts Eva Peron’s rise from rural peasant to the zealous role of Argentina’s “Spiritual Leader” in the 1940s and ’50s. Writer Weber and lyricist Tim Rice provide a score and script that explore the most central tensions of Eva’s life while also raising questions. Were her humanitarian efforts and proclaimed affection for the working poor genuine, giving hope to an entire nation, or was she merely a distraction for the populace while her dictator husband and his colleagues ravaged the country and consolidated their power? Her biographers debate these questions to this day.
Weber’s stage production shies away from any direct answers, leaving it to the audience to ponder the thin lines between fascism and impassioned government and between patriotism and the blind following of a fervent national leader. The tension between these opposing views of Eva is where “Evita” finds its power and rises above the average song-and-dance fluff musical.
This key tension was, however, quite lacking in the Overture presentation. Eva (Wade) came off as manipulative, vicious and generally unsympathetic, therefore only telling half the story Weber and Rice wrote. She lacked the vulnerability and charm that could make the audience root for her in her quieter, more personal moments. There were times, especially during the rousing Act I finale “A New Argentina,” where a fiery and soulful Wade shone through, but on the whole she seemed overwhelmed by the task of presenting such a multifaceted character and was overmatched by Weber’s daunting musical score. Even when located downstage center, Wade was constantly overshadowed by the brilliant performances given by her costars.
Omar Lopez-Cepero, playing Che, the semi-omniscient narrator and conscience of Eva, was charismatic and electrifying. His wide vocal range, piercing tone and pop style perfectly captured the rock tenor sound Weber’s work often calls for. He turned in one of the few dynamic and substantive performances of the evening. At times his performance was reduced to mugging and sticking his hands in his pockets, but more often than not, he moved about the stage with a command of time and space afforded to him by his role as narrator. There were moments between himself and Eva where he quickly flipped between comedic and pointed in his delivery, as in the duet “High Flying Adored.” He coyly questioned the motives and actions of Eva at every step, often comparing Eva and her husband to the most despicable of fascists. Unfortunately, what should have been a dialogue between Che and Eva was often one-sided.
Philip Peterson as Juan Peron, Argentina’s dictator and Eva’s husband, turned in a solid performance as the oiliest of politicians. Standing above the ensemble, bellowing his stump speeches, Peterson seemed able to manipulate any crowd. His rich baritone could melt even the iciest heart and effectively masked the evil nature of his character.
The most surprising performance of the evening came from Stephanie Barnum playing Juan’s Mistress. Her musical number, “Another Suitcase in Another Hall,” was the most moving and sympathetic performance of the show, thanks to Barnum’s straightforward delivery of the vulnerable character.
The ensemble provided entertaining dancing and strong vocals throughout the production. The whimsical choreography married the worlds of rich, poor and militant through a series of marches, twirling tangos and promenades. Vocally, the group exhibited strong stylistic range, ably performing both the quiet reverent numbers such as “Santa Evita” and more raucous numbers like “Oh What a Circus.”
The scenic and sound designs were quite compelling. The staged scenery was centered on a beautiful mural depicting a pillar of emaciated bodies and barbed wire upon which Juan and his generals rested in a circle of authority, a stunningly executed metaphor for the deeper issues in the show. The production employed the use of a projection screen on which pictures and footage of riots, police, tanks, bodies and the real Eva from the ‘40s and ‘50s-era Argentina were displayed, creating an environment for serious issues to play out. These issues, however, remained largely unexplored due to Wade’s one-dimensional performance.
Sadly without an Eva who could be both admired and despised, the poignancy of all these other successful elements was lost in the performance. The audience was left waiting for her demise and an end to her demagoguery, so when she finally succumbed to her terminal illness the audience had little to ponder besides, “So what?”
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ARe you kidding!?!?!
Evita was amazing. her voice was sooo strong! i have seem numerous performances of evita and she was the strongest one iv seen. her obvious difference in age was totally there. whoever wrote this article is clearly not a theatre critic and knows nothing about theatre!
please dont ever write again.
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Absolutely concur with the review. The obvious miscasting brought down an otherwise solid production. Between acts and after the show I overheard others muttering about the weak lead. It was also pretty obvious how people felt during the curtain call. The place whooped and cheered for Che, but the cheers were silenced to polite clapping when Cameron Leigh Wade came out. There was no standing ovation.
Evita requires presence. Wade tried to substitute cuteness. She’d be a superb Gidget, but did not succeed in this role. I’ve never, ever seen such inexplicable casting.
I was not similarly moved by “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” but I enthusiastically agree that Omar Lopez-Cepero was first-rate.
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This was probably the worst review I have ever read. Yes Wade was a little weak, but it didn’t take away from that show. For one thing Eva is NOT supposed to come off as vounerable (reason for the song “Hello and Goodbye”). The only time she is vounerable is when she is dying at the end which she did very well. Secondly, Che is not supposed to be Eva’s conscience. He is merely the narator and also has no direct interaction with Eva except in the Waltz. Also the fact that Che stuck his hands in his pocket was not only a great way to show his characters apathy for Eva but also was done by the Choreographer!!!! You can’t not fault the actor for the direction he was given. But where this review is most flawed is when it talks about Barnum, the mistress. SHE WAS TERRIBLE! Her acting was very blase not to mention how pitchy her singing was. She missed the note on pens as in “So what happens now.” EVERY TIME! She also added in a pop style that was innapropriate. However her role is so small that it didn’t matter. Regardless, that was one of the best traveling broadway show’s I have ever seen. For you to rip it appart is completely unjustified and poor.
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“Vounerable”?? Please learn to spell before posting a comment. I completely agree with the reviewer. I was disappointed in the lead, but thought Che was really great, as was the mistress…I wonder why she wasn’t cast as Evita? There have been numerous other reviews from other cities of this production and ALL of them agree that Wade was a terrible/weak Evita. At least my ticket was free, I would have been pissed if I had to pay more than 10$ for the tripe that was Wade’s singing.
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Still not sure how you thought the mistress was good and pretty sure you knew what I meant but vounerable even though it is severly misspelled. I really don’t know how you could miss the how the mistress flatted “pens” in “Another
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Out of curiosity, what night did you see it? I mean that could have something to do with it.
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I have seen this production of Evita six times since September. Stephanie Barnum has been on every time, and every time she has been phenomenal. She is always perfectly on pitch, and her acting is completely appropriate for the song. So for you to bash her like that doesn’t make sense to me, and makes me question your credibility as an informed observer.
P.S. Do you even know the show at all? I think that before you post such blatant criticism, you should know the facts about the show you are describing, i.e. not citing the song “Hello and Goodbye,” which doesn’t exist. Well done.
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You’re right… I’ve never actually seen it
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First off I’m very jealous you got to see the show six times or more so see Omar Lopez-Cepero six times. Secondly For someone who’s seen the show six time’s since September I’m suprised you don’t know “Hello and Goodbye.” Though it is not in the playbill, it is a very short song in the show just before “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.” Regarding Barnum; even if you’ve seen the show 300 times it doesn’t mean that an actress will never have an off night. Everyone knows that every performance is a little different. What I’m saying is that the night I was there Barnum was slightly off.
Here are the lyrics to “Hello and Goodbye” (In case you don’t believe me):
[Eva:] Hello and goodbye, I just unemployed you You can go back to school You’ve had a good run, I’m sure he enjoyed you Don’t act sad or surprised, let’s be friends, civilized
Come on little one, don’t sit there like a dummy The day you knew would arrive is here, you’ll survive So move, funny face
I like your conversation, you’ve a catchy turn of phrase You’re obviously going through some adolescent phase
[Mistress:] So what happens now?
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When I saw Evita, I did agree that Eva was not the best performer. She honestly sounded like a Disney princess. I didn’t know anything about her actual history, and from the play, she came off as this mad-for-power person. When I researched her history, I found that she also had her good sides.
Omar Lopez-Cepero was most defintely the best performer. It looked like he WAS the character. Some of the other actors were ok..they were good ACTORS. But Omar L-C wasn’t just a good actor-he was a good CHE.
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Yes, the mis-cast of evita completly ruined it for me, she did not support the role-vocally or emotionally. In my opinion, she was much to immature for this role! I was really disapointed as many others were as well.