The first impression on the story of Evita herself was the film acted by Madonna and the song,  ‘You must love me’. The lyrics she sang, “Deep in my heart, I’m concealing, things that I’m longing to say. Scared to confess, what I’m feeling, frightened you’ll slip away.” etched deep in my heart when I was a tween.

Evita the Musical landed in Singapore on the 23rd February 2018 and I finally got to see the musical that transpired the film in 1996.

The musical tells the story of young Eva Duarte through a narrator named Che, on Evita’s early life, rise to power, charity work, and death. The musical was based on real-life events of Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón.

While the story of Evita itself was emotionless – unlike the other Andrew Lloyd Webber productions, the portrayal of Eva’s public and personal life in the musical — with Che the narrator acting like Eva’s conscience; the musical presented a hint of emotions of Evita under her thick layers of ambition.

Emma Kingston as Evita

With the musical taking on a rock opera concept, the vocal strength for the role Evita had got to pack some punches, which Emma Kingston delivered with vigour. I was in awe of her ability to project those intense emotions – anger, sadness and determination in her singing.

Jonathan Roxmouth as Che

The narrator, Che — designed in reference to the Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara; brought a counter-perspective to the musical. He taunted the character, Eva Peron as if he was Eva’s own conscience — yet subtlely reminded that beneath the layers of Eva Peron; Eva Duarte existed. Besides being that devil’s advocate in the entire story, this narrator also brings out the comedy in all the seriousness; jesting around characters, injecting laughter.

Overall

Unlike the other bright and cheery or evil and dark productions of Andrew Llyod Webber, this one is the odd one out. Those who knew the story of Eva Peron would understand that she surrounded her life with her ambition and determination to get what and to where she wanted, relationships and emotions were just a mere tool of her goals.

Translating that into a musical was not an easy thing to do, but the musical had successfully revealed a little bit of the human and emotional side of Eva Peron.

The plot of the story was still a tad dry since Eva Peron’s life was as-is. However, the imaginative character, Che, gave it some vapours to the musical.

I like that the production used the concept of Tango dance to depict Eva’s seduction – the sexy and sultry visualised on the side while Eva herself sold her class of persuasion in a business proposition on the surface.

The highlight of the musical was still those two cornerstone music pieces :
‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’ and ‘You must love me’;
and honestly, I went for this musical just to hear that two pieces of music — which to me was worthwhile enough to catch this musical.

Evita the musical runs now to 18 March 2018 in Singapore
at Marina Bay Sands MasterCard Theatres.

For more information, please check out:
Singapore’s Sistic website:
https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/evita0318

Marina Bay Sands Mastercard Theatres website:
https://www.marinabaysands.com/entertainment/shows/evita

You must love me~

Special thanks to Base Entertainment and Marina Bay Sands Mastercard Theatres for
the invitation to Evita the Musical Opening Night Gala! 
Above review and opinions were all my own.