Ian Cheeseman dives into Romiley Operatic’s ambitious production of “Evita,” showcasing local talent tackling Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical masterpiece, from 25th to 29th March. Featuring interviews with lead cast members facing the daunting task of embodying legends like Elaine Paige and Madonna on stage
ONE of first Musicals I saw live in a theatre was Evita, which opened in the West End, at the Prince Edward Theatre, in 1978. The story is based on the life of Eva Peron, the wife of Juan Peron, the controversial former President of Argentina. The music and lyrics are by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
When I first saw the show, as a teenager, I knew nothing about the story of the Perons or Argentinian politics, but I had heard songs from the concept album that had been released the previous year. Julie Covington, who Lloyd Webber had seen in the TV drama Rock Follies, had a number one hit with Don’t cry for me Argentina, selling over a million copies. David Essex, who played Che in the original West End cast, also had a big hit with Oh What a Circus, which was produced by Mike Batt.
Elaine Paige, who I regard as one of the very best performers in Musical Theatre, was the original Eva Peron on stage, and it was her performance that blew me away when I saw it at the Prince Edward. The show has had several revivals, down the years, and Broadway star Michael Ceveris, who I recently interviewed for my radio show Break-a-Leg, played Juan Peron in New York, in 2012.
Given the epic nature of the story and the show, which became a film in 1996 starring Madonna, Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce, the opportunity for an Am/Dram group to perform it must be thrilling. Romiley Operatic are in rehearsals to do just that.
Louise Coulihan faces the challenge of being compared to Elaine Paige and Madonna when she takes to the stage as Evita at Stockport Plaza from 25th to 29th March. “It is a very tough act to follow, considering I spent most of my young life following Elaine Paige in Cats, which was my first memory of her. So many iconic people have played the role and it’s just such an honour to play this real person on stage. It’s gorgeous music and we have a phenomenal cast.
“As AmDramers, we never really expect to do these big shows, but here we are. Evita, in my opinion is a masterpiece, it has all the ups and downs and little motifs that keep popping up, it’s very, very technical. It’s a gymnastic vocal, which is very difficult to sing, but we’re getting there. I’m so excited to do the show”.
Paul Allison, who I’ve seen on stage a couple of times before, plays Che Guevara, “As a performer I like to mix it up a little bit, from heels in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, to working with a load of children in Annie and now doing something very different in Evita. The part I’m playing (laughs) has some very interesting singing to do, so it’s a challenge but one I’m relishing.
“It’s a great hobby and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it so much, it does take up a lot of my free time, but my attitude is, make hey while the sun shines because I never know when I might not be able to do it again. I’ve never done any Andrew Lloyd Webber and I know that musically it’s going to be amazing. Paul Lawton and his orchestra will make it very special. Comedy has it’s own challenges and probably comes a bit easier to me than the serious stuff and I know I won’t be getting any laughs in this show but it’s a great story.”
Personally, I can’t wait to see the show which runs from 25-29th March at Stockport Plaza. The Ticket hotline is 0161-442-3669 and you can hear my interviews with cast members on my weekly radio show Break-a-Leg.