Evita in Concert - Drury Lane

But this depresses me hugely.  Shouldn't theatre aim higher than catering for Sharon and Tracey from the suburbs to get merry and watch the funny little actors stumble through the script for that film they once watched starring that Bentonio Anderas bloke who played the cat in Shrek?

Slightly off topic but I remember the flip side of this argument for Phantom. I know that show much more and was unhappy with the changes; it was argued then that Sharon and Tracey from the suburbs wouldn't notice a thing and the 'phans' were overreacting. Literally the same question about the aim of theatre- achieving artistry or getting bums on seats? Obviously this can be argued till the end of time and no choice is better than the other and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone who's made either argument. 

So maybe this is why pro-shots of high quality productions of days gone by should be made available to the public, so future producers can have a standard to aspire to/be accountable for if wanting to charge high prices. and theatregoers who care to expect a certain standard can then vote with their wallets, or make informed criticisms after the show if the performance did not justify the ticket price

I have not seen this production, so my comments here are more of a general consideration occasioned by what I have read here.

I know for a fact that LMTO - the orchestra that played at these Evita concerts - put a lot of work and care into everything they do. This has been proved brilliantly in previous concerts and productions of theirs: for example, I remember that people were enthusiastic about Audra's concert with them, and the comments here suggest that they've done a fantastic job again.

IMHO, the issues with these "in concert" version begin when, while the orchestra has been preparing with the utmost care and shows up at the sitzprobe in the best shape possible, the leads, ensemble and choir go through a super short rehearsal process and are then given maybe one full day to rehearse with the orchestra before moving into the theatre for a day of tech, which in all likelihood bleeds into a dress rehearsal if not into the first performance right away.

Under these circumstances, a lot comes down to each performer's own level of commitment (and schedule) in the lead up to the actual rehearsal process. If they arrive having prepared thoroughly on their own, or knowing the material from being involved in earlier productions, even a short and fast-paced rehearsal process is going to be enough for them to do a good job. It also helps if, in the case of the Mistress in Evita, they essentially have to sing one number beautifully, and then they can pretty much fade into the background. If, on the other hand, they arrive expecting to have time to properly learn the material there and then... they're unfortunately in for a very challenging time.

Auli'i Carvalho was maybe never going to be the best Evita ever, talking purely in matters of suitability to the role, but I suspect she underestimated how much preparation she should have done on her own. The fact that she admittedly wasn't super familiar with the score beforehand was never going to help. Further, as she doesn't have a lot of stage experience, having worked primarily in films, she may have been thrown off by the challenges of singing live with a full orchestra and by all that even a semi-staged production entails on top of showing up and singing nicely.

I have some sympathy for her, if this is what she has in fact experienced, because it must have been a horribly stressful few days! On the other hand, I really don't think it is forgivable that the producers charged that amount of money for a production that was - according to so many - so flawed. Personally I am more than willing to enjoy a semi-staged production even if something goes wrong on the day/night, and I accept that things may not be as polished as for a full run (sound design, mic or light cues are tricky to get perfect with so little time), but charging certain prices without guaranteeing a quality that justifies those prices is just not OK.

I was there last night, enjoying a slightly off centre front row seat purchased with theatre tokens.

I’m not sure I can add much to the essays already written on this thread so I’ll keep it relatively short.

I enjoyed it. I’m not familiar with the story and I do think there was some assumed knowledge - for example, I had to Google the year it was set in during the interval (when I think Argentina and military coups, I think mid-70s!).

No issues with missed cues from any performers. I thought Auli’i was fine. I expect you could find much stronger Eva’s, better suited to the role but for a one off concert, I had no major reservations. It’s not as easy score, especially with such little rehearsal time.

I get that everybody wants the show to be as good as can be but some of the stuff on here strikes me as a bit OTT. Four stars.

I'm really surprised at the hate for the show here. I saw it on Monday and loved every minute of it, as did everyone sat around me and some friends who were also there.
I thought Auli'i's performance of Don't Cry For Me Argentina was one of the best I've ever heard live and gave me shivers.

The producers forked out the money to book Auli"i, fly her other plus likely some of her support team, put them all up, lay on transport when they could have booked an established or exciting young West End name. She was booked onto This Morning and would have had to rehearse her number there so that took her out of another mornings rehearsal time for the actual theatre show.

I expect thae show had sold very well before she appeared on This Morning so was there a need to do that?

Also I wonder if Auli"i had signed up expecting the show to be a pure concert performance only to find out later on it was to be semi staged. It is up to the producers and directors to have enough rehearsal time and did they actually do a full dress run through on the Drury Lane stage I do wonder?

You make a good point.

In response to 'Richey', the people around me were hooting and hollering as well....and most had a large glass or two of wine in tow for both acts and may have even had a few on the way in. When half the punters or more are liquored up to the gills it is hard to gauge honest reactions based on the material or the performances.

Ail"i could have belched her way through "Don't Cry For Me" and I doubt it would have made a bit of difference in terms of audience reaction. 

Interesting how you have aged Sharon and Tracey - I saw them more as wannabe twenty-something vacuous influencers who enjoy a prosecco or two in the bottomless brunch before popping off to see a show that they watched their parents watch the film of as kids.  They are not lushes, they are lesbian, and they grabbed a vegan sausage roll from Greggs on the Strand before taking the tube back to their in-laws in Cockfosters.

I don't think we should criticize differences of opinion on ashow on here. If some of the audience were "well oiled" and people could see that then that is fair enough to comment on. These concerts have certainly sparked an interesting difference of opinions on here and we have had some very thoughtful reviews which offer a wide range of opinions.

Don't hold your breath.  Sharon and Tracey will be alcoholic middle-aged lushes before pro-shots get released to us plebs.

If they show up for the scene at all.

No big deal if they don't, according to some here. They still enjoy it...

I hereby declare that the bastion of processed pastries and confective saturated delights does indeed have an outlet on the Strand, where once I saw Shaz and Trace eyeing up a steak bake to go with their overpriced post-prosecco Ribena, before they staggered up to Back To The Future to slurp their way through the time continuum like the pre-lushes that they are.