551 posts
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Post by chernjam on Sept 16, 2024 2:28:49 GMT
I despised the revival productions. I thought the choreography and staging were just straight up awful and at times just an insult to the material. I'm biased towards Hal's version but I think the only production that's come close to being my favourite is from Asolo rep in 2017. The openning is beautiful: I forget how I stumbled upon this opening some time ago and was so blown away by those 5 minutes that I could only imagine how powerful a production that must've been. If they're going to revive it and not do another concert/semi production, something like this would generate new interest for sure |
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192 posts
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Post by justsaying113 on Sept 16, 2024 6:26:04 GMT
Whilst I have great respect for the Hal Prince original and enjoyed it greatly (and no doubt he understood the piece) I do think nostalgia clouds judgment in wanting it replicated now. Hal's version plonked on stage in 2025 I fear would be surprisingly underwhelming and I don't think would take off with today's audiences. Very much up for an inspired new direction (assuming we can't have the Lloyd version which I adored) which preferably brings something new/unexpected/exciting to the piece. (Anyway, probs getting ahead of ourselves - wonder if this thread will end up like the Dominion Bette Hello Dolly one lol - #obsolete) That is a really good point - and I speak as someone for whom that original was iconic on so many levels. As much as I'd love to see it again, maybe it is best just left as a really important part of musical theatre history. |
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192 posts
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Post by justsaying113 on Sept 16, 2024 6:31:08 GMT
Question here: When Webber/Rice/Prince auditioned for Eva in the original production Webber and Rice wanted Elaine Paige but Prince wanted an American actress, does anyone know who the American actress was please? I think she was called Bonnie - I think it was Sheon or Shern. Apparently it was down to three ladies at the end but there are a lot of rumours/myths around this casting, including Paige almost being on a plane to LA at one point to replace a struggling LuPone. |
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Post by A.Ham on Sept 16, 2024 7:26:29 GMT
London Palladium, did Madonna love the theatre enough since she did her residency there! Could you imagine?! Wow. Although I suspect her fee would make it completely unviable even if she was willing to do it. |
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192 posts
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Post by justsaying113 on Sept 16, 2024 7:33:08 GMT
London Palladium, did Madonna love the theatre enough since she did her residency there! Could you imagine?! Wow. Although I suspect her fee would make it completely unviable even if she was willing to do it. She's old enough to be Eva Peron's granny! |
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Post by A.Ham on Sept 16, 2024 7:35:05 GMT
Could you imagine?! Wow. Although I suspect her fee would make it completely unviable even if she was willing to do it. She's old enough to be Eva Peron's granny! Haha, yes, good point. Those ‘what’s new Buenos Aires?’ scenes might push at the boundaries of believability… |
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98 posts
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Post by paddy72 on Sept 16, 2024 7:41:04 GMT
Question here: When Webber/Rice/Prince auditioned for Eva in the original production Webber and Rice wanted Elaine Paige but Prince wanted an American actress, does anyone know who the American actress was please? I think she was called Bonnie - I think it was Sheon or Shern. Apparently it was down to three ladies at the end but there are a lot of rumours/myths around this casting, including Paige almost being on a plane to LA at one point to replace a struggling LuPone. You’re not thinking of Siobhan McCarthy are you? She ended up playing the first mistress if I remember correctly. Within weeks of opening Mart Webb was subbing Elaine Paige on matinees. There was a big hoo-haa (the show generated endless press stories) about the range they were being asked to sing causing vocal damage. The singing in the Brit production was always way superior to what was available at that time on broadway where a golden age of musical performers were coming to an end. For me the best Evita performance of all was Julie Covington who of course did the album two years before. Gosh it was all so long ago now but that show saved the West End. So many other theatres there were closed, up for sale or even being put up for demolition Evita rewrote the book and gave everyone hope. It was the first show sold as a brand and everyone involved in creating it lived up to expectation. |
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Post by max on Sept 16, 2024 7:50:08 GMT
I think she was called Bonnie - I think it was Sheon or Shern. Apparently it was down to three ladies at the end but there are a lot of rumours/myths around this casting, including Paige almost being on a plane to LA at one point to replace a struggling LuPone. You’re not thinking of Siobhan McCarthy are you? She ended up playing the first mistress if I remember correctly. Within weeks of opening Mart Webb was subbing Elaine Paige on matinees. There was a big hoo-haa (the show generated endless press stories) about the range they were being asked to sing causing vocal damage. The singing in the Brit production was always way superior to what was available at that time on broadway where a golden age of musical performers were coming to an end. For me the best Evita performance of all was Julie Covington who of course did the album two years before. Gosh it was all so long ago now but that show saved the West End. So many other theatres there were closed, up for sale or even being put up for demolition Evita rewrote the book and gave everyone hope. It was the first show sold as a brand and everyone involved in creating it lived up to expectation. I agree on Julie Covington. It was a USA Bonnie, not Siobhan McCarthy. Bonnie Schon rings bells, and tallies with credits in musical theatre. Marti Webb didn't come in until a bit later when Elaine Paige was due holiday, and they established the official 'Alternate' structure; which then led to the alternate taking over full time in the case of Webb and Stephanie Lawrence. When Paige had earlier dropouts she'd have been covered by Susannah Fellows (and Diane Langton I think). There's a YouTube chat about the early process with Mark Ryan, Susannah Fellows and others - sadly Fellows relates that Paige never spoke to her; though Fellows is quite kind about the pressure Paige must have been under to show she could do it all. Mark Ryan (original Magaldi) and Paige didn't get on at all, according to Ryan anyway. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 16, 2024 7:50:46 GMT
Big difference between recording the album and doing it live eight times a week. Maybe that’s why Covington turned it down.
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1,168 posts
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Post by nash16 on Sept 16, 2024 7:54:23 GMT
Oh god…the Jamie Lloyd version was hideous! I forget when we started laughing during it, but…
But maybe he’s going to get free rein to produce/revive after SB made so much money (despite that also being hideous!).
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Post by blamerobots on Sept 16, 2024 8:12:12 GMT
Big difference between recording the album and doing it live eight times a week. Maybe that’s why Covington turned it down. This... though it still remains my favourite Eva performance. The apparent reason she turned it down was because she didn't want the press attention and she didn't like Eva Peron as a person after finishing the concept album and couldn't bear playing her night after night, and would understand if she didn't want to deal with the score. There's a funny story in Tim Rice's biography where he took her out to dinner to try and convince her to avoid spending the money on a search and got through the entire night without talking about it until the end where he asks and she just says "No." She seems like a very private person. Anyways, I do wonder who the Palladium would pull. Lady Gaga would've been a funny pull for ALW but it'd sell out instantly haha |
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Post by max on Sept 16, 2024 8:14:08 GMT
I think Audrey Brisson would make an excellent Eva - perhaps the closest in voice quality to Covington.
It's sometimes been a problem that conventional voices just make Eva sound like a Rodgers and Hammerstein ingenue, and now there's a legion of 'Disney princess' voices out there to create that problem another way. In both cases I think there are more of those coming from the American tradition. Eva doesn't need to be a rock voice either. There aren't many voices that have their own unusual thing that doesn't sit in either of those cliche areas.
Eva, a highly unusual person who had 'no right' to cut through society as she did, should sound as distinctive.
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1,951 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Sept 16, 2024 9:28:00 GMT
I’d kill for a recreation of Hal Prince’s original staging. It's LONG overdue!! A whole generation of theatregoers won't have seen it. When was the last time that version was staged in any iteration in the UK? The 90s' tour with a 50-something Marti Webb?! |
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1,951 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Sept 16, 2024 9:30:55 GMT
Curve production was like a budget JL version with all the influencer stuff. Count me disinterested if that's the case! It was AWFUL! |
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1,951 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Sept 16, 2024 9:37:04 GMT
London Palladium, did Madonna love the theatre enough since she did her residency there! Could you imagine?! Wow. Although I suspect her fee would make it completely unviable even if she was willing to do it. As Dona Juana, maybe!!!!!!!!! Not Eva!! hahaha |
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1,951 posts
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Post by distantcousin on Sept 16, 2024 9:40:08 GMT
I think Audrey Brisson would make an excellent Eva - perhaps the closest in voice quality to Covington. It's sometimes been a problem that conventional voices just make Eva sound like a Rodgers and Hammerstein ingenue, and now there's a legion of 'Disney princess' voices out there to create that problem another way. In both cases I think there are more of those coming from the American tradition. Eva doesn't need to be a rock voice either. There aren't many voices that have their own unusual thing that doesn't sit in either of those cliche areas. Eva, a highly unusual person who had 'no right' to cut through society as she did, should sound as distinctive. EXACTLY. Eva needs to be played by someone with EDGE. And GRIT! Elena Roger and Samantha Pauly were brilliant. Would love to see Samantha play it again, but it seems they're looking for a bigger name. |
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Post by blamerobots on Sept 16, 2024 9:49:47 GMT
I think Audrey Brisson would make an excellent Eva - perhaps the closest in voice quality to Covington. It's sometimes been a problem that conventional voices just make Eva sound like a Rodgers and Hammerstein ingenue, and now there's a legion of 'Disney princess' voices out there to create that problem another way. In both cases I think there are more of those coming from the American tradition. Eva doesn't need to be a rock voice either. There aren't many voices that have their own unusual thing that doesn't sit in either of those cliche areas. Eva, a highly unusual person who had 'no right' to cut through society as she did, should sound as distinctive. Definite agree; Eva is everything but a Disney princess haha As said before I think Evita's a rock musical first and foremost (even though the new orchestrations obscure it) so some proper great rock singers would do it great. More energy from the JCS tour... |
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1,278 posts
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Post by BVM on Sept 16, 2024 9:59:33 GMT
I think Audrey Brisson would make an excellent Eva - perhaps the closest in voice quality to Covington. It's sometimes been a problem that conventional voices just make Eva sound like a Rodgers and Hammerstein ingenue, and now there's a legion of 'Disney princess' voices out there to create that problem another way. In both cases I think there are more of those coming from the American tradition. Eva doesn't need to be a rock voice either. There aren't many voices that have their own unusual thing that doesn't sit in either of those cliche areas. Eva, a highly unusual person who had 'no right' to cut through society as she did, should sound as distinctive. EXACTLY. Eva needs to be played by someone with EDGE. And GRIT! Elena Roger and Samantha Pauly were brilliant. Would love to see Samantha play it again, but it seems they're looking for a bigger name. Completely agree - two very different productions but they were easily the best two Evas I have ever seen. She utterly needs edge and grit. Polished but generic MT West End Wendy doesn't cut it. |
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1,278 posts
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Post by BVM on Sept 16, 2024 10:01:12 GMT
I think Audrey Brisson would make an excellent Eva - perhaps the closest in voice quality to Covington. It's sometimes been a problem that conventional voices just make Eva sound like a Rodgers and Hammerstein ingenue, and now there's a legion of 'Disney princess' voices out there to create that problem another way. In both cases I think there are more of those coming from the American tradition. Eva doesn't need to be a rock voice either. There aren't many voices that have their own unusual thing that doesn't sit in either of those cliche areas. Eva, a highly unusual person who had 'no right' to cut through society as she did, should sound as distinctive. Definite agree; Eva is everything but a Disney princess haha As said before I think Evita's a rock musical first and foremost (even though the new orchestrations obscure it) so some proper great rock singers would do it great. More energy from the JCS tour... Was reflecting that the OAT JCS has now had 5 iterations in UK (OAT x 2, Barbican, Covid OAT, Tour) and has also gone world-wide. The OAT Evita has never been reproduced. It's quite the disparity! |
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Post by distantcousin on Sept 16, 2024 10:31:02 GMT
EXACTLY. Eva needs to be played by someone with EDGE. And GRIT! Elena Roger and Samantha Pauly were brilliant. Would love to see Samantha play it again, but it seems they're looking for a bigger name. Completely agree - two very different productions but they were easily the best two Evas I have ever seen. She utterly needs edge and grit. Polished but generic MT West End Wendy doesn't cut it. Exactly. Though I do want to give an honourable mention to Madelena Alberto who I think is sensational in her own way. |
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1,278 posts
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Post by BVM on Sept 16, 2024 10:51:40 GMT
Completely agree - two very different productions but they were easily the best two Evas I have ever seen. She utterly needs edge and grit. Polished but generic MT West End Wendy doesn't cut it. Exactly. Though I do want to give an honourable mention to Madelena Alberto who I think is sensational in her own way. Yeah, whilst I wasn't a massive fan of the Kenwright production, Madelena is sensational. She was also fab in Les Mis 25th tour and the Hope Mill Aspects. |
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Post by TallPaul on Sept 16, 2024 12:59:44 GMT
Big difference between recording the album and doing it live eight times a week. Maybe that’s why Covington turned it down. The apparent reason she turned it down was because she didn't want the press attention and she didn't like Eva Peron as a person after finishing the concept album and couldn't bear playing her night after night, and would understand if she didn't want to deal with the score. There's a funny story in Tim Rice's biography where he took her out to dinner to try and convince her to avoid spending the money on a search and got through the entire night without talking about it until the end where he asks and she just says "No." She seems like a very private person. Another rumour was that she didn't agree with Hal Prince's politics. That wasn't true either. "I didn't even know Hal Prince had any politics." www.thebeautifulchanges.co.uk/observer.jpg |
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Post by Matt on Sept 16, 2024 14:38:30 GMT
He’s only quoting the sweaty TikTok man. Who had the scoop first. Who is the sweaty TikTok man? Is he a reliable source? Sweaty Oracle, and yes pretty reliable, but I don’t know his actual success rate, I just know what I do watch of his seems to be right. |
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Post by singingbird on Sept 16, 2024 14:42:19 GMT
I adore Evita, but I feel like London is surely pretty Evita-ed out. I can't see this selling. I know Michael Harrison and ALW are trying to exploit his back catalogue but both Sunset and Starlight brought something distinctive to the table. I can't see how they're going to do that with Evita, especially as we've already had the (arguably wonderful, definitely interesting) Jamie Lloyd version.
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Post by paddy72 on Sept 16, 2024 15:15:44 GMT
I’d kill for a recreation of Hal Prince’s original staging. It's LONG overdue!! A whole generation of theatregoers won't have seen it. When was the last time that version was staged in any iteration in the UK? The 90s' tour with a 50-something Marti Webb?! Hal Prince’s staging was iconic. Even better I think even than his Sweeney Todd. It was like watching a movie as scenes swept breathlessly in and out. Didn’t it start with black and white footage from one of Eva’s movies up on screen in a darkened cinema interrupted by a somber announcement of her death and the house lights going up? Very like the new version of Sunset Boulevard with the big floating cinema screen. I can’t remember if the RSCs famous Nicholas Nickelby production came before it (anyone?) but the staging was like that with continual movement and a large number of actors being on stage creating continuous action. Les Mis used the same trick. The theatre at the time was in a bad state which suited the production well. They hung a gigantic canvas mural artwork as a proscenium arch around the minimalist black empty stage. From the auditorium ceiling to the pit on all sides hiding the shabby cinema/casino auditorium. The art work was stunning like something you saw in soviet Russia or PR China but depicting the working class of Argentina. I often wonder if it was rolled up and packed safely away somewhere after closing. Maybe at the V&A? Anyone remember it or know if it was saved? |
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