Evita (Dir/J.Lloyd) -OAT 2019 / Barbican ‘20 / Palladium ‘25

After hearing all the hype from London, I too was excited for the Broadway production.  With Ricky Martin hamming it up (after reading about Sheridan in Joseph, it seems similar... he was constantly winking and playing for laughs from the audience) and Elena not being nearly the powerhouse in terms of singing that she was said to have been in London - the whole thing felt flat to me.  It was still thrilling to hear that score live on a Broadway stage, but having seen various re-productions of the Prince version over the years, including my college who did a stellar -almost Broadway caliber production - that NY revival really didn't seem memorable.  At least not in a positive way.

I'm hopeful after reading Dom's review and will be curious as the previews unfold and opening night comes what the consensus will be - Hit or miss.

Also, will be curious to hear if the performances are strong enough vocally to warrant a new recording

What a mess...
Classic case of trying to hard, as you don't like the source material.
Lloyd obviously saw six just before creating this, as this tried to portray eva as a sassy six style queen. It failed miserably.
Laboured metaphor with balloons popping and, well a certain dress that got a noticeable laugh of derision!
Loads of environmentally questionable effects. Walking round the back of the, theatre after the show. Their confetti was strewn all over the roads. Also loads of pyrotechnics and wasting balloons.

Maye had be spoilt by the vocals at the kiln Theatre for blues in the night recently. As actress playing Eva screamed and screeched her way way through her songs. Disappointing compared to others we've seen in the role.

Side grass banks weren't expensive , even if they cramped 5 to many people on each side for it to be comfortable.

All in all a throughly disappointing show.

Generally those who hadn't left gave it a standing ovation! However its the first weekend, and it is one of Webbers best scores!

Loads of pyrotechnics in Evita!? This just sounds odd. When do these happen?

Quite a few pictures emerging on Instagram (won't post any links as I've already been a naughty boy) Gosh Che's boxers are rather tight. Not a lot left to the imagination

Definitely a classic score. And played beautifully here by an 18 piece orchestra with an expanded strings section compared to the Adelphi. In fact it is played very classically, more like the original than the Adelphi version which made more of the Latin rhythms and beats. Sounds fabulous!
Though again this as an odd decision as rest of the production so unusual, you'd have thought they might have changed the sound of the piece and the orchestrations. Anyway, I think it sounds gorgeous. If you don't like what was on stage visually and symbolically you could shut your eyes and just appreciate the music. 

Yes, Adelphi/Grandage version was very sympathetic to Eva. This was a definitive version for me I loved it. And Elena Roger was sensational. SO many stories re her being below par when the production made it to Broadway though and the whole show just not being as tight. Never saw it in NYC. But this has been much said. Such a shame and no idea why as it was sensational in London. I do love the Broadway Roger/Martin CD though - the only recent recording of the whole show - such a shame for the Adelphi they just did highlights CD. 

Yes was a real eye opener for me seeing a quality professional production of an ALW show that music aside clearly had none of his influence running through it. I love all the RUG produced shows as they tend to be of the highest quality but for many (Cats, Starlight, Phantom, etc etc) they are all that have ever existed. 
Find it extraordinary that a new director can take things from a piece (that the authors may not have imagined) and convey those through staging even though the lyrics are identical. 

This has been seen much more for Sondheim I guess - as he has not had the long runners like ALW, his works are constantly being done again by new production teams/directors 

Anyway, doubt we will ever know but would love to know what ALW thinks of this new version if and when he sees it!

Ummmm can't really recall how loud they were but they didn't make people jump! They mainly came amid the loud scenes anyway like A New Argentina!

Any advice and recommendations on which is the best cast recording to listen to?

Haha, I agree Ektor was like a cute South American twink - not that I'm complaining. But certainly didn't have the gravitas Peron usually does! I assume this goes with the idea that the Eva had all the power and could eat him alive....
I didn't notice his moves in IBSGFY as was totally transfixed by the moves of the lady and the topless bloke at the back of the stage ;-) 

Evita also a fave of mine; but although the Grandage version is my preferred, I don't have a fixed idea on what it should look like so prob made it easier to digest. (And TBO, ANYTHING is better than the Kenwright tour - I mean Marti Pellow; what the hell were they thinking?!?!)
For Cats and Starlight for example I don't think I'd cope with them being reimagined as I love the RUG versions so much. Sunset has also never been the same for me post the Adelphi....
But Evita, having been too young for the original which I know many find definitive, I am very open to different productions. 

Anyway, now it's me that's rambling lol. Very much looking fwd to hearing what you think of it on trip 2 :-)

At least DM me the hashtags to search for ;-)

The orchestrations for the 2006/2012 revival have become the standard now, although I find they don't work when they're played by too small an orchestra. They sounded terrific at the Adelphi and somehow sounded much tinnier at the Marquis when Grandage's production transferred there. They even use the revival orchestrations (and revised script) in the Hal Prince production that is touring internationally; this is a big mistake, IMHO, because the sound doesn't gel with the hard-edged take of that production, and Larry Fuller's original choreography does not work at all with some of the rewritten bits, such as the bridge in 'Buenos Aires'.

Re Grandage's production, I saw it at the Adelphi 5 times (and while I thought it was top-notch, it did admittedly seem lacklustre when Elena wasn't there) and having made a trip to Broadway to repeat the experience (saw the Grandage production twice there), I was really saddened by Elena's hostile reception on Broadway. It came down to a lot of things: nationalism (the amount of Americans who kept complaining they wanted 'one of their own' to take on the role was absurd; a different viewpoint on Evita (Eva and Perón are still thoroughly demonised in the States and regularly called 'fascists'/'dictators', which isn't strictly true); a preference to have their Evita as a diva-bitch à la LuPone; a preference to have Broadway-type voices; and too long a period of the transfer (Roger's performance in London was fiery and soulful; on Broadway it sometimes came across as mechanical and bored, and it didn't help that Ricky Martin's non-existent acting meant she had nothing to respond to, which then diminished her own performance). Part of the reason the Grandage production was more sympathetic is that Eva as portrayed in the original Broadway production (less so the original London production) was a caricature that never existed. There's a reason that production never played Argentina. The whole purpose of the Grandage production was to go down the authentic route; anyone who researches Eva Perón will find that the way she was portrayed in the American version of Prince's production was not accurate (even if it might have been thrilling for the chewing-the-scenery effect). 

It's a real shame they didn't tour Grandage's production in this country after the West End run; instead they used that criminal Kenwright production which should have died a death some time ago.

In the absence of either Hal Prince's/Michael Grandage's production, we need a big epic production that serves this material well...but I fear Lloyd's won't be it. 

Scarpia - interesting take on Rogers in the US.  I don't know if I'd agree with the characterization of Americans wanting one of our own to take the role.  Maria Friedman was warmly received in The Woman in White... I remember people being excited about having an Argentinian who was so well received in London taking the role in NY (and as one who thinks LuPone is way overrated, was hoping Rogers would erase any memories of LuPone).  

But I think you're spot on regarding Martin being mis-cast and making it harder for Rogers.  From what I heard of his performance, people felt he was simply playing to the crowds (many Martin fans came out in droves).  I specifically went to see when he wasn't on and Che was played by Max Von Essen - who was phenomenal.  Rogers was good - but she was struggling vocally... which was another criticism that dodged her in her NY run.  

I felt badly for her and the production as a whole.  Because they hung their hopes on Martin to sell it, that really re-shifted whatever focus the original production had (and yes that delay between London and NY was wayyyy too long)