Customer Reviews

Evita (1978 Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

The United States version of "Evita" was actually the first rendition of this great Tim Rice / Andrew Lloyd Webber musical which I had ever heard. Since then, I've seen a live touring production and listened to 5 other versions (including the awesome German-language version!) on CD. And you know what? I still think that the U.S. cast, while not necessarily definitive, is superb.

"Evita" tells the tragic story of Eva Peron, the real-life Argentine first lady who died of cancer in 1952. Patti LuPone is excellent in the title role. Her voice is big and bold on her first big number ("Buenos Aires), and as the CD continues she uses her vocal talents to fully flesh out this compelling character.

At first, Mandy Patinkin seems vocally miscast as Che. Patinkin is an absolutely first-rate singer, but his voice simply seems too sweet and innocent for the role of the darkly ironic commentator (especially on his first big song, "Oh What a Circus"). But by the second disc, Patinkin seems to have found the character; he is especially effective on "And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)." The rest of the cast is very good. Jane Ohringer in particular gives a beautiful performance as Juan Peron's mistress. Bob Gunton is a solid Peron. And Mark Syers brings a slightly campy sweetness to his role as the singer Magaldi.

"Evita" is one of the truly great musicals, and this version is definitely worth owning. I recommend that fans of "Evita" the musical also do a little research into the life of the historical Evita in order to better appreciate this piece of theater.

Yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber has an irritating tendency to write a few wonderful pieces of music, then fill up the remainder of the show with reprises. Yes, Tim Rice's lyrics can be more than a little inane.

However, those few wonderful pieces of music are truly superb. And while the lyrics *can* be ridiculous, there are plenty of moments in which they shine -- and then linger in your mind long after those moments have passed.

I heard this recording after that of the movie and found the difference to be striking. Not only are the voices clearer and more vibrant, but some of the sharpest lyrics were cut from the movie because they cast a very negative light on Eva Peron. Plus, "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" was done by the *right* character in this recording. It works out so much better that way.

I've never heard Julie Covington sing (at least not that I can recall), and Madonna doesn't quite have the range or the sheer force required for the part, but Patti LuPone was such a perfect Evita that one can hardly ask for more. Her sharp soprano voice isn't the type that everyone will like, and to some it's probably an acquired taste. Yet it is perfect for the title part of this musical. She has easily the highest non-operatic voice I've ever heard, and she skillfully employs it with amazing forcefulness.

Antonio Banderas acts a great Che, but he simply is not a singer, with a voice not far above merely 'decent.' I did like Colm Wilkinson's singing in Les Miserables, but my guess is that as Che he wouldn't master the flawless, matchless vocal subtlety of Mandy Patinkin's Che. Patinkin's voice may be light and even effeminate (though the latter only when he sings falsetto, in my opinion), but what some listeners seem to miss is that Che is not *supposed* to be "rough and tough" -- he's supposed to be bitterly cynical and angry. Patinkin's emotional range is as wide as his vocal one, making him wonderful in the part. I've seen his Che described as "chilling," and that's the right word. Patinkin does indeed produce a chilling, even jarring fusion of lilting tenor song (and here he has a *beautiful* voice) and harsh diatribe of Evita that lends a wonderfully surreal note to the show.

Is this recording perfect? No, but only because _Evita_ itself, like any musical, cannot be absolutely without flaws. But there's no question that it's worth buying and listening to again and again.

More than just a modern-day Cinderella story, EVITA is a powerful musical about ambition, politics, class, greed, obsession and an overwhelming need for acceptance and love. This is Lloyd Webber's best score; none of his later subjects seemed to challenge him as much.

Some of the other reviews posted here complain about Patti LuPone's "strident" voice vs. Madonna's more gentle voice. Putting aside that Patti has one of the finest and most thrilling voices in the theatre today, anyone who has heard recordings of Eva Peron's speeches will know that the real Evita's voice was far from soothing. Lloyd Webber was able to capture the harangue in her voice in his score, which Patti delivered with a fiery, powerful vocal (and acting) performance that captures an essence of Eva Peron that Madonna couldn't manage.

Now, I liked the movie. It was visually stunning, the orchestrations were lush, and it attempted to be a more balanced portrayal than the original stage productions. Antonio Banderas gives a passionate performance, and Jonathan Price really brings depth to a sketchily written role. Madonna looks great (once she gets past the scenes wear she has to play a fifteen-year-old), and I have to say she sang better than she ever has. BUT, the fire and passion I expected from her was not evident. Also, sections of the score were lowered for her, and some tempos were slowed down, which I think worked against her performance.

The Broadway recording does have its problems: some of the orchestrations, which sounded fresh and exciting in the late seventies, have not aged well. Also, the sound quality, while not bad, is slightly muffled. Of course, it was recorded over twenty years ago, before the advances of digital recording. But one has to wonder why this recording hasn't been remastered with this new technology.

But what this recording does have is a stellar cast, headed by La LuPone in a performance that defines the role. (EVITA, as written, is actually quite anti-Eva Peron, but Patti invests her with a humanity that saves her from being a one-note villainess). Mandy Patinkin gives one of two of his finest performances (the other being SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE) and his over-the-top performance here isn't distracting as it has become in later performances. Bob Gunton also contributes a sly, knowing performance as Peron.

I have several versions of EVITA--the original concept album, the London album with Elaine Paige, a the original Madrid cast, a European recording with Florence Lacey, even a Korean recording (but let's not go there), and the movie soundtrack. Of all the recordings I have heard, the original Broadway cast recording stands as the definitive recording, with Patti as the best-sung Evita. If you buy only one version, as a commercial might state, then buy this one.

If you are a Madonna fan who believes the singer can do no wrong, if you know nothing of music beyond what's currently on the radio, or if your idea of good stage musicals stops with THE KING AND I, avoid this recording at all cost. For EVITA is not a pop star musical: it is just simply the single finest opera written between 1950 and 2000, and Patti LuPone gives the famous title role its finest of many interpretations with able support by Mandy Patankin and Bob Gunton in the roles of Che and Peron.

The music is pull-no-punches from start to finish: strident, bombastic, and ferocious with unexpected bursts of melodic beauty that sweep you away--an extremely suitable tone for the story of the increasingly vicious, power-mad, and ego-driven figure of Eva "Evita" Durate de Peron, an illegitimate girl who literally sleeps her way to success and crowns her manipulations by becoming the wife of (and formidable power behind) Argentine dictator Juan Peron. LuPone's voice and presence is simply extraordinary in this ball-busting role, and she gives us an Eva who is willing to go to any length to obtain power and status--and yet shot through with moments that allow the listener to understand the tragedies of her youth and circumstances of her life that drive the character to such extremes. It is a role she was born to play. Patakin and Gunton are equally fine, with Gunton's performance too often underrated. The ensemble is also remarkably powerful.

Like JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA is an opera about cults of personality and media manipulation, and it surpasses all their other works--both jointly and separately--to date. An exciting, pitch-black, and often disturbing statement on the corrosive effect of personal power and the difference between public appearance and private reality, a work that takes no prisoners. In the words of Evita: "Screw the middle classes. I will never accept them, and they will NEVER deny me anything again!" And so she does--sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively, but always with a shocking fascination. Powerful stuff, and very, very highly recommended, particularly in light of the watered-down film version.

There is a reason why this was a Tony winner -- and listening to this score makes it plain. Bob Gunton, Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone are fabulous.

Hearing those others who attempt this role after them (in my opinion) will leave the listener disappointed. There is such power and in-your-face downright brashness in LuPone's Evita. There was startling strength in Patinkin's Che, and Gunton was his malevolent best (unless you count his non-singing role as the Warden in The Shawshank Redemption) as Juan Peron.

Others may lament the fact that Rice & Webber have a handful of memorable songs per show, with a handful of reprises and other filler. But they do make memorable music. Aside from the classic "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina", songs like "Night of 1,000 Stars", "What A Circus" and the positively fantabulous Rainbow Tour" will make one hum this musical for days, weeks and even months after the hearing.

A better edition of "Evita" does not exist.

This was when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were at the top of their game. Patti LuPone never sang better. Mandy Patinkin added a side to Che we hadn't seen and probably never will again, which can be heard on this recording. The orchestrations, though similar to the London cast recording, sound much better especially with a fuller orchestra Though LuPone may not be everyone's favorite, no one can deny she played this role like she owned it. This is the only recording that features the whole show how it was on the stage. I first owned the Soundtrack with Madonna and then I bought this one. Though the movie orchestrations are probably better overall, the performance of LuPone is at a level where Madonna never could reach. This is the recording of Evita to get if you are a first time listener!

I've just finished reading all of the other reivews and before I give my own I would like to take a minute to defend Patti LuPone. I will admit, the first time that I heard the Broadway recording I was taken aback by how different both Patti and Mandy Patenkin handeled the roles, compared to all of the other recordings that I had heard. And I will also admit that Patti's voice grated on my nerves, since I had heard her many times before and that was not how she had sounded. But after listening to the CD several more times I realized that I liked this one the best of all, because to me it truly embodies what Lloyd-Webber was trying to get across. Evita is about a trashy, lower class actress who claws her way from the bottom of the heap to become one of the most powerful women in the history of South America. And I believe that Patti does a much better job of really making you feel, I don't know, the depravity of the character while at the same time making you sympatise for Evita and all that she has had to go through. I will admit that Madonna's recording is adequate, but from watching interviews with her it is obvious that she has an almost hero-worship for Evita, and it comes across in her portrayal. Also, one reader was correct in that most if not all of the songs had to be transposed into a MUCH lower key for Madonna. If she had had to sing them in the same key as Patti, she would have screeched too. But that was the effect that Lloyd-Webber was going for. Anyone who listens to Patti LuPone in any of her other recordings will realize that she truly does have a remarkable voice with incredible range and variability, and in Evita she was playing a role. The same goes with Antonino Banderas and Mandy Patenkin. Their portrayals of Che are vastly different. One also has to appreciate that the two recordings were made two decades apart, which also accounts for the differences. I have centered mostly on the Broadway reccording and the movie soundtrack because those are the two that I am most familiar with. My advice: if you came to like Evita through the film, you may want to listen to the Broadway and other soundtracks before buying them because they do vary widely. But I would also hope that people will give it a chance. The simple fact of the matter is that Patti LuPone sung the role the way that she did on PUROPSE, and whether you like her portrayal of Evita or not is a matter of taste.

First of, this is just my opinion. I am very sad that many people's first experience with Evita was the unintelligable movie version. Now people are praising Madonna's soundtrack and berating this one. How sad that is. How can people say such cruel things about Patti LuPone? It was her greatest and most physically/vocally/emotionally demanding accomplishment, and she overcame those obstacles to much praise by winning a Tony award. Any actress who has performed this role on stage within a 2 hour time limit (as opposed to stopping and starting as is the case with movies) will tell you how difficult a role it is. The music is demanding but it pays off. The impressive score has always been negelcted until the movie came out, and all Lloyd Webber did was masacre his own score (maybe he knew that there were at least 7 other actresses who were more qualified to play the part and he just said f**k it when Madonna came into the picture). The original musical won 7 Tony awards, so obviously it couldn't be that bad and blasted Patti LuPone off into stardom. Evita is the quintissential powerful female role in the theater, paying mind yet to Gypsy, Hello Dolly et al, and Patti LuPone did alright for herself. The merging of her powerful voice to this driving, pulsating score is Broadway heaven. I encourage everyone to give this show a chance and don't judge it by the basterdized movie version...if you do prefer the soundtrack vehemently to the OBC, I pity you.

This recording of EVITA may not be the favorite of many people. But it is the complete one. It includes probably 99% of the music from the show. If you're an actor who will be in the show (or who likes to have the full show instead of pathetic highlights or weird versions) GET THIS CD! The London version with Elaine Paige (I love Elaine) isn't the full show, and the music isn't the same as the show some of the time. Get both if you want- that's what I'm doing! But this version is the one closest to the show and the cast is very nice. The sound is nice...sometimes the Stereo effect kicks in (i.e. when the 'Aristocracy' sings before "The Actress Hasn't Learned The Lines...") I love the 'Aristocracy'! Yes, I'll admit I didn't like Patti LuPone as 'Eva Peron' when I first heard this, but the more you hear her voice...the more it fits together and you really see Patti as 'Eva' and grow to love her. She isn't known as the woman who created 'Eva Peron' for nothing! If you have any questions about this, e-mail me! I'd be glad to help you out! Make sure you state it's about this review on Amazon.com though, please! In a nutshell: THIS VERSION IS TRUE TO THE STAGE SHOW & THE CAST IS GREAT!

Legend has it that Lyricist Tim Rice told Andrew Lloyd Webber, who was about to begin composing the music for EVITA, "I know you think she's a ..(The "B" word), but make her wonderful".

Webber listened because the resulting score qualifies as one of his absolute best and is considered by many to be a "Masterpiece". I agree.

The musical is based on the colourful life of Argentina's legendary First Lady, the beautiful Eva Duarte de Peron who rose from childhood poverty to become a successful radio actress, model and lastly, the hypnotically powerful First Lady of the nation. The tale is scandalous and "hot" and the character of Evita is even more so. When the musical was launched in the late 70's it was deemed as scandalous by many since Eva Peron (along with her husband) remain very controversial political figures. Many saw the musical as her unwarranted glorification. However, the musical is hardly a sympathetic portrayel of the title character. In fact it is quite unpleasant and in the end, Eva Peron comes across as a corrupt ego-maniac who sleeps her way to the top. Gee, I wonder if Eva had been a man, would there have been a musical made? I doubt it.

Before I start commenting on the score I would like to comment first on the historical inaccuracies depicted in the musical. Having read several of the reviews posted here, I've come to the conclusion that MANY people have taken Webber's musical as a history lesson. Having studied the subject for over 12 years now and having read over 100 books/magazines on the subject (many by historian who have actually studied Eva Peron) I can brutally state that the musical is inaccurate in it's history and visciously one-sided as well. I really want to stress this because one should view EVITA as entertainment and as an "opinion". Not as a definative biography of the now mythic Eva. I will quote a historian, who stated (when referring to the musical), "...As theatre, it is arresting. As history, it is false." At the time of researching Eva Peron, Webber and Rice did not have much to go on. The only major biography of Evita was Mary Main's incredibly hostile and erroneous "The Woman With The Whip". A book Tim Rice read and has described as "A Superb Biography". So the title character in EVITA is more or less based on the abhorrent character portrayed in Main's unsettling account.

With all of that said, this Webber/Rice vehicle intrigues and delights despite the "sinful" subject matter. Webber's score complements Rice's clever lyrics and the melodies are first rate. It ranges from the theatrical- "A New Argentina", "Rainbow Tour", to the beautiful- "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You", "Another Suitcase In Another Hall", "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina", to the downright exciting- "Buenos Aires", "Rainbow High". Webber also used various styles of music; Tango, Waltz, Classical. The end result is one of Webber's most accomplished pieces.

Since this is a rock opera, there is very little spoken dialogue so the score flows from one song to the next. For those who are not familiar with sung-through musicals, it may take some getting "use" to. Many of Webber's critics have complained about the repetitiveness of the score but people have to understand that there is not ONE sung-though musical or opera that has not recycled several of their tunes. It is a format that has been used for years. We cannot expect the composer to write a new song for every single sung phrase. People seem to forget that other NON-Lloyd Webber musicals such as LES MISERABLES, INTO THE WOODS (not to mention several operas) repeat several of their key songs throughout. These critics need to give Webber a break.

In the title role, Patti Lupone gives an impressive performance. Vocally, she is superb. Her passion for the role is clearly evident on this CD. Despite Eva's harsh character flaws, Lupone still manages to make us feel sympathy towards her. Especially during her illness. Physically speaking though, Lupone was lacking in the beauty department but like one critic stated, even Ms. Piggy can become Eva Peron once the wig and the fabulous gowns are added and Lupone's vocals and performance are so outstanding, many have called her the definative Evita. Each time I listen to this recording, I do to.

Mandy Patinkin also turns in an impressive peformance as the narrator, Che (based on that other legendary figure, Che Guevara). The whole idea of having one charismatic and iconic Latin American political leader tell the story of another one is brilliant and Che's presence in the musical is symbolic. He is not only the narrater but also a critic of the Peronist regime. He is cynical, arrogant and is able to confront Eva and question her more "questionable" actions. Both Lupone and Patinkin both won Tony Awards for their performances as did the show's director, Harold Prince, composer, Lloyd Webber, and Lyricist, Tim Rice. In total EVITA won 7 well-deserved Tony's.

In closing, despite the racy content, the politics and the history, EVITA is a musical spectacle that offers soaring melodies and flashy, complex characters. Once the music starts, you may also fall under the seductive spell of the enigmatic blonde passionately clutching the microphone.

This is definately one of the greatest musicals ever made. Whether you love it or hate it, no one can deny EVITA's impact in the world of musical theatre. It's bold, glorious and gorgeous. As hauntingly beautiful as the woman who inspired it. Eva Peron would be proud.

Highly recommended.