| Evita | |
|---|---|
 Programme from the original West End Production at thePrince Edward Theatre | |
| Music | Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| Lyrics | Tim Rice |
| Book | Tim Rice |
| Basis | The life ofEva Perón |
| Premiere | 21 June 1978:Prince Edward Theatre, London |
| Productions | |
| Awards | |
Evita is asung-throughmusical with music byAndrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics byTim Rice. It concentrates on the life ofArgentine political leaderEva Perón, the second wife of Argentine presidentJuan Perón. The story follows Evita's early life, rise to power, charity work, controversies, and death.
The musical began as arock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London'sWest End in 1978, winning theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, and onBroadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive theTony Award for Best Musical.
This has been followed by a string of professional tours and worldwide productions and numerous cast albums, as well as a1996 film adaptation. The musical was revived in London's West End in 2006, 2014, 2017, and 2025, and on Broadway in 2012.
Act I
On 26 July 1952, a crowd in aBuenos Aires,Argentina theatre is watching a movie ("A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952") that is interrupted when news breaks of the death ofFirst LadyEva Perón. Both the crowd and the nation go into a period of public mourning ("Requiem for Evita") as Che, a member of the public, marvels at the spectacle and promises to show how Eva did "nothing for years" ("Oh What a Circus").
In 1934, 15-year-old Eva Duarte lives in the city ofJunín, and longs to seek a better life in Buenos Aires. Eva takes up with atango singer-songwriter,Agustín Magaldi, after she meets him at one of his shows ("On This Night of a Thousand Stars"). Eva persuades an initially resistant Magaldi to take her with him to Buenos Aires ("Eva, Beware of the City"). Upon her arrival in the city, Eva sings about her hopes and ambitions of glory ("Buenos Aires").
After her arrival, Eva is quick to leave Magaldi and pursue other romantic connections to climb up the social ladder ("Goodnight and Thank You"). Che tells of both a left-wingcoup in 1943 and Eva's success, implying that Argentine politics and Eva's career may soon coincide. Che also makes a point to introduce the figure ofColonel Juan Domingo Perón, an ambitiousarmy colonel making his way up the Argentine political ladder ("The Lady's Got Potential"). Perón and other military figures compete for power and exhibit their political strategy, with Perón rising above the pack ("The Art of the Possible").
After a massive earthquake hits the town ofSan Juan, Perón organizes a charity concert atLuna Park to provide aid to the earthquake's victims, which Eva attends. Perón's rousing speech is well-received by the crowd ("Charity Concert"). Eva introduces herself to Perón and they share a secret rendezvous following the charity concert, where Eva hints that she could help Perón rise to power ("I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You"). Eva dismisses Perón's unnamed mistress, who ponders the rejection and her fate ("Another Suitcase in Another Hall").
Upon moving in with Perón, Eva is introduced to high society only to be met with disdain from the upper classes and theArgentine Army ("Perón's Latest Flame"). In 1946, after launching his presidential bid, Perón discusses his chances of winning theelection with Eva. After reassuring him of their chances of winning, Eva organizes rallies for thedescamisados (shirtless ones) and gives them hope for a better future while Perón and his allies plot to dispose of anyone who stands in their way ("A New Argentina").
Act II
Perón is electedPresident in a sweeping victory in 1946. He stands "On The Balcony of theCasa Rosada" addressing hisdescamisados. Eva speaks from the balcony of the Presidential Palace to her adoring supporters, where she proclaims that despite her elevated status, her heart remains with the people of her country ("Don't Cry for Me Argentina"). Che analyses the price of fame as Eva dances at the Inaugural Ball with Perón, now the president-elect ("High Flying, Adored").
Eva insists on a glamorous image to impress the people of Argentina and promotePeronism. She prepares to tour Europe as she is dressed for success by her fashion consultants ("Rainbow High"). Her famous 1947 tour meets with mixed results ("Rainbow Tour");Spaniards adore her, but theItalians liken her husband toBenito Mussolini.France is impressed, and the British snub her by inviting her to a country estate, rather thanBuckingham Palace. Eva affirms her disdain for the upper class, while Che asks her to start helping those in need as she made a promise ("The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)"). Eva begins theEva Perón Foundation to direct her charity work. Che describes Eva's controversial charitable work and possiblemoney laundering ("And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)").
Eva appears at a church to take thesacrament in front of her adoring supporters ("Santa Evita"), but passes out suddenly, and while unconscious, appears to have a dream that reflects upon the conflicting views of her life. In her dream, she and Che heatedly debate her actions; Che accuses Eva of using the Argentine people for her own ends, while Eva cynically replies that there is no glory in trying to solve the world's problems from the sidelines ("Waltz for Eva and Che"). At the end of the argument, Eva finally admits to herself and Che that she is dying and can't go on for much longer. Che points out the disastrous results of Perón's policies on Argentina: its treasury is bankrupt, its once-thriving beef industry is under rationing, and the press and other critics of the regime are muzzled.
Perón's generals finally get sick of Eva's meddling and demand that Perón force her to leave politics. However, Perón objects and claims that if it weren't for her, they would never have achieved as much as they have ("She Is a Diamond"). But he also concedes that she won't be able to keep working for long as she will soon succumb to hercancer. Even so, Eva is determined to run forVice President, and Perón fears that the military will stage a coup if she runs and that Eva's health is too delicate for any stressful work, but Eva insists that she can continue, despite her failing health ("Dice Are Rolling/Eva's Sonnet").
Realizing she is about to die, Eva renounces her pursuit of the vice presidency and swears her eternal love to the people of Argentina ("Eva's Final Broadcast"). Eva's numerous achievements flash before her eyes before she dies ("Montage"), and she asks for forgiveness, contemplating her choice of fame instead of long reign ("Lament"). Evita dies, and embalmers preserve her body forever. Che notes a monument was set to be built for Evita but says "only the pedestal was completed, and Evita's body disappeared for 17 years."
| Role | Concept album | West End | Broadway | West End revival | Broadway revival | West End revival | West End revival | West End revival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 1978 | 1979 | 2006 | 2012 | 2014 | 2017 | 2025 | |
| Eva Perón | Julie Covington | Elaine Paige | Patti LuPone | Elena Roger | Madalena Alberto | Emma Hatton | Rachel Zegler | |
| Che | Colm Wilkinson | David Essex | Mandy Patinkin | Matt Rawle | Ricky Martin | Marti Pellow | Gian Marco Schiaretti | Diego Andres Rodriguez |
| Juan Perón | Paul Jones | Joss Ackland | Bob Gunton | Philip Quast | Michael Cerveris | Matthew Cammelle | Kevin Stephen-Jones | James Olivas |
| Agustín Magaldi | Tony Christie | Mark Ryan | Mark Syers | Gary Milner | Max von Essen | Ben Forster | Oscar Balmaseda | Aaron Lee Lambert |
| Perón's Mistress | Barbara Dickson | Siobhán McCarthy | Jane Ohringer | Lorna Want | Rachel Potter | Sarah McNicholas | Sarah O'Connor | Bella Brown |
Act 1[edit]
| Act 2[edit]
|
Notes
In 1972,Robert Stigwood proposed thatAndrew Lloyd Webber andTim Rice develop a new musical version ofPeter Pan, but abandoned the project.
Travelling late to a meal one night in 1973, though, Rice heard the end of a radio show aboutEva Perón which intrigued him. As a child stamp collector, he had been fascinated by her image on the Argentine stamps, but was unaware of her significance in Argentina's history. He began research and was introduced by aCinema International Corporation executive to the Argentine film director Carlos Pasini Hansen who had produced the TV filmQueen of Hearts, which had aired in the UK on 24 October 1972.[5] The executive also arranged for Rice to see the film atThames Television which he did "at least twenty times" saying also that "by that time I had seen Pasini's superbly researched film, I was hooked."[6] The more Rice investigated Eva Perón, going so far as to travel toBuenos Aires to research her life with many documents and contacts that Pasini had supplied, the more fascinated he became by the woman; he even named his first daughter after her.[5]
Rice suggested the idea of a musical based on the subject to Lloyd Webber, but although the idea of writing a score includingtangos,paso dobles, and similar Latin flavours intrigued him, Lloyd Webber ultimately rejected the idea.[5] He decided instead to collaborate withAlan Ayckbourn onJeeves, a traditionalRodgers and Hart-style musical based on theP. G. Wodehouse character, which proved to be a critical and commercial failure.[7] AfterJeeves, Lloyd Webber returned to Rice, and they began developing Rice's proposed musical.[5]
The authors of the 1996 bookEvita: The Real Life of Eva Perón claim the musical was based on Mary Main's biographyThe Woman with the Whip, which was extremely critical of Eva Perón.[8] Rice created the character "Che" to serve as both narrator and represent the voice of the lower, working class, providing insight and criticism to Eva's character.[5] WhenHarold Prince later became involved with the project, he insisted that the actors portraying Che should useChe Guevara as a role model.[9] In the1996 film adaptation, the character returned to his more anonymous roots. This was also the case for the 2006London revival.[10]
Lloyd Webber and the conductor Anthony Bowles presented the musical at the secondSydmonton Fest before making the recording with theLondon Philharmonic Orchestra.[11]
As they had previously done withJesus Christ Superstar, the songwriting team decided to recordEvita as analbum musical and selected actress and singerJulie Covington to sing the title role, after having caught an episode ofRock Follies and remembered her from the original London production ofGodspell. The recording, which was released byMCA Records who had previously marketedJesus Christ Superstar, commenced in April 1976 and was produced by Lloyd Webber and Rice. The recording was engineered by David Hamilton Smith, whose work Rice later acknowledged was effectively that of a third producer. He also delivered the line, "Statesmanship is more than entertaining peasants," a rebuttal to Eva's balcony speech on the album.[citation needed]
Released in 1976, the two-record set includedPaul Jones asJuan Perón,Colm Wilkinson as Che,Barbara Dickson as Perón's mistress, andTony Christie asAgustín Magaldi. The writers had originally consideredSteve Marriott andJohn Fogerty but neither was interested.Murray Head, who had enormous success with theSuperstar album, recorded some demos but Rice later admitted they "didn't really reproduce the magic that his portrayal ofJudas had." Colm Wilkinson had recently played Judas in the London production ofSuperstar and agreed to audition: "It only took a couple of verses to know he was our man."[citation needed]
Mike d'Abo, who had succeeded Paul Jones as lead singer ofManfred Mann, had a minor role on the album which was notable as the first one which both had appeared.Mike Smith, former lead vocalist withthe Dave Clark Five and d'Abo's then working partner, also appeared.[citation needed]
Pasini wrote the dialogue in Spanish of the first scene, "A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952". On this recording, he played the part of the actor in the soundtrack of a movie that grinds to a halt and also read the official communique of Eva's death. When the album was presented to the press at Lloyd Webber's country homeSydmonton, Pasini organised a photographic presentation with his colleagueAnton Furst to accompany it. His contribution to the development of the project was recognised as Rice and Lloyd Webber acknowledged him first in a thank you speech afterwards.[citation needed]
In Britain, Australia, South Africa, South America, and various parts of Europe, sales of the concept album exceeded those ofJesus Christ Superstar; in the United States, however, it never achieved the same level of success. Covington's recording of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (originally titled "It's Only Your Lover Returning")[12] was released in October 1976. It reached No. 1 on theUK Singles Chart[13] and enjoyed similar success internationally. Dickson's "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" also became a hit. In the US and UK, respectively,Karen Carpenter,Olivia Newton-John, andPetula Clark released cover versions of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".[citation needed]
The musical employs an eclectic range of styles.Classical music inEvita includes the opening choral piece ("Requiem for Evita") and a choral interlude in "Oh What a Circus", as well as instrumental passages throughout the musical such as the orchestral version of the "Lament" and the introduction to "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". Rhythmic Latinate styles are heard in pieces such as "Buenos Aires", "And the Money Kept Rolling in (And Out)" and "On This Night of a Thousand Stars", while ballads include "High Flying, Adored" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall".Rock music includes "Oh What a Circus", "Perón's Latest Flame", and a song cut from the original production called "The Lady's Got Potential". The song was reinstated for the1996 film with revised lyrics by Rice, and has also been used in Japanese,[14]Czech,[15] andDanish[16] stage productions to expand on Argentine history for audiences less familiar with the subject.
Tomás Eloy Martínez noted:
Che as well as Evita symbolise certain naïve, but effective, beliefs: the hope for a better world; a life sacrificed on the altar of the disinherited, the humiliated, the poor of the earth. They are myths which somehow reproduce the image of Christ.[17]
The lyrics and storyline of the musical are influenced by Mary Main's biography,Evita:The Woman with the Whip, which drew heavily upon the accounts of anti-Perónist Argentines. Shortly after the musical appeared, Nicholas Fraser andMarysa Navarro published a more neutral account of Eva Perón's life,Evita: The Real Lives of Eva Perón, in which they claim that many of Main's assertions were false, such as the suggestion that Eva had first gone to Buenos Aires as the mistress of a married musician, Agustín Magaldi. Instead, they wrote, Eva's mother Doña Juana had taken her there when she aspired to become a radio actress. Some critics also suggested that Rice's lyrics disparaged Evita's achievements unnecessarily, particularly her charity work. According to Navarro and Fraser,
Although [Evita] was based for the most part on the earliest and seamiest versions of Evita's life, something happened to the tale in its retelling and the Evita who emerged each evening, dressed first as a teenager, then a hooker, and finally, intulle and silver foil, as First Lady, was far from being unsympathetic.[18]
Following the success of the film version ofEvita, in 1996, an Argentinean film biography of Eva Perón was released,Eva Perón: The True Story, asserting that it corrected distortions in the musical's account.[19]
When the recording was released, Lloyd Webber had sent a copy to the American directorHarold Prince and invited him to become involved with the eventual staging. Prince agreed, commenting, "Any opera that begins with a funeral can't be all bad", but he advised them that he could not take on any new commitments for the next two years.[13] In the meantime, Lloyd Webber and Rice reworked several elements of the show. Some songs were dropped and some shortened, while others were introduced and some lyrics rewritten. Prince eventually confirmed that he would be ready to start rehearsals in early 1978. When he began working on the project in May, he suggested few changes, other than for deleting Che's rock number "The Lady's Got Potential". Prince requested a song he could stage to chart Perón's rise to power, and Rice and Lloyd Webber responded with the musical chairs number "The Art of the Possible", during which military officers are eliminated until only Perón remains.[20]
Evita opened at thePrince Edward Theatre on 21 June 1978 and closed on 8 February 1986, after 3,176 performances.[21]Elaine Paige played Eva withDavid Essex as Che,Joss Ackland as Perón,Mark Ryan (actor) as Magaldi andSiobhán McCarthy as Mistress.[22] Paige was selected from among many hopefuls, after Julie Covington declined the role. The production was directed by Harold Prince, choreographed byLarry Fuller, and produced by Robert Stigwood. Paige was succeeded byMarti Webb,Stephanie Lawrence, Siobhán McCarthy (who had played The Mistress when the show opened), Jacquey Chappell and ultimately,Kathryn Evans with Maria Morgan.[23]
Webb originally played the role during Paige's holiday and was persuaded by Prince to remain in the cast as an alternate for two shows each week to aid the transition when she took over the role. This set the precedent until the show closed, with Lawrence becoming Webb's alternate. Michele Breeze, Paige's original understudy never inherited the role in London but later created it for the original New Zealand production. Susannah Fellows also understudied Eva.
Gary Bond replaced David Essex as Che, thenMark Ryan, who had first starred as Magaldi, later assumed the role, followed byMartin Smith and Jimmy Kean. Ackland's replacements included John Turner,Oz Clarke andDaniel Benzali.
In his review inThe Sunday Times,Derek Jewell called the show "quite marvellous" and described Lloyd Webber's "ambitious" score "an unparallelled fusion of 20th century musical experience" and Rice's lyrics as "trenchant" and "witty".Bernard Levin ofThe Times disliked it, however, calling it as an "odious artefact ... that calls itself an opera ... merely because the clichés between the songs are sung rather than spoken" and "one of the most disagreeable evenings I have ever spent in my life".[24]
This production won theLaurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and Elaine Paige won theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical at the1978 Laurence Olivier Awards. Also receivingOlivier Award nominations were Harold Prince (Best Director) and David Essex (Best Performance in a Musical).[25]
Timothy O'Brien and Tazeena Firth collaborated on the design of the show. The set was minimal, with a scaffolded balcony running along the back and sides of the stage and images projected onto a screen above.Madame Tussauds produced a wax figurine of Eva, based on Elaine Paige, for the coffin during the funeral scene at the beginning of the show. Inspired by themurals ofDiego Rivera, Prince suggested theproscenium be flanked by artwork depicting the struggles of theArgentine peasants. He jettisoned the original monochromatic costumes designed for the chorus members and dancers; instead, he had them go to charity and secondhand clothing shops to purchase costumes.[26] The now iconic balcony scene featured Eva in a broad, diamond encrusted white dress based on one actually owned by Eva Perón which had been designed byChristian Dior addressing a crowd from the rear balcony of the stage.
TheEvita: Original London Cast Recording was recorded in 1978 and released byMCA Records. Some releases mistakenly refer to the concept album as the Original London Cast Recording.
The original London production transferred to theOpera House inManchester for an extended run following its closure at the Prince Edward Theatre. Kathryn Evans and Jimmy Kean played Eva and Che with Ria Jones and John Barr being their alternates.
After debuting at theDorothy Chandler Pavilion inLos Angeles, with a subsequent engagement at theOrpheum Theatre inSan Francisco,[27] theBroadway production opened at theBroadway Theatre on 25 September 1979 and closed on 26 June 1983, after 1,567 performances and 17 previews.Patti LuPone starred as Eva, withMandy Patinkin as Che,Bob Gunton as Perón,Mark Syers as Magaldi, and Jane Ohringer as Perón's mistress. Harold Prince directed with choreography by Larry Fuller.[28] During the run, six actresses alternated playing the title role, in addition to LuPone: Terri Klausner (matinees),Nancy Opel (matinees), Pamela Blake (matinees), Derin Altay,Loni Ackerman and Florence Lacey.[29] Patinkin was replaced by James Stein and later byAnthony Crivello.
New York Times criticFrank Rich stated: "Loni Ackerman, the current Eva Perón, has no discernible Latin blood, but she sings the role better than any of the American Evitas, as well as acting and dancing it with nonstop energy. Anthony Crivello, a performer new to me, is easily the best Che I've seen in New York or London: not only does he have a supple voice, but he also moves with such grace that he lightens the heavy, moralizing tone his character must bear. He's so effective, in fact, that he almost convinces you that there's a sound reason for Che Guevara to be dragged into the Peron saga."[30] Tom Carter understudied Patinkin and performed as Che.
LuPone's performance brought her massive acclaim, but she struggled to hit the high notes night after night. "It's horrible. When I first heard the score to Evita, I thought Andrew Lloyd Webber hated women because the score's written in a soprano's passaggio. If you think of a rubber band and you pull a rubber band, the weakest spot is in the middle. That's a passaggio. You have a chest voice and a head voice, and then right in the middle is where you have to negotiate changing gears and all of the high notes are written in that break. The fact that I willed my voice every single night to hit those notes and I didn't do more damage to my voice is shocking. The role itself is pretty spectacular. I had a blast acting it — I couldn't sing it. And every night I went on stage in terror, absolute terror. That's not good for the soul. It's not good for the head. It's not good for anything. But I knew it was my test. I knew that if I survived this, I could survive anything."[31]
Elaine Paige was originally told she would re-create her role in the Broadway production, however theActors' Equity Association refused permission for a non-American. Prince attempted to persuade the organisation for a second time when LuPone was suffering vocal problems before the production reached New York. LuPone stated in her memoir that this was nothing more than a rumour started by Prince himself to build publicity. She, however, had her own doubts about that being true.
The original Australian production opened at theAdelaide Festival Theatre on 30 April 1980. It featured Jennifer Murphy as Eva,John O'May as Che,Peter Carroll as Perón,Tony Alvarez as Magaldi, and Laura Mitchell as Perón's mistress.[32][33] Patti LuPone took over the title role in mid-1981 during itsSydney run after Murphy left the production.[34][35] LuPone's experience in the Sydney production was a much more positive one than her time on Broadway because by that time she felt comfortable singing the score and enjoyed playing the part.[36][37]
The first Spanish language version premiered at the Teatro Monumental inMadrid on 23 December 1980, directed by Jaime Azpilicueta and withPaloma San Basilio as Eva,Patxi Andión as Che, Julio Catania as Perón, Tony Landa as Magaldi and Montserrat Vega as Perón's mistress. A double album recorded by the original cast was released and the song "No llores por mí Argentina" became a hit single. This production later played inBarcelona and in other cities in Latin America.[38]
InMexico City the show premiered at the Teatro Ferrocarrilero on 26 June 1981, withValeria Lynch andRocío Banquells alternating as Eva, Jaime Garza andJavier Díaz Dueñas alternating as Che, Jorge Pais as Perón, César Millán as Magaldi andCarmen Delgado as Perón's mistress.[39]
Directed by Maurício Shermann and starringCláudia as Evita,Mauro Mendonça as Péron, Carlos Augusto Strazzer as Che, Sílvia Massari as Perón's mistress, and Hildon Prado as Magaldi, it premiered atTeatro João Caetano inRio de Janeiro on 12 January 1983. It later moved to Teatro Palace inSão Paulo in 1986. It opened to great success in Brazil, with the Brazilian singer Cláudia being considered by some critics as the best Evita of all the time. English producers Robert Stigwood andDavid Land, after watching the Brazilian production, said that Cláudia was the best Evita of all the singers who had played the role.[40]
On 2 June 2006, the first major London production ofEvita since the original had closed 20 years earlier opened in theWest End at theAdelphi Theatre. Directed byMichael Grandage, Argentine actressElena Roger debuted as Eva, whilePhilip Quast appeared as Perón withMatt Rawle as Che.[41] Its libretto included "You Must Love Me", written for the 1996 film, but which had not yet been included in an English-language stage production. The production opened to very positive reviews, but ticket sales were slow, which resulted in its closure on 26 May 2007 after a run of less than a year.[42] Quast and Roger were nominated forBest Actor in a Musical andBest Actress in a Musical respectively for their performances at the2007 Laurence Olivier Awards.
TheStratford Shakespeare Festival producedEvita as its firstrock musical from 28 to 6 May November 2010. The principal characters are played byChilina Kennedy (Eva),Juan Chioran (Juan), andJosh Young (Che), with direction byGary Griffin.[43][44]
A second Brazilian production directed by Jorge Takla premiered at Teatro Alfa in March 2011, with Paula Capovilla as Evita, Daniel Boaventura as Perón and Fred Silveira as Che.
A Broadway revival of the show, based upon the 2006 West End production, ran at theMarquis Theatre, with Elena Roger in the title role,Ricky Martin as Che,Michael Cerveris as Perón,Max von Essen as Magaldi (he was also Ricky Martin's understudy) andRachel Potter as Mistress. Christina DeCicco alternated with Roger as Eva. Michael Grandage again directed the production with choreography byRob Ashford, set and costume design byChristopher Oram and lighting design byNeil Austin. The revival was produced by Hal Luftig andScott Sanders. Previews began on 12 March 2012 with the official opening on 5 April 2012.[45] The production was nominated for threeTony Awards, includingBest Revival of a Musical at the66th Tony Awards. It closed on 26 January 2013 after 337 performances and 26 previews.[46][47]
The first Italian production premiered inSanremo (IM) 5 December 2013, directed by Susanna Tagliapietra, with Italian lyrics by Marco Savatteri. The original cast included Simona Angioloni as Eva Duarte, Edoardo Pallanca as Che, Agostino Marafioti as Juan Perón, Matteo Merli as Magaldi, Diletta Mangolini as Mistress, replaced by Simona Marrocco in the touring production.[48]
Israeli singer and actressShiri Maimon starred in a production ofEvita atHabima Theatre inTel Aviv in 2017.[49] Broadway producers impressed by her performance later invited her to star inChicago on Broadway.[49] In 2024, Maimon recorded a Hebrew rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (אל נא תבכי ארגנטינה) accompanied by theIsrael Philharmonic Orchestra.[50][51]
A West End revival based upon the 2019 production atRegent's Park Open Air Theatre began previews at theLondon Palladium on 14 June 2025 with its opening on 1 July.[52][53] The limited run closed on 6 September 2025.[54]Jamie Lloyd directed, withRachel Zegler, in her West End debut, as Eva,[55][56]Diego Andres Rodriguez as Che,[57] James Olivas as Juan Perón, Aaron Lee Lambert as Agustín Magaldi, and Bella Brown as The Mistress/Alternate Eva.[58]
The production stages the number "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina" on the exterior balcony of the Palladium (Argyll Street) and is broadcast to the theatre audience using cameras outside and a large screen inside the theatre; the large crowds on the street watching this balcony scene can be contextualized as part of Eva Peron's "spectacle and political theatre".[59]
The critical reception of the production was generally positive, with widespread praise being targeted towards Zegler’s performance. Arifa Akbar stated, in a three-star review inThe Guardian: "Zegler is phenomenal but Jamie Lloyd’s rock show drowns out the story". Alice Saville, in a five-star review inThe Independent, wrote that "Zegler is enthralling as Evita in this gorgeous sensory overload of a show." Andrzej Lukowski, in a four-star review inTimeOut, said: "Zegler is phenomenal, the balcony scene is incredible, Jamie Lloyd’s production is thrilling if occasionally incoherent". Nick Curtis rated the production five-stars inThe Evening Standard, especially praising Zegler.[53]
In August 2025, Lloyd Webber said in an interview withVariety that he was unsure if the production would transfer to Broadway by 2027 because of the high cost of mounting Broadway musicals and that a tax credit program that helped Broadway come back from theCOVID-19 pandemic by providing shows with millions of dollars in subsidies is running out of funding.[60]
It has also been suggested that Jamie Lloyd and Lloyd Webber have fallen out after Lloyd Webber revealed he thought the show was too loud and that some political aspects of the story weren’t very clear to audience members and suggested they perhaps enjoyed the feeling of the evening rather than the story itself. When asked would Jamie Lloyd perhaps make some changes to the story to make it clearer if it transferred to Broadway, he simply replied "Jamie Lloyd is Jamie Lloyd".[60]
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre presented the musical (directed by Jamie Lloyd) from 2 August – 21 September 2019. The production starredSamantha Pauly in her London debut as Eva,Ektor Rivera as Juan Peron, Trent Saunders as Che, Adam Pearce as Magaldi, andFrances Mayli McCann as the Mistress.[61]
New York City Center also presented the musical in 2019, (directed bySammi Cannold) from 13 – 24 November 2019.[62] The musical opened to mixed reviews, and featured two actresses in the role of Eva.Maia Reficco as young Eva from 15–20, andSolea Pfeiffer from 20–33. Jason Gotay starred as Che, with Enrique Acevedo as Juan and Philip Hernández as Magaldi.
Cannold again directed the musical at theAmerican Repertory Theatre inCambridge, Massachusetts from May-July 2023 with Shereen Pimentel in the title role with Omar Lopez-Cepero as Che,Caesar Samayoa as Juan, and Gabriel Burrafato as Magaldi.
An all-star West End concert was performed at theTheatre Royal Drury Lane in July and August 2023, directed by Bill Deamer, starringAuli'i Cravalho as Eva, alongsideMatt Rawle reprising his role of Che from the first West End revival andJeremy Secomb reprising his role of Juan from the 2017 Europe tour. The concert featured a 30-piece orchestra and was produced by Fourth Wall Live and the London Musical Theatre Orchestra.
There have been numerous US and international touring productions of the show:
The 1980–1983 1st US national tour opened at theShubert Theatre in Los Angeles and starred Loni Ackerman as Eva, Scott Holmes as Che,Jon Cypher as Juan Perón, Sal Mistretta as Magaldi and Cynthia Hunt as Perón's Mistress. The 1979-1983 2nd US national tour opened at the Shubert Theatre inChicago and subsequently toured to major U.S. cities starring Valerie Perri as Eva, John Herrera as Che, Robb Alton as Juan Perón, Peter Marinos as Magaldi and Cynthia Simpson as Perón's Mistress. The 2nd National went on to finish touring Scandinavia. The 1984 3rd US National Tour opened at the Masonic Temple Theatre inDetroit and starred Florence Lacey as Eva, Tim Bowman as Che, John Leslie Wolfe as Juan Perón, Vincent Pirillo as Magaldi and Patricia Ludd as Perón's Mistress. In the 1983 and 1986 US tours, Florence Lacey played Eva.[63]
Rebecca Storm played Eva with Chris Corcoran as Che.
Rebecca (Becky) Norman played Eva with James Sbano as Che and David Wasson as Perón with performances in Italy, Holland and Germany.
Florence Lacey starred once more with James Sbano as Che and Robert Alton as Perón.
A touring production was mounted in anticipation of the film version which lasted nearly two years and featured several actresses in the title role, including Valerie Perri, Donna Marie Asbury andMarla Schaffel. It was directed and choreographed by Larry Fuller and featured John Herrera and Daniel C. Cooney as Che.[64]
Paul Nicholas andDavid Ian, with the original producers Robert Stigwood and David Land, mounted a version closely based on the original London production starring Marti Webb, one of the first performers to play Eva, with Chris Corcoran as Che, Duncan Smith as Perón, Leo Andrew as Magaldi and Poppy Tierney as the mistress. Despite some criticism over the casting of Webb at the age of 50, the success of the tour led to extensions throughout 1996.[65][66][67]
A tour, based on the original Broadway production, which was originally scheduled to play on Broadway in the 1999–2000 season started in Detroit on 3 November 1998 and closed inBoston, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1999.[68] It starredNatalie Toro as Eva, withRaul Esparza as Che and Raymond Jaramillo McLeod as Juan Perón.[69] This production focused more on Latin themes.[70] According toPlaybill, "The Latin casting is part of an effort to instill this production with a more culturally authentic feel."[68] Toro received excellent reviews, along with her leading men.
A production opened in November 2004 with Kathy Voytko andBradley Dean, directed by Harold Prince and Larry Fuller.[71] This production closed in May 2007 but reopened later that year. It closed finally in June 2008.
A tour, following the then recent London production, began in 2008 starring Louise Dearman and laterRachael Wooding as Eva,Seamus Cullen (a finalist in theBBC showAny Dream Will Do)[72] as Che, Mark Heenehan as Perón[73] with James Waud as Magaldi who won the role in a competition, and Nikki Mae as Perón's Mistress, later Carly Bowmen. The UK tour ended in late 2009 but was remounted in March 2010, touring throughout Europe until April 2011. It continued in the UK and Germany from May to September 2011 featuring Abigail Jaye as Eva, Mark Powell as Che, Mark Heenehan as Perón and Reuben Kaye as Magaldi.Earl Carpenter would later replace Heenehan.[74]
A US national tour of the musical, based on the 2012 Broadway revival, began in September 2013. The cast for the tour includedCaroline Bowman as Eva,Josh Young as Che, Sean McLaughlin as Perón, Christopher Johnstone as Magaldi,Krystina Alabado as Mistress andDesi Oakley as the alternate for Eva Perón.[75]
A tour, announced after the success of the Broadway production of the show, which was produced byBill Kenwright. It opened on 15 May 2013 at theNew Wimbledon Theatre, before dates at theGlasgow Kings Theatre,Theatre Royal Norwich, and theWolverhampton Grand. The production starredMarti Pellow, the lead singer of the bandWet Wet Wet, as Che, Andrew C Wadsworth as Juan Perón, andMadalena Alberto as Eva Perón. The tour concluded with 55 performances at theDominion Theatre in the West End in September and October 2014.[76][77] This production was directed by Bob Thompson, with choreography by Bill Deamer, and musical direction by David Steadman.
A replica of the 2013–2014 UK Tour began touring early 2017, once again in the UK. Led byEmma Hatton, with Gian Marco Schiaretti as Che;Jeremy Secomb as Juan Perón; Oscar Balmaseda as Magaldi and Sarah O’Connor as the Mistress; this production ran through to July. In the same way the previous tour had a limited London run, this production performed a limited 91 performance run (due to the failure ofThe Girls) at thePhoenix Theatre from July to October 2017. Hatton reprised her role along with all her previous cast members. The tour then continued into 2018.[78]
A revival of the original production (as directed by Hal Prince and choreographed by Larry Fuller) toured South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, featuring a cast from South Africa and led byEmma Kingston from the UK in the title role.
The Singapore season ran from 23 February 2018 to 18 March 2018 in theMarina Bay Sands Theatre. 18 young talents were selected to be cast in thisEvita production. Three sets of six children alternate in ensemble roles. The young actors are: Federica Aramburu, Lilo Baier, Mika Barel, Charmaine Chan, Hindya Dickinson, Jasmine Huilian Ellis, Gabriel Frade, Sam Howie, Annabelle Jarvis, Jayden Alim Lai, Lia Marie Elaine Macdonell, Max Makatsaria, Nanako Masui, Faith Ong, Sofia Ella Poston, Sebastian Street, Damien Rocco Weber, Charisse Low Yu Xin.
A 2018 Australian revival of the stage musical, directed by Harold Prince, was announced on 21 August 2017, byOpera Australia, with Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actressTina Arena being confirmed as the lead actress. The stage tour production began at theSydney Opera House, in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, with opening night on 13 September, running to 3 November 2018. The next venue on the national tour leg was theArts Centre Melbourne, from 5–30 December 2018.[79][80] Arena said she felt the time was right to tackle the role. "I have been approached to do this role on a couple of occasions," Arena stated. "I never felt emotionally ready for it. I felt I had a lot of living and learning before I could get up and take on the enormity of the story and the human spirit she possessed".[81][82]
On 7 May 2018, Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini, along with producers John Frost and David Ian, announced the full cast for the upcoming Australian production ofEvita. With Arena announced in the lead role as Eva Perón, the remainder of the cast was announced as:Paulo Szot, Brazilian operatic baritone in the role of Juan Perón; Kurt Kansley would take on the role of the revolutionary Che.Michael Falzon would portraytango singer Agustín Magaldi, while the role of Perón's Mistress would be played by Alexis van Maanen.Jemma Rix was cast as the alternate Eva Perón and was scheduled to be appearing in the role at least once a week (the Wednesday 7:30 pm show) throughout the Sydney season, according to theEvita-Australia website.[83][84]
On 21 July 2018, Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini, along with producers John Frost and David Ian, announced the 18 young performers who have been cast in the upcoming production ofEvita, in season at the Sydney Opera House from September 2018. Three sets of six children alternated in ensemble roles. The young actors are: Jack Barton, Alysiah Carlino, Julien Daher, Jacob Drew, Paige Hewlett, BeBe Liu-Brennan, Robbi Morgan, Allerah Murdock, William Oakley, Pamelia Papacosta, Benjamin Park, Sara Petrovski, Raffaella Reid, Avaleigh Rock, Amelie Rose, Austin Taylor, Oliver Trus, and Zoe Zantey.[85][83][84]
Plans for a film directed byKen Russell developed soon after the West End and Broadway openings. Much speculation of potential leads includedBarbra Streisand orLiza Minnelli as Eva, andBarry Gibb orElton John as Che.[86] These plans never came to fruition.
Russell has said that his own first choice for the film lead wasKarla DeVito, who had come to fame in rock tours and on Broadway, where she had impressed the wife of Andrew Lloyd Webber. DeVito was screen tested for the role while in England shooting music videos for her solo albumIs This A Cool World or What? DeVito's performance of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" in the screen test caused much positive buzz. Russell wrote that she brought viewers to tears (except Tim Rice – who wanted Elaine Paige, with whom he was romantically involved). Although Russell rejected the idea, Paige was screen tested twice.
Russell's biography indicates that he met with Barbra Streisand, who dismissed the role immediately. He wrote that he then suggested Liza Minnelli. A year had passed between the first screen tests and Minnelli's, which Russell reports was amazing. Russell approached Stigwood with Minnelli's test, convinced she had the necessary talent and star quality, but he was soon told it was going to be Elaine Paige. Having already protested that idea, Russell quit the film. Years later when he saw Karla DeVito again, Russell addressed her as "My Evita."
It was not until 1996 thatEvita came to the big screen.Alan Parker directed the film, withMadonna in the title role,Antonio Banderas as Che andJonathan Pryce as Perón. The film was nominated for fiveAcademy Awards, winning one forBest Original Song ("You Must Love Me," composed especially for the film) at the69th Academy Awards. Madonna received mixed reviews but won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the54th Golden Globe Awards, where the film also wonBest Picture–Musical or Comedy. The film was choreographed byVincent Paterson.
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Laurence Olivier Awards | Best New Musical | Won | |
| Best Performance in a Musical | Elaine Paige | Won | ||
| David Essex | Nominated | |||
| Director of the Year | Harold Prince | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Musical Revival | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Philip Quast | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Elena Roger | Nominated | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Rob Ashford | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tony Award | Best Revival of a Musical | Nominated | |
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Michael Cerveris | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Rob Ashford | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ricky Martin | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Michael Cerveris | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Rob Ashford | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Neil Austin | Nominated | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Critics’ Circle Theatre Award[88] | Best Director | Jamie Lloyd | Won |
| Evening Standard Theatre Award[89] | Best Musical | Won | ||
| 2020 | Laurence Olivier Award[90] | Best Musical Revival | Nominated | |
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Fabian Aloise | Nominated | ||
Evita came in sixth in aBBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Number One Essential Musicals".[91]
One episode ofThe Simpsons, "The President Wore Pearls", has a plot loosely based on the musical, withLisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith) in Eva's role. The episode includes parodies of songs such as "A Vote for a Winner" which includes the lyrics, "don't cry for me, kids ofSpringfield".[92] At the end of the episode, a comical disclaimer is displayed stating, "On the advice of our lawyers, we swear we have never heard of a musical based on the life of Eva Perón".
During theGlee episode "Special Education", the charactersKurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) andRachel Berry (Lea Michele) sing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" when Kurt is auditioning for a solo in the Warblers for Sectionals. In the season three episode "Hold On to Sixteen", a rival showchoir sings "Buenos Aires" as their competition piece.
In the short "The Ballad of Magellan" in the cartoon seriesAnimaniacs, the country of Argentina is depicted with a sign reading, "EVITA Coming Soon!".
First recorded by a cast assembled specifically for the recording in 1976, the first stage cast recording ofEvita was of the original London production in 1978. The original Broadway cast was recorded for an album released in 1979. Lloyd Webber and Rice produced these first three recordings.
At least 25 English language cast albums have been released, along with many foreign language recordings. There are currently four in Spanish, five German, three in Japanese, and two inHebrew, with additional recordings inCzech,Danish, Dutch, French,Hungarian,Icelandic,Korean,Portuguese, andSwedish.[93]
SopranoKiri Te Kanawa recorded a complete operatic version of the score withChristopher Lee as Perón[citation needed]. This recording, however, has never been released[citation needed]. Marti Webb also recorded a highlights album of sorts for thePickwick Records label that featuredDave Willetts andCarl Wayne. It was released to coincide with the 1995 UK Tour of the show in which Webb starred.
Credited as "Festival,"disco producerBoris Midney released an entire 1979 album of disco versions of keyEvita songs at the behest of impresarioRobert Stigwood. The album reached #1 on the disco charts, and the disco version of "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" reached #72 on the Hot 100 Singles chart.[94][95]
| Album | Year of Release | Country | Type | Principals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evita: An opera based on the life story of Eva Perón 1919 – 1952 | 1976 | UK | Complete
|
| Cast assembled for studio recording; CD releases often mislabeled as the London Cast Recording |
| Evita: Original London Cast Recording | 1978 | UK | Highlights |
| Recording of the original London production
|
| Evita: Premiere American Recording | 1979 | US | Complete |
| Recording of the original Broadway production |
| Evita: Premiere Australian Recording | 1980 | AUS | Highlights | Recording of the original Australian production.
| |
| Evita: Highlights of the Original Broadway Production for the World Tour 89/90 | 1989 | US | Highlights |
| Cast of the 1989/90 World Tour |
| Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack | 1996 | US | Complete |
| Double-CD soundtrack of the motion picture. Highlights released separately as the single-CDEvita: Music from the Motion Picture. |
| Evita: 2006 London Cast Recording | 2006 | UK | Highlights |
| Recording of the 2006 London production |
| Evita: New Broadway Cast Recording | 2012 | US | Complete |
| Recording of the 2012 Broadway production |
| EVITA | 2025 | UK | Highlights |
| Recording of the 2025 London production |
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