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Elena Roger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Occupation(s) | actress, singer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
Elena Silvia Roger (born October 27, 1974) is anArgentine actress and singer who won the 2009Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal ofÉdith Piaf inPiaf.[1] She has also appeared in theWest End inEvita,Boeing-Boeing, andPassion.[2]
Prior to being cast asEva Perón in the West Endrevival ofEvita, Roger was already a performer in her native Buenos Aires.[3] In 1997, she was nominated for the Trinidad Guevara Award as Best Breakthrough Female for her work inYo Que Tu Me Enamoraba.[4] She went on to appear in several productions includingNine,Houdini,Dracula, the musical,Beauty and the Beast, andFiddler on the Roof, as well as starring inLes Misérables asFantine, andSaturday Night Fever as Annette.[4] For the 2002/2003 season, she was nominated for an ACE Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role inJazz, Swing, Tap.[5] The following season, she starred in the show,Mina...che cosa sei?, which she co-authored with the show's director, Valeria Ambrosio.[6] Roger won the ACE Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance.[7] She has also appeared on several Argentine television programs, includingHombres de Honor,Pensionados, andEl sodero de mi vida.[8] Internationally, she briefly toured Europe withTango por Dos.[9]
While doing research in Buenos Aires for the 2006 West End revival ofEvita, an employee ofAndrew Lloyd Webber’sReally Useful Group saw Roger perform and suggested her for the title role of the show.[2] After several rounds of auditions, Roger was cast as Eva Perón and performed the role to critical acclaim.[3][10][11]
TheTimes of London called Roger a "revelation" in the title role of Evita.[12] TheDaily Telegraph's praise of Roger's "star performance"[13] was echoed by most other newspapers, including theEvening Standard, which reported that Roger's performance was "ripe for superlatives",[14] and theSunday Express, which noted her "transfixing presence with more than just a touch of the star quality that she proudly sings of possessing".[15]The Guardian added that Roger "captures all of Eva's iron-willed determination".[16] American reviewers also praised Roger's turn. TheHollywood Reporter opined that Roger "knocks the Argentine socks off the title role"[17] andVariety declared Roger "a triple-threat dynamo".[18]
Roger was nominated for a 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance at theAdelphi Theatre but lost the award toJenna Russell for her performance inSunday in the Park with George.[19] Roger next appeared on the London stage as Gabriella in the production ofBoeing-Boeing, directed byMatthew Warchus at theComedy Theatre.[20] In 2008, Roger played the title role in theDonmar Warehouse’s production ofPiaf and received rave reviews.[21] The show eventually transferred to the largerVaudeville Theatre,[22] and Roger won the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[1] She subsequently toured internationally withPiaf including a stop in her hometown of Buenos Aires.[3] During her time back in Buenos Aires, she revived her performance inMina...che cosa sei? for a brief run.[3] From September 10 through November 21, 2010, Roger starred as Fosca in a revival of theStephen Sondheim/James Lapine musicalPassion for a limited engagement at the Donmar Warehouse.[23] On February 7, 2011, it was announced that Roger was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award as Best Actress in a Musical for the third time for her work in this role.[24]
Roger can be heard on the cast albums ofMina...che cosa sei?[25] andEvita. (2006 London revival and 2012 Broadway revival).[26][27] She has also recorded two solo albums:Vientos Del Sur and a live album recorded in Buenos Aires entitledRecorriendo el Rock Nacional (Nueva Edi).[28]
On the strength of her reception in London,[29] Roger returned to the role of Eva Perón in a newBroadway revival ofEvita with previews beginning in March 2012 and an opening night in April at theMarquis Theatre. The production, based on the 2006 West End revival, was again directed byMichael Grandage and choreographed byRob Ashford. It also starredRicky Martin as Che and Broadway veteranMichael Cerveris as Juan Perón. In contrast to the London, New York reviews were mixed.[30]
| Duration | Production | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Dracula, the musical (Tour) | Lucy Westenra |
| 1995 | El jorobado de París II | |
| 1998 | Nine | |
| 1998 | Beauty and the Beast | Chica boba |
| 2000 | Les Misérables | Fantine |
| 2001 | Saturday Night Fever | Annette |
| 2002 | Fiddler on the Roof | |
| 2004 | Mina... Che Cosa Sei?!? | |
| 2005 | Houdini, una ilusión musical | Bess |
| 2009/10/2023/24 | Piaf | Edith Piaf |
| 2015 | ¡Ay, Carmela! | Carmela |
| 2016 | LoveMusik | Lotte Lenya |
| Duration | Production | Role | Theatre | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Evita | Eva Perón | ||
| 2007–2008 | Boeing-Boeing | Gabriella | ||
| 2008–2010 | Piaf | Édith Piaf | ||
| 2010 | Passion | Fosca |
| Duration | Production | Role | Theatre | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2013 | Evita | Eva Perón |
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
