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Evita
Cover of Original Broadway Recording
Music	Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics	Tim Rice
Based upon	The life of Eva Peron
Productions	1976 concept album 1978 West End 1979 Broadway 1996 Film 2006 West End revival
Awards	Olivier Award for Best New Musical Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Score Tony Award for Best Book

Evita is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. It is based on events surrounding the rise to power of Juan Perón as President of Argentina and the significant role played in these events by his second wife, Eva Perón, using Mary Main's biography Evita: The Woman with the Whip as a base.

Contents 1 History 2 Synopsis / Song List 2.1 Act One 2.2 Act Two 2.3 Concept Album Song List 2.4 Original Stage Song List 2.5 New Stage Version 3 Historical accuracy of the story 4 Productions 5 Title roles 6 Adaptations 6.1 1996 film 7 Awards and nominations 7.1 Cultural impact 8 Recordings 9 References 10 External links

Like Lloyd Webber and Rice's previous hit, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita began as an album, released in 1976, with Julie Covington singing the lead role. Other parts were played by Paul Jones (as Juan Perón), Barbara Dickson (as the mistress), Colm Wilkinson (as Ché, the narrator; credited as C.T. Wilkinson) and Tony Christie (as Agustín Magaldi). Covington's recording of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart in February 1977, and had similar success internationally. Dickson's "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" also became a hit. In Britain, Australia, South Africa, South America, and various parts of Europe, sales of Evita exceeded those of Jesus Christ Superstar; in the United States, however, the concept album never achieved the same level of success. In 1977 American singer Karen Carpenter released a successful cover of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" which was noteworthy in that it preserved the complete song as written for the musical, rather than converting it to a pop solo.

Lloyd Webber and Rice reworked several elements of the musical before producing it for the stage. Some songs were dropped and some shortened, while others were introduced and some lyrics rewritten. The 1976 album and the stage version featured different versions of the dialogue between Eva and Perón during "Dice Are Rolling". Both discussed Eva's illness and vice-presidency aspirations but the earlier concluded on "Eva's Sonnet", during which Eva reaffirms her aspirations. The stage version of "Dice are Rolling" concluded on a shorter version of the sonnet as Eva collapses due to her growing illness. Additionally, the stage version of "Oh, What a Circus" featured extra lyrics, explaining why Che does not share the nation's grief.

The 1976 album contained the song "The Lady's Got Potential" which described the rise of Eva and Perón. It was very particular in that it introduced a subplot about Ché being a research chemist who developed an insecticide and aspired to capitalize on this creation. A short song was also included before the start of "Charity Concert", in which Perón and other officers introduce themselves as aspiring dictators. The song was dropped for the stage version, to be replaced with "The Art of the Possible", a musical chairs number which focused on power struggles within Perón's political party.

The character of Ché evolved considerably during the development of the musical. He was originally intended as an "Everyman character who could represent the voice of the people and of opposition", but grew into a representation of the revolutionary Ché Guevara. It was not until Parker's 1996 film that the character returned to its more anonymous roots.^[1]

Evita opened in London's West End in 1978, and on Broadway a year later.

• "A Cinema In Buenos Aires 26 July, 1952" (Crowd) Though there are no lyrics sung in this, the show opens to a cinema theatre while an audience is watching a film of Eva Peron's. During the film, an announcer comes over the speakers and announces that Eva Peron entered immortality at 20.25 hours this evening....

• "Requiem for Evita" (Chorus) is modeled on a Catholic requiem sung in Latin by the cinema crowd when they hear of Eva's death.

• "Oh What a Circus" (Ché) is sung by the narrator, assessing the hysterical grief that gripped Argentina when Evita died in 1952.

• "On This Night of a Thousand Stars/Eva, Beware of the City" (Magaldi) introduces the audience to young Eva, who blackmails tango singer Agustín Magaldi into taking her with him to Buenos Aires.

• "Buenos Aires" (Evita) reveals Eva's hopes and ambitions when she arrives in the city for the first time.

• "Goodnight and Thank You" (Ché) tells the story of how Eva 'slept' her way up the ladder.

• "The Lady's Got Potential" (Ché) tells of Eva's success as an actress and a right-wing coup in 1943. This number was cut after the 1976 recording and was then replaced with "The Art Of The Possible" in stage productions. The film soundtrack uses both numbers; however, the lyrics to "The Lady's Got Potential" were substantially re-written.

• "The Art of the Possible" (Peron, Generals, Evita) Perón is fighting members of his political party to rise to the top. This number was almost completely omitted from the film, only including one verse sung only by Ché.

• "Charity Concert" (Peron, Che, Magaldi, Eva) At a charity event held in aid of the victims of an earthquake in San Juan, Eva is reunited with Magaldi as he closes his act. Peron addresses the crowd with words of encouragement and leaps off the stage, meeting Eva as soon as he exits.

• "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You" (Evita and Perón) Eva and Peron share a secret rendezvous following the charity concert, where Eva tells Peron that she would be good for him and that she could help him.

• "Hello and Goodbye" (Evita) sees Perón's previous mistress being dismissed by Evita.

• "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" (Perón's Mistress) is the young girl's song of rejection after having been kicked out by Eva. In the movie version, it is sung by Eva herself (after "Buenos Aires"), after realizing that Magaldi is married with a child.

• "Perón's Latest Flame" (Ché) shows the upper-classes' disdain for Evita and the male chauvinism of the Army.

• "A New Argentina" (Evita, Ché, Perón/Chorus) is the election campaign to make Perón the new president, including the Army's attempts to imprison and silence Perón, and questionable campaign practices on the part of Perón.

• "On The Balcony of the Casa Rosada" (Peron, Che and Descamisados) Peron has won a sweeping victory for President in 1946. He stands on the balcony of the Casa Rosada addressing his descamisados.

• "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" (Evita) is the speech from the balcony of the Presidential palace to her adoring supporters.

• "On The Balcony of the Casa Rosada 2" (Evita) is a speech from Eva as she addresses the crowd below.

• "High Flying, Adored" (Ché and Evita) looks at the price of fame as Eva dances at the Inaugural Ball with Peron, Argentina's president elect of 1946.

• "Rainbow High" (Evita) has Eva insisting on a celebrity/glamorous image in order to impress the people of Argentina and promote Peronism. She prepares to tour in Europe, as she is dressed for success by her fashion consultants.

• "Rainbow Tour" (Perón, Advisers, Ché) charts the success and decline of Eva's famous tour of Europe in 1946.

• "The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)" (Evita and Ché) Eva affirms her disdain for the upper class and is approached by Ché to start helping those in need.

• "And the Money Kept Rolling In" (Ché) tells of Eva's controversial charitable work.

• "Partido Feminista" (Evita) (movie version only) another of Eva's speeches.

• "She is a Diamond" (Perón) Perón's generals do not want a female Vice-President, and Perón reveals that Eva's health is not up to the task.

• "Santa Evita" (Chorus) is the song of Eva's devoted supporters, who see her as a modern-day saint.

• "Waltz for Eva and Che" (Evita and Che) is a debate between the two characters over Eva's actions.

• "Dice Are Rolling/Eva's Sonnet" (Perón and Evita) Evita insists she can continue on, despite her failing health.

• "You Must Love Me" (Evita — written for the 1996 film, later added to the stage version) Eva understands, at the end of her life, that Perón loves her for herself — not just for what she can do for him and his career.

• "Eva's Final Broadcast" (Evita) a dying Eva renounces her pursuit of the vice presidency and swears her eternal love to the people of Argentina.

• "Montage" (Chorus) are Evita's past achievements flashing before her eyes before she dies.

• "Lament" (Evita) Eva recalls her life and asks for forgiveness. Eva dies and embalmers move on to preserve her body forever. In the last few lines of the show, Che tells of how a monument was to be built for Evita. "Only the pedestal was completed and Evita's body disappeared for seventeen years...."

Side One

1. A Cinema in Buenos Aries, 1952
2. Requiem for Evita/Oh What a Circus
3. On This Night of Thousand Stars/Eva and Magaldi/Eva, Beware of the City
4. Buenos Aries
5. Goodnight and Thankyou
   

Side Two

1. The Lady's Got Potential
2. Charity Concert/I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You
3. Another Suitcase in Another Hall
4. Dangerous Jade
5. A New Argentina
   

Side Three

1. On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
2. High Flying Adored
3. Rainbow High
4. Rainbow Tour
5. The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)
6. And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)
   

Side Four

1. Santa Evita
2. Waltz for Eva and Che
3. She is a Diamond
4. Dice are Rolling/Eva's Sonnet
5. Eva's Final Broadcast
6. Montage
7. Lament

Act One

1. A Cinema in Buenos Aries, 26th July 1952
2. Requiem for Evita
3. Oh, What a Circus
4. On This Night of a Thousand Stars
5. Eva and Magaldi/Eva, Beware of the City
6. Buenos Aries
7. Goodnight and Thankyou
8. The Art of the Possible
9. Charity Concert
10. I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You
11. Hello and Goodbye
12. Another Suitcase in Another Hall
13. Peron's Latest Flame
14. A New Argentina
    

Act Two

1. Entr'acte
2. On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada 1
3. Don't Cry for Me Argentina
4. On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada 2
5. High Flying Adored
6. Rainbow High
7. Rainbow Tour
8. The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)
9. And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)
10. Santa Evita
11. Waltz for Eva and Che
12. She is a Diamond
13. Dice are Rolling
14. Eva's Final Broadcast
15. Montage
16. Lament

Act One

1. A Cinema in Buenos Aries, 26th July 1952
2. Requiem for Evita
3. Oh, What a Circus
4. On This Night of a Thousand Stars
5. Eva and Magaldi/Eva, Beware of the City
6. Buenos Aries
7. Goodnight and Thankyou
8. The Art of the Possible
9. Charity Concert
10. I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You
11. Hello and Goodbye
12. Another Suitcase in Another Hall
13. Peron's Latest Flame
14. A New Argentina
    

Act Two

1. Entr'acte
2. On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada 1
3. Don't Cry for Me Argentina
4. On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada 2
5. High Flying Adored
6. Rainbow High
7. Rainbow Tour
8. The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)
9. And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)
10. Santa Evita
11. Waltz for Eva and Che
12. You Must Love Me
13. She is a Diamond
14. Dice are Rolling
15. Eva's Final Broadcast
16. Montage
17. Lament

See also: Che Guevara in popular culture

“

'Ché as well as Evita symbolize 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.'[2]

”

After leaving Peronist Argentina in the mid-1950s, Guevara moved to Cuba. As Castro's collaborator, he came to occupy a position of spiritual leader in Cuba's government that was arguably analogous to Evita's role in Peronist Argentina. In the early productions of the musical, Ché and Evita have a confrontation in the song "Waltz for Eva and Ché". The character of Evita makes a reference to Guevara's future role in Castro's Cuba: "So go, if you're able/To somewhere unstable/And stay there/Whip up your hate/In some tottering state/But not here, dear/Is that clear, dear?" However, there is no evidence to suggest that Ché Guevara and Eva Perón actually ever met. Guevara later claimed that he had sent a letter to Perón's charity requesting a jeep, which was never received. He also joined a Peronist youth organisation in college, though only to gain access to their library.^{[citation needed]}

The lyrics and storyline of the musical are based on Mary Main's biography, Evita: The Woman with the Whip, which drew heavily upon the accounts of anti-Peronist Argentines. Shortly after the musical appeared, Nicholas Fraser and Marysa Navarro published a more neutral account of Eva Perón's life, titled Evita: The Real Lives of Eva Perón, in which they claim that many of Main's assertions (which had influenced Rice's lyrics) 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. Critics also suggested that Rice's lyrics disparaged Evita's achievements unnecessarily, particularly her charity work.^{[citation needed]}

In the film, the characters who represent the anti-Peronist oligarchy speak and sing with British accents, underscoring the historical fact that British commercial interests were an important opponent of the Peronist movement.

Following the success of the film version of "Evita," the government of Argentina released its own film biography of Peron, entitled "Eva Peron," alleging that it corrected distortions in the Lloyd Webber account. [1]

1978 London production

Evita opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on June 21, 1978 and ran for 2900 performances. The title character was played by Elaine Paige, who had been selected from a large number of hopefuls, after Julie Covington elected not to take the role. Ché was played by the pop singer David Essex, and Perón by Joss Ackland. The production was directed by Harold Prince, choreographed by Larry Fuller, and produced by Robert Stigwood.

1979 Broadway production

The show opened at the Broadway Theatre on September 25, 1979, and closed on June 26, 1983, after 1567 performances and 17 previews. Patti LuPone starred as Eva 'Evita' Peron, with Mandy Patinkin as Ché, Bob Gunton as Perón, Mark Syers as Magaldi, and Jane Ohringer as Peron's Mistress. As in the London production, Harold Prince directed with choreography by Larry Fuller. During the run, six actresses alternated playing the title role, in addition to LuPone: Terri Klausner, Nancy Opel and Pamela Blake (matinees), and Derin Altay, Loni Ackerman and Florence Lacey (evenings).

2006 London Revival

On 2 June 2006, the first major London production of Evita in 25 years opened at London's Adelphi Theatre, directed by Michael Grandage with Argentine actress Elena Roger as Eva Perón, Philip Quast as Perón, and Matt Rawle as Ché. Notably, its song list included "You Must Love Me", written for the 1996 film, which had never been part of an English-language stage production. The production opened to rave reviews, but due to a surfeit of musicals in the West End at the time, ticket sales were slow and the production closed on May 26, 2007, after a run of less than twelve months.^[3]

• 1978 - Elaine Paige, Marti Webb, Stephanie Lawrence, Siobhan McCarthy, Susannah Fellows - Great Britain
• 1979 - Patti LuPone - United States of America
• 1981 - Paloma San Basilio - Spain
• 1987 - Vera Mann - The Netherlands and Belgium
• 1996 - Pia Douwes - The Netherlands and Belgium
• 1997 - Susanne Dengler - Germany and Austria
• 2002 - Olivia Cinquemani - Italy
• 2004 - Monica Quinter - Switzerland
• 2006 - Elena Roger - Great Britain
• 2006 - Susanne Dengler - Germany
• 2007 - Brigitte Heitzer - The Netherlands and Belgium

Main article: Evita (film)

Plans for a film developed soon after the West End and Broadway openings, which was originally to have starred Barbra Streisand or Liza Minnelli as Eva, and Barry Gibb or Barry Manilow as Ché, and was to have been directed by Ken Russell.^{[citation needed]} This eventually did not materialise, and it was not until the 1996 film Evita, directed by Alan Parker, that the theatrical production came to the big screen, with Madonna in the title role, Antonio Banderas as Ché, and Jonathan Pryce as Perón. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one for Best Original Song ("You Must Love Me", composed especially for the film).

Olivier Awards 1978^[4]

• Best New Musical
• Performance of the Year in a Musical — Elaine Page

Tony Awards^[5]

• Best Musical (WINNER)
• Best Score (WINNER)
• Best Book (Musical) (WINNER)
• Best Director (Musical) — Harold Prince (WINNER)
• Best Actor (Featured Role - Musical) — Mandy Patinkin(WINNER)
• Best Featured Actor in a Musical -- Bob Gunton (nominee)
• Best Actress (Musical) — Patti Lupone (WINNER)
• Best Lighting Designer — David Hersey (WINNER)
• Best Scenic Design (nominee)
• Best Costume Design (nominee)
• Best Choreography (nominee)

Drama Desk Awards^[6]

• Outstanding Musical (WINNER)
• Outstanding Lyrics (WINNER)
• Outstanding Music (WINNER)
• Outstanding Actress (Musical) — Patti LuPone (WINNER)
• Outstanding Featured Actor (Musical) — Bob Gunton (WINNER)
• Outstanding Director of a Musical (WINNER)
• Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Patinkin) (nominee)
• Outstanding Choreography (nominee)
• Outstanding Costume Design (nominee)
• Outstanding Lighting Design (nominee)

Outer Critics Circle Awards 1980^[7]

• Best Lyricist

Evita came in sixth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Number One Essential Musicals".^[8]

One episode of The Simpsons, "The President Wore Pearls", has a plot loosely based on the musical, including parodies of songs such as "Don't Cry for Me, Kids of Springfield". At the end of the episode, a 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".

At least twenty-five 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 in Hebrew, with additional recordings in Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Portuguese, and Swedish.^{[citation needed]}

• 1976 concept album
• 1978 London cast
• 1979 Broadway cast
• 1996 film soundtrack
• 2006 London cast

• Internet Broadway Database listing for Evita
• Evita at Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group
• Evita synopsis and other information on the NODANW site

Awards
Preceded by Sweeney Todd	Tony Award for Best Musical 1980	Succeeded by 42nd Street
Preceded by Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim	Tony Award for Best Original Score 1980 by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice	Succeeded by Woman of the Year by John Kander and Fred Ebb
Preceded by Sweeney Todd by Hugh Wheeler	Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical 1979 by Tim Rice	Succeeded by Woman of the Year by Peter Stone

v • d • e Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals
The Likes of Us • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat • Jesus Christ Superstar • Evita • Tell Me On a Sunday • Cats • Song and Dance • Starlight Express • The Phantom of the Opera • Aspects of Love • Sunset Boulevard • By Jeeves • Whistle Down the Wind • The Beautiful Game • The Woman in White

v • d • e Tony Award for Best Musical: Winners (1970-1989)

1970: Applause  •  1971: Company  •  1972: Two Gentlemen of Verona  •  1973: A Little Night Music  •  1974: Raisin  •  1975: The Wiz  •  1976: A Chorus Line  •  1977: Annie  •  1978: Ain't Misbehavin'  •  1979: Sweeney Todd  •  1980: Evita  •  1981: 42nd Street  •  1982: Nine  •  1983: Cats  •  1984: La Cage aux Folles  •  1985: Big River  •  1986: The Mystery of Edwin Drood  •  1987: Les Misérables  •  1988: The Phantom of the Opera  •  1989: Jerome Robbins' Broadway Complete List · Winners (1949–1969) · Winners (1970–1989) · Winners (1990–2009)