Shakin’ his Broadway Bon Bon - Ricky Martin in Evita

Evita

Marriott Marquis Theatre

Saturday, Jan 5, 8pm

Menudo!  Gotta' love the 80s!

No, Ricky does not play Eva in the current Broadway revival (check out that mullet!).  Although I’d definitely pay premium prices for the sight of those waxed pecs in the white “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” gown.  And after spending an intense afternoon with Benjamin Walker’s repressed Brick, Trish and I decided a night spent with everyone’s favorite Latin dish would be just the ticket for a cold winter night.

I don’t know what voodoo witchcraft he prescribes to, but that Ricky just gets better looking with age.  I mean, he’s so glaringly attractive that you almost don’t notice he can’t act.  Perhaps I’m just a bit critical, having played the role myself years ago with staging based on the original, brilliant Hal Prince concept. 

Ricky looks and sounds wonderful, has charisma to spare and his accent adds some extra sex appeal, but he’s basically just being Ricky Martin.  I didn’t sense he had a strong connection to the story or that his character had a discernable point of view.  He also loses points for his generic “robot arm” acting gestures.  But since he’s so dreamy, I’ll give Ricky the benefit of the doubt and blame the director for any shortcomings.  I mean, if you cast a pop star with limited acting chops, you’d better direct the hell out of him or have him shirtless throughout.  Am I right, ladies?

Of course, the Latin-heavy tourist crowd (the opening cell phone announcement was made in both English and Spanish) could have cared less about silly details like acting.  And given the very loud chatter throughout the show (in Spanish, btw, so I’m not just making broad racist assumptions), most of the crowd didn’t even realize they were in a Broadway theatre and not casually lounging in their living rooms.  The gentleman next to me was literally chanting “Peron” along with the cast.  I kid you not.

Many in the theatre chat rooms have complained about Elena Roger’s vocal deficiencies.  Granted, hers is perhaps the ugliest, shrillest voice in the history of Broadway leading ladies - and that’s being generous.  Despite that, by the middle of the first act I had warmed to - or at least gotten used to - her odd vocal quality and actually quite enjoyed her performance.  Let’s face it, the show is basically a check-list of historical events with little character development inherent in the script and score.  And still, Roger’s manages to provide a thrilling, three dimensional performance without belting any high notes -- though they are sorely missed.  Her Eva is strong yet sympathetic, making her act two decline particularly moving.

Like Roger, Michael Cerveris elevates his material well beyond what on paper is a very sketchy characterization.  Though I must admit, to my ears his basso profundo always seems faked and artificial.  It doesn’t have the true bass-baritone ring of a George Hearn or James Barbour.  I guess you could say the artificiality adds to his characterization of a manipulative politician.  Or you could say he’s just faking it.

Even though I take swipes at the script and score, Evita is actually my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber show.  It’s concise, driving and contains some of his best melodies.  When performed well, the show is visceral and exciting to watch.  But because the characters aren’t intrinsically sympathetic, it takes a great director/choreographer to make the show work.

If you don’t know the original Hal Prince staging or are only reading this review to find out if they’ve added a Che nude scene (no such luck, folks), then you can probably stop reading now. 

In no particular order, these are my specific observations of the staging and production values given my familiarity with the material and original staging (warning: spoilers ahead and probably really boring if you’re not an Evita-phile).

• For the most part, I liked the tango inflected choreography, especially in the opening “…Circus” and “Buenos Aires.”
• Tempos, especially in the first 30 minutes of the show are deathly slow and kill any momentum inherent in the rock and Latin rhythms of the score.
• The set is gorgeous, but clunky.
• Cutting the opening scene in the movie theatre is a mistake.  The scene gives the audience a frame of reference as to how much the common Argentine folks loved Eva Peron. 
• The original musical chairs concept for “Art of the Possible” makes much more sense than the weird, tango fight staging in the current production.  The point of the scene is that Peron’s ascent to power is random, like winning a game of musical chairs.  The staged fighting doesn’t nearly convey this point as clearly.
• In the original staging of “Waltz for Eva and Che,” the two dance but never touch.  To me, this is a much stronger choice since it emphasizes Che’s role as an observer, not participant.  It also visually symbolizes Eva’s wish to separate herself from her humble beginnings.
• The ensemble choral singing is superb.