Drury Lane's 'Evita' boasts fresh, canny direction and sympathetic tone
“Evita” - ★ ★ ★
In most productions of “Evita,” we experience the titular character's beatification in Act II when Argentine first lady Eva Peron - dressed in a glittering, white ballgown and bathed in a celestial light - sings “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” from the balcony of the Casa Rosada.
Not so in Drury Lane Theatre's muscular revival of Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber's fictionalized account of one woman's rise from poverty to the apex of power.
Director/choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge teases the second act's celebrated balcony scene during the production's opening moments. The curtain rises on what appears to be a theater, where a tango dancers' rehearsal is interrupted by a broadcaster announcing the death of the actress turned politician. During the outpouring of grief that ensues, Eva (Michelle Aravena) appears in all her finery poised as if to address the crowd while narrator Che (Richard Bermudez) mocks the hollow spectacle that marked her turn on the national stage. A brief run that emphasized style and produced little substance.
That's only one example of Dodge's fresh, canny staging. There are others. Take “The Art of the Possible,” a power struggle between Col. Juan Peron (a debonair, calculating Sean MacLaughlin) and his fellow soldiers. It unfolds on a drum line where Peron literally drums out rivals who threaten to outshine him.
Then there's “Another Suitcase in Another Hall,” the ballad Peron's ousted mistress (Keila Hamed-Ramos) sings after Eva sends her packing. Dodge expands the solo to a quartet, suggesting that for many women, security depends upon how well they satisfy a man's whims.
Not Eva. At 15, she convinces tango singer Magaldi (Paul Aguirre, in fine voice) to take her to Buenos Aires. There she uses various lovers to establish herself as an actress, radio host and eventually the wife of Peron, a burgeoning fascist who uses Eva's popularity with the working class to advance his political career. (Aravena and MacLaughlin's aggressively seductive duet “I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You” suggests in no uncertain terms the mutual advantage their union provides.)
Meanwhile Che seethes, denouncing Eva for her political theatrics and her failure to fulfill her promises. Bermudez's performance - as cynical as it is passionate - reaches a fever pitch during “And the Money Kept Rolling In,” a ferocious, rock-infused condemnation of political corruption that stopped the show. Aravena's acting, first-rate throughout, reflects her character's unwavering determination to be recognized, to build a life far from Argentina's slums. Yet during “Don't Cry for Me Argentina,” Aravena's Eva seems to lower her guard and reveal the insecurity of the woman behind the icon.
It is one of several candid moments that make up a somewhat sympathetic portrait of Eva Peron, who died in 1952 at age 33. That sentiment carries through to the musical's final moments, which include a poignant resolution to longtime pain caused by her father's rejection.
One thing more, Dodge cut Che's last lines referencing Eva Peron's proposed monument (never constructed) and her remains (which went missing for years). I always considered that coda something of a rebuke of the character. And while its omission doesn't necessarily exonerate her, it tempers the sting of her tarnished legacy with a bit of compassion. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Location: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-0111, drurylanetheatre.com
Showtimes: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday; 1:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday through March 20
Tickets: $59-$74, dinner-theater packages available
Running time: About 2 hours, 25 minutes, including intermission
Parking: In the lot
Rating: For teens and older
COVID-19 precautions: Patrons must wear masks except when eating or drinking