Review of Evita
from Ann Arbor News Friday, June 8, 2001 Page
D2
Civic’s ‘Evita’ ranks among the best
By Roger LeLievre News Arts Writer
A lot of water has passed under the bridge for Ann Arbor Civic
Theatre since it chose to produce the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Evita" nearly
18 months ago. Financial insolvency. Loss of its playhouse. An abbreviated schedule.
Sometimes it seemed uncertain "Evita," the rags-to-riches story of
Argentina’s First Lady, Eva Peron, would ever hit the stage.
It is a pleasure to report that the "Evita" that opened
Thursday night at the U-M’s Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre proves AACT is at least on
strong artistic footing. "Evita" is an ambitious project, but the large Civic
Theatre cast, directed by Kyle A. Matthews, proved mostly equal to the task. This writer
has seen five productionss of this musical to date, including the original with Patti
LuPone and Mandy Patinkin about 20 years age (and a forgettable movie), and let me say, no
one at AACT has anything to be ashamed of!
Sure, there were some minor problems: a sound system that added
more and more static as the show continued; a few sour notes from the orchestra,
especially early on; and a cast that got off to an eneven start but managed to pull it
together just a few minutes into the show. In fact, after the pivotal meeting between Eva
Peron (Kathy Waugh) and Juan Peron (Glenn Bugala), it almost seemed like a different
production, the change was so evident. Opening night jitters, perhaps’
Waugh, an actress with more than a few Civic and other theater
credits to her name, was luminous in the title role, although I always feel a little sorry
for anyone who has to sing "Don’t Cry for Me Argentina," one of the
clunkiest songs in musical theater. She pulled it off, though, much to the credit. My one
wish: Waugh played the "beauty" perfectly ‘ it would have been nice, when
the situation called for it, to see a little more of the "beast" that was by all
accounts a part of Eva Peron’s character.
Bugala, a talented actor with an impressive acting and directing
pedigree in local theater, was perfect as Argentina’s ambitious, sometimes conflicted
leader. He has a magnificent range and it is always a pleasure to watch him inhabit a
role. Kudos too to Beth Vaccaro for her superb rendition of "Another Suitcase in
Another Hall," which she flavored to taste with perfect melancholy spice. Anthony J.
Provenzola, as the cynical observer Che, may have lacked a little of the passion the role
ideally calls for, but he more than made up for it with his beautiful singing voice, very
evident in the numbers "High Flying Adored" and "Waltz for Eva and
Che."
The ensemble also showed talent and I bet choreographer Emily
Perryman is pleased with what she saw on stage Thursday night. The dance routines came off
smoothly, and it was evident the crew was well-rehearsed. "And the Money Kept Rolling
In (and Out)" was especially pleasing. The choruses of army generals and aristocrats
all did their parts, clad in costumes that perfectly evoked the look of South America in
the 1940s.
It has frequently been said of "Evita" productions that
if you have seen one, you’ve seen them all, so rigidly do they seem to adhere to a
lockstep formula. Director Matthews promised to shake things up a bit, and thought changes
were not radical, there were some nice touches.
I won’t reveal the slightly altered opening of the show,
except to say that it added a local flavor and the audience loved it. During "Waltz
for Eva and Che," the milling aristocrats soon formed a spinning human carousel
complete with bobbing horse heads, a very creative touch I have not seen before.
Something to look forward to: the "Evita" program also
included an announcement of Civic’s 2001-02 season of just four shows, including
"A Midsummer Night’s Dream," the musical "Pajama Game,"
"Lucky Spot" and the rock opera "Tommy."
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The Ann Arbor Civic Theatre production of "Evita" continues tonight and Saturday
at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., in Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N. University Ave. in
the Michigan League. Tickets are $18 ($16 students). For reservations, call (734)
971-2228.