Sarah's review:
Tuscany Theatre Company started off their second season strong with Andrew Lloyd Webber's EVITA. EVITA follows the life and death of Argentina's own First Lady Eva Peron. Whether or not it is an accurate representation of the former actresses life is not what draws audiences into it (besides Webber and the shows lyricist Tim Rice were very vocal about how against they were of her), but it's what the actors bring to the table.
This operetta was lead by Allyson Igeleski with an alternating Danielle Hale at certain performances as the title character, Javier Stefano De Vita as Che, the story's ultimate narrator, Chris Chavez as Eva's husband and President of Argentina Juan Peron, Joshua Lindbloom as Magaldi, Eva's first "love" at the age of 15, and Adyson Nichols as the Mistress, the underaged girl Eva practically "fires" when she meets Peron, an ensemble comprised of Danny Blankemeier, Kaitlin Booth, Jason Harms, Brenna Jackson, Jared Kitch, Erin McFeely, Kate Ponsiek, Tyler Ray, Sergio Santa Cruz, Ayanna Siders, Mary Simmons, Corinne Tachuk, J.T Turner, Andee Wolfe, and a children’s chorus featuring Iris Giles, Alex Harms, Eric Lundgreen, Olivia Lundgreen, Grace Schwenn, and Dani Wolfe.
The show was directed by Andrea McFeely, music directed by Karli Giles Kemper, choreographed by Corrinne Mann, and produced by Cherri Lundgreen.*
The specific day I saw the show, the alternate Hale was portraying Eva and she did not disappoint. You never would’ve known that she wasn’t playing the title role daily (I obviously can’t compare her to Igeleski for I never saw her in the role). Hale brought the exact amount of manipulative, sass, and devotion to the role to play Webber’s vision of Evita to life. Her vocals were always on point which is hard to obtain through this show, since it is sang all the way through and even though Evita is a high soprano role with belting here and there so I can only imagine how tired my voice would be after the first act alone. De Vita as Che was a nice addition to the cast. With him being originally from Venezuela, his accent made him more believable as a 24 year-old who grew up in Argentina. With Che being the narrator of the show, he continuously shows off his vocal range with the amount singing he has to do throughout the 2 ½ hour show. He also shows off that Che, while also frustrated at the country of Argentina, can be compassionate. He shows this off when he is comforting the Mistress when Eva kicks her out. He accompanies her on her song “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” and his voice helps back up the Mistress’s vocals. Chris Chavez was probably one of my favorite parts of the show. I’m not entirely sure why, but I feel for the people who are used by the person they truly love. For example, at the end of the second act when Eva is dying, Chavez broke down into tears and that’s when I lost it. Chavez perfectly portrayed a man who simply loved this woman who may have only used him to rise to fame and he wasn’t too worried about it. His vocals were also some of the best throughout the show. His portrayal of Che was one to never forget. Joshua Lindbloom’s portrayal of Magaldi was superb. I’m a sucker for a tenor who sings healthily. His rendition of “On This Night of a Thousand Stars” left me with chills all over my body. For a character who is practically ditched by Eva halfway through the first act, he sure left an impression to be remembered throughout the rest of the show. Adyson Nichols as the Mistress was nothing short of impeccable. I’ve alway felt that the role of the mistress wa either out of place or cut short, depending on the actress. In this case, the Mistress was definitely cut short. I would have loved to hear her float the high notes I know Nichols possesses in either a longer song or have the Mistress be featured before the only song she is in, so you can get to know her a little more and understand why she sleeps with all these men just a little better (WEBBER DO YOU HEAR ME????!!!). The ensemble was probably the strongest ensemble, both vocally and dance oriented, I’ve ever seen. They were the first thing you hear at the beginning of the show, and it set you up to not be let down the rest of the show because they set a high standard of singing, acting, and dancing. They were also energetic and dare I say...spunky? It was a pleasure to see these actors perform this show.
The show would not have happened without the production team. Andrea McFeely’s shows are always fantastic and they are my favorite shows to watch. She connects with her actors on such a unique level that she is able to extract more of a real and heartfelt performance out of them. Her direction on this show was no different. You can tell that the actors mean every motion they make and every lyric they sing. I applaude McFeely on her work with the show for it was truly magical. The music direction of Karli Giles Kemper was no different. Kemper’s lightheartedness and killer vocals help her teach the difficult music of this show to anyone and make it seem like a piece of cake. She also doesn’t let anyone fall behind musically. She is always there ready and willing to help out any struggling cast members and I know from experience, it is really appreciated. Also, the technical side of all the vocals were just as fabulous as she is. You can hear the dynamic contrast through every phrase of music, through every syllable and every note that is sung. Her musical direction is always beautiful. Corrinne Mann’s choreography was stunning as always. Her choreography is always visually pleasing. Her partner dances are probably my favorite dances of her to watch. She just knows how to make two people look good together and make sure the two people understand each other enough to know that the two will work well together, which ends up looking aesthetically pleasing on stage.
Tuscany Theatre Company’s production of Evita provided just the right amount of everything it needed to be a stellar show. With every show that they put on, TTC gets stronger and their name builds a great meaning throughout the valley. I can’t wait to see what they produce throughout the rest of the season and I hope everyone gets the opportunity to see at least one of their shows or even the opportunity to audition to be in their shows. I do know of audition for another one of their plays coming up shortly…...but who knows. Just get your butt out to Gilbert to see an ever growing theatre turn into something bigger and beautiful.
*I kinda lost my program with the rest of the production team’s names so I’m sorry I couldn’t give some people the proper recognition they deserve
If you have a review you would like to submit, e-mail it to mackenna.azyoungactors@gmail.com.
LOL IM JUST NOW FINDIN ALL OF MY GRAMATICAL ERRORS WOW I HATE MYSELF
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