Sometimes, Theatrical Disasters Can Be As Devastating In Their Own Way As Natural Ones!!!!!!!!

                                    The word I am hearing along the Rialto, girls, is that the current running revival of
"Evita" is a disaster.  I cannot say I am really surprised.  For starters, it was never what I would call a classic of the musical theater, but, when originally presented, it had a style and a verve that came from the Brechtian staging of director Harold Prince, and the impassioned acting/singing of its lead players, Patti Lu Pone, Mandy Patinkin, and Bob Gunton, all of whom went on to other things as a result, with Patti becoming a star, and then an icon.  Whatever catchiness "Evita" might have had the first time around, and
on the Original Cast Recording when you listen, comes from the aforementioned.

                                       When you don't have this high a level, "Evita" falls flat.  Which is why I have no
intention of seeing this revival.  Would I go for a freebie???? Sure, why not????  But there are other things out there I would much rather see--like say, the Off Broadway revival of Neil Simon's "Lost In Yonkers."

                                           I have to admit, if the producers would have had the courage to cast Ricky Martin in the title role, it would have upped the show's camp value, and queens from all over would be flocking to it.  Including yours truly.  And you just know Ricky is dying to put on those costumes; I bet he fondles them on the costume rack each night, before going on!!!!!!!!!!  But alas, we have Ricky Martin as Che, who looks so wholesome and robust,  rather than a bedraggled revolutionary,  he looks more suited to "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" than this show.  Michael Ceveris, an excellent actor, offers hope in the  role of Juan Peron, though reports I have been getting are that his performance is lackluster.  As for Elena Rogers, well, I have seen excerpts, and she has a nice enough voice, but where is the passion, the intensity, to make us believe that this Argentinian upstart scrambled up from nowhere to become the iconic figure she did????  Elena may hit the right notes, but pure tonal sound alone does not make for a performance. Nothing I have seen suggested she IS "Evita;" when Patti Lu Pone did the part, she seemed to inhabit it.  Which, as we have seen over the years, is customary with Patti.  Which is why she is a star.  Elena, who did the role in London five years before, so someone thought well of her, let alone she is no spring chicken, comes off as one who should have gotten no further than a stint on "American Idol."  She is NOT  Broadway material, honey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          The things you can pick up on the street, darlings!!!!!!!! Don't you get nasty!!!!!!!  But, having been one of the fortunate ones to have seen the Original Production, I would have to say the naysayers of this current "Evita." are right.  And another thing--who the hell is this director, Michael Grandage??? And, then, once I heard that hack Rob Ashford was doing the choreography, I said you can kiss this show goodbye.  Ashford, may I remind you, was named here as a Bitch Of The Week at the time of the "Promises, Promises" revival, and his egotistical decision to jettison the original Michael Bennett choreography was one reason why I ended up not seeing the show.  Was "Turkery Lurkey Time" the showstopper it had been originally???? Of course not????  Did any of the dancers step out of line, to stop anything, the way Donna McKechnie did, back in 1968?????  Now, maybe, of course we do not have dancers of McKechnie's calibre today, but, honestly, was anyone is Ashford's choreography given a chance???? I think not!!!!!!!!!

                                         To think I have gotten to this point.  When I was young, and my parents' friends would talk of having seen the original productions of--oh, "South Pacific," or "Annie Get Your Gun," or even Sondheim's "Follies," I would go all reverential and ask, "What was that like?"

                                          Today, I, having seen the original productions of "A Chorus Line," "Sweeney Todd" and "Evita," or "Merrily We Roll Along,"  find myself in this position, being questioned reverentially by theatrically interested young people. At least I am in a better position to answer them than my parents' friends.

                                             But let me tell you, when you have seen Original Productions, you are very
proprietary, when it comes to revivals.

                                               Though I still want to star in the "Funny Girl" revival!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!