THEATER
Two Evitas Say Yes to the Dress
Chaos-churning fascist, beautiful wife — it doesn’t end well
BY MICHAEL LUONGO
A visit to the Museo Evita
in Buenos Aires will tell
you the real Evita, Maria
Eva Duarte de Perón,
fi rst lady of Argentina, was a petite
woman, her shoes on display
evidence of just how tiny her feet
were. But fi lling those shoes when
it comes to the towering mythical
fi gure of Evita on Broadway in Andrew
Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s
musical is another thing entirely.
We all know who fi lled them before
— Patti, Madonna, Dunaway,
and more, many of them the reason
I’ve discussed Evita’s legacy
as a gay icon before in Gay City
News. Now, in the 100th anniversary
year of Evita’s birth, a new
short run production directed by
Sammi Cannold tries to fi ll those
shoes in Manhattan’s City Center,
through November 24. The question
“What’s new, Buenos Aire?” is
more pertinent than ever in a play
promoting the role of women and
Latin Americans in theater.
One thing new is more than one
actress tries to fi ll those shoes:
young wide-eyed Eva Perón, played
by the Argentinian-American actress
Maia Refi cco, and the mature,
transformed Evita, played by
Solea Pfeiffer. Refi cco is the second
Argentine to play Evita in a major
New York production. Olivier-winning
Elena Roger shared the stage
with Ricky Martin’s Che Guevara
and Michael Cerveris’ Juan Perón
in the 2012 production.
Young Eva morphs into the mature,
sexually confi dent Evita in
the course of the “What’s new, Buenos
Aires?’ scene. The actresses
switch out during a cringe-inducing
dance struggle with numerous
men, including what appears to be
a frenzied gang rape. It’s a reminder
in the #MeToo era that despite her
power over men, Eva endured horrors
while biting into Argentina’s
Big Apple.
The purpose of the dual-casting
twist is revealed through the rest of
the play, where a sentimental Evita
is haunted by her younger version,
always appearing on the corner of
the stage, destitute and forgotten,
suitcase in hand. In death the two
reunite, tearful young Eva comforted
by her older goddess-like self.
The famous white dress is itself
a character, disembodied, looming
over the stage at the beginning, a
reminder of Eva Perón as ghost,
goddess, icon, and idol, carried
over her own weak body by pallbearers
as she confusedly watches
her own funeral during Requiem.
During the melodic “Don’t Cry For
Me” scene, conducted by Kristen
Blodgette, Pfeiffer fi nally appears
cocooned within the sparkling
confection. Stripped-down staging
by Jason Sherwood means her
balcony is hinted by a portable industrial
staircase, and as she descends,
she pulls the dress’ sides
up around her. Seen from high vantage
points including the theater’s
balcony seats under the dramatic
lighting by Bradley King, the dress
appears to have a long train fl owing
down the steps, as if she were
being presented as a bride to the
people of Argentina. Once on the
ground, suspended inside layers
of tulle, Evita swirls like a cloud as
she moves across the stage. You’ll
have to see the play to learn the
dress’s ill fate.
Color is key. Whether for purity
or to remind us of the ghost she
becomes, Eva is always in white,
including some gorgeous New Look
ensembles highlighting Pfeiffer’s
statuesque sensuality by costume
designer Alejo Vietti. Che, played
by Jason Gotay, is in black. Everyone
in the chorus falls within 50
shades of gray: the descamisados
in the palest shades, the wealthy
in the middle, and the military, including
Perón, played by Enrique
Acevedo, dark and somber.
Naturally, there’s plenty of star
quality tango, but fl ourishes of
other moves from the ensemble especially
embellish the effervescent
“And the Money Kept Rolling In”
scene.
Importantly, tango is reinterpreted
for “I’d Be Surprisingly
Good For You,” honoring Juan and
➤ EVITA, continued on p.25
JOAN MARCUS
Solea Pfeiffer in the title role of City Center’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s
“Evita,” directed by Sammi Cannold, through November 24.
JOAN MARCUS
Solea Pfeiffer as Evita with Enrique Acevedo as Juan Perón.
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