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| Andrew Lloyd Webber - Evita Band: Andrew Lloyd Webber Tracks: - Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952 - Requiem for Evita/Oh What a Circus - On This Night of a Thousand Stars/Eva and Macaldi/Eva Beware of the C - Buenos Aires - Goodnight and Thank You - Art of the Possible - Charity Concert/I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You - Another Suitcase in Another Hall - Peron's Latest Flame - New Argentina - On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry for Me Argentina - High Flying, Adored - Rainbow High - Rainbow Tour - Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear) - And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out) - Santa Evita - Waltz for Eva and Che - She Is a Diamond - Dice Are Rolling - Eva's Final Broadcast - Montage - Lament More than a little bit of star quality More than just a modern-day Cinderella story, EVITA is a powerful musical about ambition, politics, class, greed, obsession and an overwhelming need for acceptance and love. This is Lloyd Webber's best score; none of his later subjects seemed to challenge him as much. Some of the other reviews posted here complain about Patti LuPone's "strident" voice vs. Madonna's more gentle voice. Putting aside that Patti has one of the finest and most thrilling voices in the theatre today, anyone who has heard recordings of Eva Peron's speeches will know that the real Evita's voice was far from soothing. Lloyd Webber was able to capture the harangue in her voice in his score, which Patti delivered with a fiery, powerful vocal (and acting) performance that captures an essence of Eva Peron that Madonna couldn't manage. Now, I liked the movie. It was visually stunning, the orchestrations were lush, and it attempted to be a more balanced portrayal than the original stage productions. Antonio Banderas gives a passionate performance, and Jonathan Price really Brings depth to a sketchily written role. Madonna looks great (once she gets past the scenes wear she has to play a fifteen-year-old), and I have to say she sang better than she ever has. BUT, the fire and passion I expected from her was not evident. Also, sections of the Score were lowered for her, and some tempos were slowed down, which I think worked against her performance. The Broadway recording does have its problems: some of the orchestrations, which sounded fresh and exciting in the late seventies, have not aged well. Also, the sound quality, while not bad, is slightly muffled. Of course, it was recorded over twenty years ago, before the advances of digital recording. But one has to wonder why this recording hasn't been remastered with this new technology. But what this recording does have is a stellar cast, headed by La LuPone in a performance that defines the role. (EVITA, as written, is actually quite anti-Eva Peron, but Patti invests her with a humanity that saves her from being a one-note villainess). Mandy Patinkin gives one of two of his finest performances (the other being SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE) and his over-the-top performance here isn't distracting as it has become in later performances. Bob Gunton also contributes a sly, knowing performance as Peron. I have several versions of EVITA--the original concept album, the London album with Elaine Paige, a the original Madrid cast, a European recording with Florence Lacey, even a Korean recording (but let's not go there), and the movie soundtrack. Of all the recordings I have heard, the Original Broadway Cast recording stands as the definitive recording, with Patti as the best-sung Evita. If you buy only one version, as Best I've heard Having just returned from the latest staging of "Evita," the pre-Broadway tour that will mark the show's 20th anniversary, I can put on this CD and relive all the great moments of the show. I saw a national tour performance 17 years ago and immediately bought this recording. It remains my personal favorite, having heard excerpts from the concept album, the Spanish album, and London cast album and having seen the movie. All will be special to different audiences, but there is no reason to trash this wonderful version. Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin are both excellent interpreters of this excellent work by Webber and Rice. The movie recording has its highlights. But American audiences can hardly do wrong by putting their money on this version. Good night and thank you, whoever. The essential Evita Proud. Tragic. Bitter. Defiant. Arrogant. Eva. And Patti. Evita is My Favorite musical of all time. I've heard many versions, and I don't need to Focus on the negatives of the others to sell you on the original Broadway cast: the positives are more than enough. Mandy Patinkin is a sardonic Che at times, an admiring one at others, but always an entertaining and rewarding guide through this musical biography of Eva Peron's rise and fall. Lupone simply made this part hers. She is the definitive Eva: brassy, passionate, poignant, calculating, reflective. She is coy yet triumphant on "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina." If hubris had a voice it might well sound like hers on "Rainbow High." She devastates and glitters . . . I'm usually not prone to such excessive adjectives, but Evita *is* excess -- delightful, decadent, way too much, over the top, and you still want more. Every nuance of Eva Peron's lust for power, every manipulative stroke is richly and vividly conveyed with skilled emotion, and is contrasted beautifully with Patinkin's oh-so-acerbic tenor, which drips effectively with biting sarcasm for most of the show. From the other reviews, I can't argue that others seem to Love this version or hate it. Either way, you certainly won't be bored. Highly recommended. Buy Andrew Lloyd Webber Evita at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.comJamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
