Producer Bill Kenwright is about to launch a new UK tour of Evita, largely based on the London production, will soon start at the Liverpool Empire on 22 May. The lead roles will be played by Louise Dearman (Eva), Seamus Cullen (Che) and Mark Heenehan (who was Philip Quast's understudy in the London production). More details about dates and venues at this link.

THE SHOW
Evita was the last collaboration between composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, who originally developed the show as a concept recording (as they had done previously with Jesus Christ Superstar). The album was released in the UK in 1976 and went straight to the top of the British charts. The recording's success spurred Robert Stigwood to produce Evita for the London stage, featuring Elaine Paige in the title role. The show opened at the Prince Edward Theatre on 21 June 1978, and it became one of the greatest musical theater hits ever seen in London. By the time it closed, Evita had played 2,900 performances in the West End, and the Broadway production of the musical walked off with seven Tony Awards at the end of its first season in New York.

THE STORY
The story of Evita follows the life of María Eva Duarte, the second and most famous wife of Argentina's President, General Juan Domingo Perón, and one of Latin America's best-known women. It begins in 1934 and follows the young girl from her small hometown to Buenos Aires where she uses her feminine powers to climb the ladder of success, first as a model, then an actress, and finally as a charismatic political figure. When Perón is elected president, Eva becomes the most powerful woman in South America. Another key figure of the story is Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, a real-life Argentinian revolutionary, at times a narrator, at times an observer, at times simply a device that enables the authors to place Eva in a situation where she is confronted with lucid personal criticism.

Detailed synopsis

JUAN DOMINGO PERÓN (1895 - 1974)
Army colonel, former President of Argentina (1946-55, 1973-74), founder and leader of the Peronist movement.
Juan Perón started out his career by joining the army at the age of 18. Over the following 30 years he held a number of military and government posts. As secretary of labour and social welfare, and later as minister of war and vice President, Perón showed strong support for the labour unions and social reform. This won him the allegiance of Argentine workers, who became the backbone of his support.
In 1945 Perón was imprisoned by political opponents, but his popular political position and the efforts of his second wife María Eva Duarte, popularly known as Evita, got him out of prison. In 1946 he was elected President. He instituted massive social reform, but was ruthless in suppressing all opposition and Perón's Argentina rapidly became a dictatorship. With the aid of Evita he converted trade unions into a militant organization, known as the descamisados [shirtless ones], along fascist lines. Shortly after the death of Evita, Perón was ousted from office by a military coup and was then exiled in General Franco's Spain for 10 years. He was allowed to come back to Argentina in 1972 and re-elected as President in 1973. Perón died a short 9 months into his second term as President.

(Sources: Infoplease & All About Argentina)

Read an in-depth biography of General Perón (Source: Historical Text Archive)
Read a historical profile of General Perón (Source: Hoover Digest)

MUSICAL NUMBERS:
ACT ONE (approx 50 mins)
Junin, July 1952 - The Company
Requiem for Evita - The Company
Oh What a Circus - Che & The Company
On this Night of a Thousand Stars - Magaldi
Eva & Magaldi
Eva, Beware of the City - Magaldi, Eva & Family
Buenos Aires - Eva & Dancers
Goodnight and Thank You - Che, Eva & Lovers
The Art of the Possible - Peron, Eva & Colonels
Charity Concert - The Company
I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Eva & Perón
Another Suitcase in Another Hall - Perón's Mistress
Perón's Latest Flame - Che & The Company
A New Argentina - Che, Eva, Perón & The Company

ACT TWO (approx 55 mins)
On the balcony of the Casa Rosada - Peron & The Company
Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Eva
High Flying, Adored - Che, Eva
Rainbow High - Eva & Dressers
Rainbow Tour - Che, Eva, Perón & Peronists
The Actress Hasn't Learned ( the Lines You'd Like to Hear)- Eva & The Company
And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out) - Che
Santa Evita - Children & Workers
Waltz for Eva and Che - Eva, Che
You Must Love Me - Eva
She is a Diamond - Perón & Officers
Dice Are Rolling - Perón & Eva
Eva's Sonnet - Eva
Eva's Final Broadcast - Eva
Montage - The Company
Lament - Eva

The main creatives behind Evita (director Michael Grandage, choreographer Rob Ashford and designer Christopher Oram) are the same as another highly successful London revival, Guys and Dolls, which has just finished a successful two-year run at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Photos above: Elena Roger sings 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' on UK television on 11 March 2006
Listen to an excerpt