So when I first came to Lake Worth, contemplating moving back- we drove by the Lake Worth playhouse that funky piece of Broadway where the porn seediness still clings after being returned to a respectable establishment. Starting out as a movie palace it's now- well, it's now a little club of patrons and performers- including me.
It would have been so easy not to audition but I did.
I walked on stage with the entire cast, sitting on movie benches and reacting to the announcement of the passing of Argentina's Spiritual Leader. I love that line- incomprehensible to me- the non-Argentinian, and a non-Catholic. I don't know about our stunned reaction, but the music is beautiful. I love in the movie how the dusty Junin road is contrasted with the actually Prague city streets meant to be Buenos Aires. Right off the bat there is the contrast between the Big Argentinian Apple and the backwoods middle of nowhere from which she came. I think the music is great for cinema. You know, we had a less belting style than the show and I really liked that. Sometimes in the rehearsal room we sounded like a choir of hundreds, and very good. And other times we sounded so bad I couldn't believe it, but the show must go on. I wonder how sensitive I am, thinking the same people can be great one minute and terrible another.
We had a great Che- and two great Evitas and a great Peron.
We had our moments. We had some style. But that's all gone now.
Listening to the Latin on the original recording- it's interesting, but I like how we sounded more choral. It's more churchy and makes more sense then, now that rock is acceptable with liturgy, even to old people. I remember the boys in our cast- well the men, not sounding like angels- and the women sometimes so angelic sounding it was awesome when the sweeping orchestra came in much louder than there liturgical sacreligious lullaby. So beautiful as the women sang "ride on my train..." I still wish we had a little girl up there- maybe with a basket- think Dorothy and Belle....
Backing up, I carried a bench off, accompanied by my Trivago look-a-like. We put the benches backstage and came back out as soldiers wheeling in the coffin. I wandered around it- with the whole cast- and then put on my army had again to wheel it out- one of four soldiers. I think it's funny that the butchest people to be found in the cast included me- but I think we pulled it off.
Then I took off the army jacket and wore a vest and tie to be Eva's brother. While Eva is zipping around velcroing into costume after costume with barely a breath- I have time in between appearances to remember where I am. In the party scene I walk on with a table and stand there until it starts- flashing a smile and trying to look bored at a party- but not bored being onstage. I'm not sure how that worked. Bu I think my smile was the best in the business.
Freezing in dismay around the coffin and carrying props- and other times of not moving, may have totally worked or cheesed it up- I don't know.
Displaying Eva Peron's every disadvantage- well, how do you do that on stage? At least we didn't have scissored edges of clothes. Walking out to sit in a chair in the front of the family portrait was fun and was a calm moment preceding the pounding in my ears when I missed the harmony- every time- at most three notes correct before slipping into the melody, as Eva's brother. I looked older than Mama, but it totally worked because why couldn't I be Papa in that scene, and then I think I stormed off confidently with the family- or capably I should say- having represented the only male of the family well. It was so much better than the initial staging which had me competing with Eva and Magaldi for attention and didn't work.
On those nights of a thousand stars, the audience never reacted to Magaldi's entrance although he did it perfectly every time. They just couldn't laugh after seeing us circling a coffin.
I really liked how Che played with the 4th wall by waving his hand in our faces when we were unable to see him. And that was continued when Eva and Che leaned against both sides of the pronecium in their waltz when Che finally interacts with another character. Man, we had a good Che. Artistry- not the same way over and over and so listenable unlike Broadway style, but not as casual as the movie version.
When she auditioned I realized I couldn't wait to see Eva play 15. What a contrast with the professional woman who auditioned! And the other Eva got to play her 30s. So great to have different ages in one role.
What's New?
Well I bought dance shoes. Why? Hmm. Thankfully I didn't dance so no one was embarrassed by me.
Eva learns the dance in the show, but I was offstage- thank goodness.
Beautiful dancers- the bloom of youth.
I wonder how the concept album sounded without dances.
Goodnight and thank you, but we've just started. I really enjoyed singing this one offstage and doing non-melody. And thank God Che didn't scream the whispered "F" on female. At first I thought I'd be on the steps with the lovers but that wouldn't have worked if I'm her brother. Although I was on stage many times, it did work as one character- or at least not as distracting being incongruent parts.
It was certainly possible that we created some art there. Eva's real brother was in the army. And it was fun strutting like an officer going around in another circle and hearing the audience laugh this time- especially since I had the best part an actor can ask for- getting shot in the head and falling off the chair. I don't think it was a problem that I was back on stage many other times, by then people realized they could laugh although many unfunny things happened on stage. Che dragged me offstage and Eva said I looked realistic.
When we were supposed to be Peron shouting offstage never worked but how can we sing with a tape and expect to be able to do a big musical in a little space any other way? We did what we could.
On the next night of a thousand stars, the stars stood on the stairs and balcony- great big tall pink balcony with a door in the middle of it for the coffin and the bed- and played to the audience as if they were the stadium audience. Eva's date was great- not distracting, but body language on point. Thinking about it now, it would have been a great idea to have crowd noise coming from the back of the audience to let them know they are part of the crowd at that point.
I remember Magaldi running up from the downstairs dressing room to shout Peron. Proffesional- maybe the most in the show.
We put the door onstage for Goodnight and Thank You and I climbed the creaking offstage stairs to get to my post as Army Man or Guard looking down on Another Suitcase in Another Hall.. What a great opportunity to sing harmony with a beautiful ingenue. Who would have thought? It was a great use of the set when Che and the guards or Peron and them stood up above the stage, using the doors and arches up there.
The aristocrats did another dance and some of us sang offstage.
For A New Argentina, the entire cast was onstage except me and Trivago buddy. We burst on and take Che off stage, dance around backstage and then throw him back onto the stage with a line to sing and storm off again. Once or twice the audience reacted to our line. Hmmm.... how to do it differently?
Thunderous applause ends the first act.
For another big scene, we walk out as movers and shakers who voted for Peron and stare up at them with admiration. Chills during the scene with Evita looking down at us from her glory.. I notice the original has applause but our tracks did not.
The cast backstage waltzing to High Flying Adored.
Thank goodness the girls sang Rainbow High.
Surrounding Peron looking at newspapers, dancing like an idiot and laughing at Che's accents behind the paper....
Two matinee or two matinees? I never noticed before.
I went out and took a skimmed kickback from Eva- that was fun, and made sense if I'm still playing the brother. Rollin' is fun to sing but no one ever approached the actual bass parts. They're ridiculous, but I'd like to get it.
Little guy dancing backstage during Rollin' which was the crowd-pleaser....
Quite a break and then back on stage for New Argentina reprise- quickly off and then back to cover Eva with a shroud and pull the bed back out through the door in the center of the stage- oh and we had put it on earlier.
That's it.
That's a wrap. What's next?
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