Тим Райс в Эстонии
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First of all-the set-is just fabulous. It is staged in town squere, which is surrounded by old buildings and they use two of them (one for Casa Rosado balcony) and also other surroundings like streetlamps, and fountain. The stage is painted blue-white-blue.
They have also many bautiful efects - larger than life Evita portrait which is on stage in the beginning and at the end, but is lifted up above the stage during the performance. In the Buenos Aires scene, everything is dazzling and the fountain starts to work to the music. In the Don't Cry for me Argentina scene they have real fire works - very efective. Also real life van on stage etc. But there was all the time something beatiful to see, especially the lighting. I also liked that in Rainbow Tour the cast made flags of the o****ries from little pieces like on stations and Evita dressed on stage for every country different.
But the best bit in my opinion is the dancing, which is as important as singing in this production. There are some very beautiful dances (High Flying Abdored - Eva and Peron's waltz, Buenos Aires - flamenco) and some very funny and clever (And the Money Kept Rolling in - Gospel Choir). I especially liked Waltz for Eva and Che, where they didn't dance together, but the soldiers did dome very funny movements - it was so hilarious!
The cast was very strong, our Evita is in her life a bit like Madonna, but her voice has more depth to it and she was so wonderful. Only thing that confused me was that Che was played by older man and Peron by handsome young man (although his hair were pained a bit gray), but they both did a really good job. Of course one highlight was Another Suitcase in Another Hall, which was sang by the mistress and it was very very emotional - the public loved it.The cast consisted of 100 people, so the cwods on stage were really crowds
and it felt like you were actually there watching it in Argentina in 1950s.
This was directed by one very young director (he is only 25), but he has very good ideas (he and the same designer have worked together on the Blood Brothers as well).He always cathes some very funny (like Eva's family in the beginning) and also meaningful nicetys (Peron sings about his doubts in front of big slogan that says Muerte a Peron, which is then destroyd by people in New Argentina scene).
It only lasted for 2 hours and 15 minutes with an interval. It was the stage version not the film, as were the orchestrations (which were in Estonia given a bit newer sound). So they didn't sing You Must Love Me (but although I liked this song i didn't miss it, because it wouldn't fit into the context). They had made some cuts to the text, so it was tightened up and was like more sung-throush (if this is possible
) and it worked quite well like that. Also, I think they didn't sing The Lady's Got Potential by Che - some men sang some other song at that time. Is it possible, that they have got this Kapow-Die out?
So I was very impressed by this production, as it is one of my favourite musicals and they did a very good job (the good thing was that they didn't copy the film and made their own vision). The translation was very good and sometimes very straightforward (like Tim Rice), but there was also translation on the screen.
Hope I gave you enough to get the picture abou it. Its a sad thing that it only has 10 performances and will have its last perfomance at the same time when Bombay Dreams opens in London.
Tim Rice came to Estonia to see our production of his Evita and coused quite big media attention. The funny thing was that he got as much news’ space as Bill Clinton (whom he also shared one hotell(). Of course everyone were intersted what he thought of our production and he was very impressed. In the interview he used only words like super, sensational etc. I will post some things he brought out:
the production tried to be different – he said that he has seen only times some good rendition of this musical (once in Japan, soon to open in Leeds and in Estonia). He said that most of the productions he has seen were dull – copies of the original.
Set was fabulous and he liked it was performed out-doors ( he said even the thing that on his performace there was a little rain, didn’t ruin it). And of course all the efects.
Dances were very clever
He liked that the orchestra consisted of 40 people, because the piece was originaly intender for 60 head orchestra, but mostly they use 25 max)
Most of all he liked our Evita, which he said was better than Madonna and as good as Elaine Paige ( he said he liked how Madonna looked, but she didn’t have good singing abilities).
He didn’t mind the cuts and said that he even didn’t notice that anything was missing. He said, that he really likes the song You Must Love Me and was sorry that it wasn’t in (he said that for that you have to apply special rights and it would be costly), he said it would create quite good athmosphere fo the ending. I got the idea that he was quite proud about that song.
Now we may have Chess or JCS next year in Estonia, that’s great.
промо-страничка
http://www.vanemuine.ee/evita/