Went to see Evita at the Gaiety on Friday night. I'd bought the tickets for my wife as a Christmas present, thinking she'd bring her sister, but I got stung myself.Not that I'm anti-musical (a view that proves to my neantherdal son that I'm 'gay') There's some musicals I love for both the music and the lyrics - Oliver, Cabaret, Rocky Horror Show, Bugsy Malone etc. Others like Oklahoma and South Pacific do nothing for me.
Evita, I'm afraid, didn't do much for me. A brief biography of her life delivered in simplistic vignettes. Musically, well, it wasn't my kind of music.
This woman was the Lady Di and more (much more) of South America, an iconic figure evoking absolute worship and absolute hatred in equal parts, social reformer or actress but a pivotal figure in one of the largest countries on earth. A musical I felt is just too small a vehicle to tell her story adequately.
I heard recently that Rowan Atkinson played Fagin in a production of "Oliver!". I would kill to see that!
ReplyDeleteA sausage company which shall remain nameless used to have an ad campaign based on a song from Evita "Don't fry for me Marge and Tina!"
ReplyDeletewas the catch phrase.
hahah "dont fry for me..." that's funny! The Evita story is quite epic. Did you every see "Les Miserables?" or I hear "Lion King" or "Les CAges des Foilles". Personally I'd like to see "The Jersey Boys" or Mel Brooks "Frankenstein" as in Frankensteen)or "Hairspray". Maybe I prefer Shakespeare at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, ONt. Can. where William Shatner, Lorne Greene got their careers started. MacBeth, As You Like It. ps about Evita did you know she is perfectly preserved by some odd embalming process as her skin is said to look golden. Sad she died of cervical cancer which she got from her husband who obviously betrayed her; having had many lovers. She was much loved too bad.
ReplyDeleteSaw it too (free tickets) about 300 years ago. Hated every second , it was like getting teeth pulled with rusty pliers and no anesthetic.Only not as much fun.
ReplyDeleteIn the same year I got free tickets to see Russ Abott (Made Evita look good)and The Three Degrees. 'When will I see you again?' Never.
Hi Kat, went to see Oliver last year at the Drury Lane Theatre in London, 2 weeks after Atkinson finished!
ReplyDeleteNiamh - that is truly dreadful. Wish I'd thought of it!
Jane - I was under the impression Evita was not quite the Virgin Queen herself!!
TFE - with you all the way brother, though I have to phrase it nicely just in case the highly beautiful Mr LW wants me to write the lyrics for his next work of art.I used to love Russ Abbot as a kid. Even Les Dennis was funny...
It must be a woman-over-a-certain-age thing. I dragged my hub to see the film version of Sweeney Todd the musical (mind you anything with Johnny Depp works for me). He hated it. I thought it was okay...
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a proper musical, unless you count a local youth group's version of Grease. Not quite the same thing.
I went to see Les Miserables and The Lion King in London and loved both. The only song I know from Evita is the Don't cry for me version...love the don't fry for me though!
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