Wailing uncontrollably, grief-stricken peasants crumple in pain before the coffin of their adored first lady Eva Per–n.
The dramatic scene of mourning that opens “Evita” sets the tone in the 61st annual student-produced Dolphin Show.
The musical, produced by students under the direction of Music and Weinberg senior Jonathan Saylors, flashes back into Evita’s life through a string of musical numbers by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Determined to escape her small, impoverished hometown, 14-year-old Evita convinces a popular tango singer to take her to Argentina’s “Big Apple,” Buenos Aires. There, she uses her sexual prowess to manipulate men for favors such as acting jobs on films and radio stations.
“She’ll stop at nothing to get herself somewhere, from kindness to seduction to force of will,” said Music junior Kathleen Voboril about her character, Evita. “She’s sort of a seductress of all of Argentina. It’s not like anybody doesn’t know she’s trying to get something. She did what she did because that was all she knew to do.”
Evita reaches political fame in her marriage to General Juan Per–n, played by Music junior Travis Stalcup. When Per–n is elected president, she becomes the most powerful woman in South America.
Though the musical shows General Per–n involved in corrupt internal politics, Stalcup said his character, like Evita, feels strongly about the good of his country.
“I want people to see that he meant really well and he wasn’t always filled with this gross ambition,” Stalcup said.
While Evita gains popularity, a satirical narrator named Che Guevara (Music and Weinberg freshman Charlie Siebert) questions her actions.
“It makes you think, she wasn’t this saint but she wasn’t a stupid slut,” Siebert said. “There is no real answer provided at the end of the show. It’s the fact that we are all just human and we do good things and we do bad things and that’s what makes us human.”
Although some people disapproved of the ruthless tactics Evita used to achieve success, she won the adoration of many peasants through her impassioned speeches and social welfare projects.Historically, Evita acted as Argentina’s de facto minister of health and labor and was also a force in acquiring voting rights for women.
“What they love about her is what she symbolizes to the people of Argentina in a system that was pretty rigid about societal standards,” Voboril said. “She would always say, ‘Whenever anything good happens to me, it’s happening to all of us.’ She’s like the ultimate politician because underneath it all, she really wants to do good. She takes so much but she also just gives so much back.”
“Evita” was first released as a recording in 1976 and the show opened on Broadway in 1979. The production spawned several touring companies and a 1996 movie starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas .
Besides the well-known “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” music in “Evita” spans a contemporary mix of Latin, pop rock and opera.
“There are a lot of sort of unknown numbers in this show that are very beautiful,” said vocal director Danny Singer, Music senior. “I think the full spectrum of emotions really gets into the music. Many of them are a lot like opera, it’s just drama set to music.”
Artistic producer Chris Plevin, a Communication senior, said “Evita” is larger and takes a somewhat different approach compared to past Dolphin Shows. Almost 100 students will have been involved in creating the show by the time it goes up, Plevin said. The combined cast and crew totals 54 students, including 14 Evanston schoolchildren who sing in the ensemble.
“We’ve really tried to push the envelope on this show in terms of taking risks in our concepts for the show and for performance,” he said.
“It’s not necessarily being avant-garde, but we’ve committed ourselves to things we knew were stretching our abilities,” he said. “It’s been incredibly fulfilling to work this closely with a group and figure out how to do these things.”
One such challenge Plevin mentioned was building a set that made use of Cahn Auditorium’s scale and fly system. Steel panels and metal platforms give the stage a crisp, industrial feel.
“We wanted to keep the balance between the warmth Eva exudes and the harshness of the world she is in,” Saylors said.
DePaul Universitystudent Zane Pihlstrom designed the set and will earn school credit for his work. The technical staff contacted Pihlstrom because no NU students petitioned for the position.
“Evita” had a larger budget compared to past Dolphin Shows, which the producers attributed to extensive fundraising and a savvy business team from last year’s “Damn Yankees!” There will be an educational outreach performance of “Evita” next Friday to raise additional profits.
Saylors said he hopes audience members leave the show thinking about the messages “Evita” presents.
“It’s the dichotomy of love and hate,” he said. “It’s regardless of what your background is, you’re able to achieve success. However, how you get there determines how people see you. You need to choose your methods carefully, or ultimately you may not get what you want.” nyou
Medill junior Deborah Hirsch is an nyou writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
