Review - Evita at Birmingham Hippodrome
The eagerly-anticipated and award-winning production of Evita has arrived at the Birmingham Hippodrome – and it lives up to all the hype.
Evita
Birmingham Hippodrome
Review by Naomi Dunning
The eagerly-anticipated and award-winning production of Evita has arrived at the Birmingham Hippodrome – and it lives up to all the hype.
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is considered to be one of the most popular of all time with its powerful songs, political tensions and emotional heartache and the cast delivered a spectacular performance.
The musical follows the life of Eva Peron, the wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, who works her way from a struggling actress to president's wife and then sainthood.
Abigail Jaye beautifully portrayed Eva Peron's flirty charisma and steely ambition for greatness without losing the underlying vulnerability and neediness that are all part of Eva's character.
Jaye's voice was pitch-perfect, easily filling the theatre and it suited Webber's powerful ballads. It seemed very natural for her to sing to the crowds Don't Cry For Me Argentina, making the familiar song fresh and new.
Che was played by Mark Powell who portrays the character's confidence, humour and sarcasm in a way which endears him to the audience.
