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"Evita" tells the tragic story of Eva Peron, the real-life Argentine first lady who died of cancer in 1952. Patti LuPone is excellent in the title role. Her voice is big and bold on her first big number ("Buenos Aires), and as the CD continues she uses her vocal talents to fully flesh out this compelling character.

At first, Mandy Patinkin seems vocally miscast as Che. Patinkin is an absolutely first-rate singer, but his voice simply seems too sweet and innocent for the role of the darkly ironic commentator (especially on his first big song, "Oh What a Circus"). But by the second disc, Patinkin seems to have found the character; he is especially effective on "And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)." The rest of the cast is very good. Jane Ohringer in particular gives a beautiful performance as Juan Peron's mistress. Bob Gunton is a solid Peron. And Mark Syers brings a slightly campy sweetness to his role as the singer Magaldi.

"Evita" is one of the truly great musicals, and this version is definitely worth owning. I recommend that fans of "Evita" the musical also do a little research into the life of the historical Evita in order to better appreciate this piece of theater.


Perfect rendition of an imperfect but excellent score   April 8, 1999
 22 out of 22 found this review helpful

Yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber has an irritating tendency to write a few wonderful pieces of music, then fill up the remainder of the show with reprises. Yes, Tim Rice's lyrics can be more than a little inane.

However, those few wonderful pieces of music are truly superb. And while the lyrics *can* be ridiculous, there are plenty of moments in which they shine -- and then linger in your mind long after those moments have passed.

I heard this recording after that of the movie and found the difference to be striking. Not only are the voices clearer and more vibrant, but some of the sharpest lyrics were cut from the movie because they cast a very negative light on Eva Peron. Plus, "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" was done by the *right* character in this recording. It works out so much better that way.

I've never heard Julie Covington sing (at least not that I can recall), and Madonna doesn't quite have the range or the sheer force required for the part, but Patti LuPone was such a perfect Evita that one can hardly ask for more. Her sharp soprano voice isn't the type that everyone will like, and to some it's probably an acquired taste. Yet it is perfect for the title part of this musical. She has easily the highest non-operatic voice I've ever heard, and she skillfully employs it with amazing forcefulness.

Antonio Banderas acts a great Che, but he simply is not a singer, with a voice not far above merely 'decent.' I did like Colm Wilkinson's singing in Les Miserables, but my guess is that as Che he wouldn't master the flawless, matchless vocal subtlety of Mandy Patinkin's Che. Patinkin's voice may be light and even effeminate (though the latter only when he sings falsetto, in my opinion), but what some listeners seem to miss is that Che is not *supposed* to be "rough and tough" -- he's supposed to be bitterly cynical and angry. Patinkin's emotional range is as wide as his vocal one, making him wonderful in the part. I've seen his Che described as "chilling," and that's the right word. Patinkin does indeed produce a chilling, even jarring fusion of lilting tenor song (and here he has a *beautiful* voice) and harsh diatribe of Evita that lends a wonderfully surreal note to the show.

Is this recording perfect? No, but only because _Evita_ itself, like any musical, cannot be absolutely without flaws. But there's no question that it's worth buying and listening to again and again.


If You Can't Take The Heat, Stay Away From EVITA   January 10, 2002
 16 out of 17 found this review helpful

If you are a Madonna fan who believes the singer can do no wrong, if you know nothing of music beyond what's currently on the radio, or if your idea of good stage musicals stops with THE KING AND I, avoid this recording at all cost. For EVITA is not a pop star musical: it is just simply the single finest opera written between 1950 and 2000, and Patti LuPone gives the famous title role its finest of many interpretations with able support by Mandy Patankin and Bob Gunton in the roles of Che and Peron.

The music is pull-no-punches from start to finish: strident, bombastic, and ferocious with unexpected bursts of melodic beauty that sweep you away--an extremely suitable tone for the story of the increasingly vicious, power-mad, and ego-driven figure of Eva "Evita" Durate de Peron, an illegitimate girl who literally sleeps her way to success and crowns her manipulations by becoming the wife of (and formidable power behind) Argentine dictator Juan Peron. LuPone's voice and presence is simply extraordinary in this ball-busting role, and she gives us an Eva who is willing to go to any length to obtain power and status--and yet shot through with moments that allow the listener to understand the tragedies of her youth and circumstances of her life that drive the character to such extremes. It is a role she was born to play. Patakin and Gunton are equally fine, with Gunton's performance too often underrated. The ensemble is also remarkably powerful.

Like JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, EVITA is an opera about cults of personality and media manipulation, and it surpasses all their other works--both jointly and separately--to date. An exciting, pitch-black, and often disturbing statement on the corrosive effect of personal power and the difference between public appearance and private reality, a work that takes no prisoners. In the words of Evita: "Screw the middle classes. I will never accept them, and they will NEVER deny me anything again!" And so she does--sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively, but always with a shocking fascination. Powerful stuff, and very, very highly recommended, particularly in light of the watered-down film version.


More than a little touch of star quality   January 14, 2001
 15 out of 15 found this review helpful

More than just a modern-day Cinderella story, EVITA is a powerful musical about ambition, politics, class, greed, obsession and an overwhelming need for acceptance and love. This is Lloyd Webber's best score; none of his later subjects seemed to challenge him as much.

Some of the other reviews posted here complain about Patti LuPone's "strident" voice vs. Madonna's more gentle voice. Putting aside that Patti has one of the finest and most thrilling voices in the theatre today, anyone who has heard recordings of Eva Peron's speeches will know that the real Evita's voice was far from soothing. Lloyd Webber was able to capture the harangue in her voice in his score, which Patti delivered with a fiery, powerful vocal (and acting) performance that captures an essence of Eva Peron that Madonna couldn't manage.

Now, I liked the movie. It was visually stunning, the orchestrations were lush, and it attempted to be a more balanced portrayal than the original stage productions. Antonio Banderas gives a passionate performance, and Jonathan Price really brings depth to a sketchily written role. Madonna looks great (once she gets past the scenes wear she has to play a fifteen-year-old), and I have to say she sang better than she ever has. BUT, the fire and passion I expected from her was not evident. Also, sections of the score were lowered for her, and some tempos were slowed down, which I think worked against her performance.

The Broadway recording does have its problems: some of the orchestrations, which sounded fresh and exciting in the late seventies, have not aged well. Also, the sound quality, while not bad, is slightly muffled. Of course, it was recorded over twenty years ago, before the advances of digital recording. But one has to wonder why this recording hasn't been remastered with this new technology.

But what this recording does have is a stellar cast, headed by La LuPone in a performance that defines the role. (EVITA, as written, is actually quite anti-Eva Peron, but Patti invests her with a humanity that saves her from being a one-note villainess). Mandy Patinkin gives one of two of his finest performances (the other being SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE) and his over-the-top performance here isn't distracting as it has become in later performances. Bob Gunton also contributes a sly, knowing performance as Peron.

I have several versions of EVITA--the original concept album, the London album with Elaine Paige, a the original Madrid cast, a European recording with Florence Lacey, even a Korean recording (but let's not go there), and the movie soundtrack. Of all the recordings I have heard, the original Broadway cast recording stands as the definitive recording, with Patti as the best-sung Evita. If you buy only one version, as a commercial might state, then buy this one.


The version to own   June 25, 2000
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

There is a reason why this was a Tony winner -- and listening to this score makes it plain. Bob Gunton, Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone are fabulous.

Hearing those others who attempt this role after them (in my opinion) will leave the listener disappointed. There is such power and in-your-face downright brashness in LuPone's Evita. There was startling strength in Patinkin's Che, and Gunton was his malevolent best (unless you count his non-singing role as the Warden in The Shawshank Redemption) as Juan Peron.

Others may lament the fact that Rice & Webber have a handful of memorable songs per show, with a handful of reprises and other filler. But they do make memorable music. Aside from the classic "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina", songs like "Night of 1,000 Stars", "What A Circus" and the positively fantabulous Rainbow Tour" will make one hum this musical for days, weeks and even months after the hearing.

A better edition of "Evita" does not exist.