Evita

Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Evita charts the young and ambitious Eva Peron’s meteoric rise to sainthood. Set in Argentina between 1934-1952, the Tony-winning musical follows Eva Duarte on her journey from poor illegitimate child to ambitious actress to, as wife of military leader-turned-president Juan Peron, the most powerful woman in Latin America, before her death from cancer at age 33.

The events in Evita’s life are presented in song and commented on by the show’s narrator, Che. Well-known numbers from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece include “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Oh What a Circus,” “Buenos Aires” and “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.”

With strong leading and featured roles, scope for a large ensemble and one of Lloyd Webber’s most-loved scores, combining Latin, jazz, pop and more traditional influences, Evita is a terrific show for college, community theaters and professional groups. School teachers should determine whether the adult themes explored at certain points, especially in Act One’s number “Goodnight and Thank You,” are suitable for their students.