‘Oh What A Show!’-This review would be suitable for a ‘quality’ broadsheet newspaperAndrew Lloyd Webber seems to be having a ‘comeback’. He has succumbed to the money making machine that is reality television and produced the successful ‘How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?’ which allowed the public to find their very own Maria for the new production of The Sound of Music. This of course drew in the crowds that wanted to see ‘the girl off the TV’. However, the new production of Evita has stayed faithful with the traditional orchestration in casting its characters, with tremendous success. Elena Rogers truly shines as Argentina’s very own Princess Diana - Eva Peron, the second wife of President Juan Peron. The much loved musical chronicles her life as Argentina's most complex and powerful figure, against a backdrop of political unrest, until her tragic death of cancer in 1952.The show begins with a harrowing cry from an Argentinean woman who has just heard the news of Eva’s demise. To begin with the reaction of Eva’s death is a moving and insightful contrast to the death of her own father which we see in the following scene when Eva is very young and is shunned away as they are the father’s ‘other’ family. This is a clever device to show how far Eva came in becoming a much loved figure for Argentina. We are taken through Eva’s rise to fame. This begins with her move to Buenos Aires at the age of 15 with her lover the tango singer, Magaldi, played with excellent comic timing by Greg Castiglioni. Here we are treated to a toe tapping new orchestration by Lloyd Webber of the song ‘Buenos Aires’ which is one of the many highlights of the show. The choreography is precise and erotic as it is mainly based on the tango – which originated at that time in Argentina. Another highlight of the show is Christopher Orams overwhelming set, from the grand balcony on which Rogers movingly sings perhaps the most famous song of the show ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’ to the pillared palace parlour where most of the action takes place. The cascading brown and yellow light over the set bring a nostalgic aura which helps transfer the audience to 1940’s Argentina. It is rare to see a musical that not only has memorable, beautiful songs but also interests it self into the politics of that time. If you are not familiar with the political history of Argentina, it can be quite hard to follow what is taking place in Eva’s political world. It is however helped by Che, played by the charismatic Matt Rawle, the everyman who has the job as ‘narrator’. This character is a clever device that enables the audience to gain a deeper insight to Eva’s character and the situations in which she moves. ‘The Money Kept Rolling in’ sung powerfully by Rawle, is an exuberant song which really makes the show come alive, as Eva Peron is concentrating on giving back to the poor.

For a production of Evita to really be a success, the role of Eva Peron needs to be cast to perfection. Elena Rogers excels as Eva Peron, an Argentinean her self, her accent and looks are authentic which adds to her powerful performance. Rogers

precise, strong and moving performance almost makes you think the role was written for her. Rogers has grasped the role the same way Eva Peron grasped her role as Argentina’s most powerful and memorable leader.

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