Evita: Cast Recordings and Soundtrack (1976-1996)

The sounds of an old movie playing in a cinema somewhere in Buenos Aires, romantic music underneath on the soundtrack, two actors and one of them the future First Lady of Argentina, and then the movie grinds to an abrupt halt. A ruckus breaks out in the crowd, before the announcement is made that the First Lady of Argentina has entered immortality on 26 July 1952. The scene becomes the streets of the Argentinian capitol thronged with masses, mourning the loss of their beloved Evita.

The movie version, after a flashback with Eva as a young girl trying to attend her father's funeral, leads to an outburst of symphonic music and choral sounds that is one of the most powerful, heartrending musical moments I've ever heard. A solemn reminder of why I've been a fan of the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber all of these years. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the review for Andrew's fourth musical: "Evita" with lyrics from Tim Rice and direction in its original premiere from Harold Prince.

The story of the life of Eva Perón becoming the basis for a stage musical begins sometime in 1973, as Tim and Andrew Lloyd Webber were developing "Jeeves". Tim had caught the tail end of a program about the First Lady of Argentina and the more he researched, the more he became hooked.

Struggling with the lyrics on "Jeeves", Tim Rice eventually pulled out of that project which opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, London in April 1975 with book, lyrics and direction by Alan Ayckbourn. It lasted 38 performances, becoming one of the biggest flops of Andrew's career.

Tim continued work on "Evita", and if I'm remembering my stories correctly it was a nervous moment for Andrew when he presented Tim with the first piece of music Tim ever heard from this score. It was the music that became the song "Don't cry for me, Argentina" and what both Andrew and Tim had just unknowingly experienced was history. Thank you, Andrew Lloyd Webber's autobiography "Unmasked".

It turns out (also according to Andrew's book) this was a key moment in unlocking the score. Andrew remembered attending a Judy Garland concert in the 1960s, where she was struggling with her song "Over the Rainbow". This was Judy's signature song and it seemed to Andrew, watching in the audience, that it had turned against her. So "Don't cry for me, Argentina" sung by Eva in her triumphant moment on the balcony of the Casa Rosada was like Judy singing "Over the Rainbow". "Eva's Final Broadcast" presents the song in a downbeat reprise as if it too has betrayed her.

From there, Tim and Andrew had decided to repeat their earlier method from "Jesus Christ Superstar", composing "Evita" as a through sung score and releasing it as a double album. This album was released in 1976 on MCA Records with Julie Covington as Eva, Colm Wilkinson as Che (yes, Jean Valjean from the original cast of "Les Misérables"), Paul Jones as Juan Perón, Tony Christie as the singer Agustín Magaldi and Barbara Dickson as Perón’s Mistress. Thank you, Lord Wikipedia!

The album resulted in the first #1 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber song, the original Julie Covington version of "Don't cry for me, Argentina”... which almost emerged as something quite different. Because Julie had recorded the song with the title "It's only your lover returning". Let's have a look at what that might have been like: "It's only your lover returning/The truth is I never left you/All through my wild days/My mad existence/I kept my promise/Don't keep your distance."

Tim and Andrew, again if I'm remembering my stories correctly, had doubts about this line, so they recorded it again as: "All through my crazy and wild days". Again, let's try this out: "All through my crazy and wild days/The truth is I never left you/All through my wild days/My mad existence/I kept my promise/Don't keep your distance."

It was a problem, but Andrew, I believe, had remembered a line from the funeral scene which included a version of that music. The section went like: "Don't cry for me, Argentina/for I am ordinary, unimportant/and undeserving of such attention/unless we all are/I think we all are." What about "Don't cry for me, Argentina"? Only Tim at least was concerned that the line wouldn't make sense in the context of the new scene, and if I'm remembering his book correctly, it also didn't sound like a very commercial title. How would it feel as a single? But they tried it anyway and the rest is history.

To me, the line makes a lot of sense. She sings: "Don't cry for me, Argentina" and then "The truth is I never left you". The crowds are crying out for Eva, now that she's become the First Lady of Argentina, but what she's trying to express is that she never left them so there's no need for Argentina to cry for her. She's still there.

At some point, following the release of the original album, Andrew and Tim took the material to Harold Prince. Now if you don't know who Hal Prince is, then please. Let me give you a little refresher.

By 1978, when "Evita" opened in London, Hal had co-produced, produced and/or directed the following musicals: Damn Yankees (1955), West Side Story (1957), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), She Loves Me (1962), Fiddler on the Roof (1964), Cabaret (1966), Zorba (1968), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Candide (1974), Pacific Overtures (1978) and so much more. The great Harold Prince, to Andrew Lloyd Webber, was a living legend of the musical theatre and he had *tried* to mount "Jesus Christ Superstar" originally.

Imagine Andrew's shock when he learned that the telegram Harold had sent him regarding the rights for "Superstar" had never reached him and so he missed out. Fortunately, history was not to repeat itself.

Harold Prince directed the London premiere of "Evita", opening at the Prince Edward Theatre on 21 June 1978, where it would last until 18 February 1986, a combined 3,176 performances. Before Andrew's records with "Cats" and "Phantom", you can bet this was a colossal achievement. Elaine Paige played Eva, a great discovery from the London production whose casting had brought up comparisons to Vivien Leigh in "Gone with the Wind", David Essex was Che, with Joss Ackland as Perón, Mark Ryan as Magaldi and Siobhán McCarthy as Perón's Mistress. The production was nominated for four Laurence Olivier Awards, receiving the awards for Best New Musical and Best Performance in a Musical-Elaine Paige.

America followed with the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, and the New York production at the Broadway Theatre on 25 September 1979. It lasted there until 26 June 1986, a combined 1,567 performances. Patti LuPone was Eva, with Mandy Patinkin playing Che, Bob Gunton as Perón, Mark Syers as Magaldi, and Jane Ohringer as Perón's Mistress.

The Broadway production repeated the West End's success, winning six Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics-Tim Rice, Outstanding Music-Andrew Lloyd Webber, Outstanding Actor in a Musical-Mandy Patinkin, Outstanding Actress in a Musical-Patti LuPone, and Outstanding Director of a Musical-Harold Prince, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Lyricist-Tim Rice, and seven Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score-Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Best Book of a Musical-Tim Rice, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical-Patti LuPone, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical-Mandy Patinkin, Best Direction of a Musical-Harold Prince and Best Lighting Design-David Hersey. Wow.

Both productions received recordings, but it's the American production that was given a complete album. If you're interested in what the stage musical changed from the album, or just how it worked in general, then totally check this one out. I recommend all three recordings thoroughly.

Following the success of the album and stage show, Tim and Andrew worked for almost twenty years on bringing "Evita" to the big screen. It would surface in a production directed by Alan Parker in 1996, starring Madonna as Eva, Antonio Banderas as Che, Jonathan Pryce as Perón, and singer Jimmy Nail as Magaldi. A young Andrea Corr sang the reprise of "Another Suitcase in Another Hall", the Mistress's song which had now been given to Eva.

The movie version and its complete motion picture soundtrack, with an accompanying highlights version, is what fully introduced me to this score, and I have never gotten over the sound and scale of it. For that reason, the original albums musically sometimes feel a bit deflating, but I'm not trying to take anything away when I say that. A big addition for me is one of my favourite Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber songs period: Eva's new song "You Must Love Me" and I like that it's been included in the revival versions. For a list of accolades, check the movie page for "Evita" on Lord Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Evita_(1996_film)

How do I feel about Madonna? I'm probably biased when I say this, because I tend to enjoy Madonna's music in general, but honestly I felt she was born to play this part. It doesn't "bother me" that she doesn't sing it the way it was originally written.

As well as London and New York stage revivals being produced in the 2000s, "Evita" has become a fixture of theatres both professional and regional all around the world. Its legend, and its haunting score with moments like "Another Suitcase in Another Hall", "I'd be Surprisingly Good for you", "High Flying, Adored" and others, have endured for generations and I'm sure there will be more productions to come.

Thank you for reading,

Ryan.