BWW Interviews: Caroline Bowman Headlines EVITA Rainbow Tour

When you watch genuine triple-threat Caroline Bowman step out in a gorgeous, immaculate white ball gown fit for a princess (or, in this case, a fashion-forward First Lady) during the top of the second act of the stage musical EVITA, you will likely hear a collective gasp in the audience. Stunning and beautiful, her enchanting appearance high above at The Edge of the show's Casa Rosada balcony set signals to the audience that she is about to belt out Andrew Lloyd Webber's signature anthem "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina." Expectedly, she nails it.

The song---and Bowman's note-perfect execution of it---is just one of several highlights in what has shaped up to be a truly impressive refreshed production. Lucky for us here in Orange County, the national touring company of the Tony-nominated revival returned to Southern California this week for a two-week "rainbow tour" stop at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through December 22.

And there, center stage, night after night---that is unless her alternate Desi Oakley is filling the role---Bowman embodies the Dior-clad role of Argentina's once shining real-life jewel Eva Perón, and has been winning over audiences and critics alike with her powerful vocals and grounded acting (including reviewers on BroadwayWorld, myself included). It's certainly a tough, challenging role, one that's equipped with a demanding set of songs and a ubiquitous history both in the streets of Buenos Aires and in the Great White Way. But the Baltimore native is just spectacular in the role, singing-and-dancing through the show like a seasoned pro (prior to EVITA, Bowman was in the Broadway casts of KINKY BOOTS and WICKED and toured with SPAMALOT, FAME: THE MUSICAL, and GREASE).

Right before she and her cast-mates invaded the O.C., Bowman agreed to answer a few silly questions from BroadwayWorld's Michael L. Quintos.

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BWW: Hi, Caroline! First, I hope you don't mind me gushing for a bit... but I was in the audience for EVITA's Opening Night at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles last October and all I can say is... Wow... you gave such an incredible performance!

Caroline: Wow! Thank you! Ohmigosh... I haven't actually talked to anybody [in the press] who has actually seen the show already when I do these interviews, so... my gosh, thank you!

Well, thank you!

That means so much to me! Well, I'm workin' my ass off! [Laughs]

It shows! Which brings me to my first question: between what you, and Josh [Young, who plays Ché], and the other principals in the cast sing in the show---well, this score is so, well, vocally-demanding. How do you sustain this vocal power show after show?

Oh, well... I actually live a pretty simple life while I'm on tour. It's pretty exhausting---the traveling aspect of it---so it sort of starts to wear you down a little bit. So, yeah, I wake up in the morning and see how I feel. If it has to be a day when I don't really talk, I pretty much make sure that I give myself "vocal breaks" throughout the day. So it's, like, "okay, I'm not going to talk for this hour..."

I do have a very regimented tour life. I do a warm-up for my warm-up, I do another full warm-up right before the show, and I make sure my whole body is in check and ready because, you know, some things might be out of alignment---it all can affect your voice. I'm just very... aware. It's still hard everyday. But I'm starting to find my groove---although you really can't find your groove with this show because it's kind of like a wave. You go up and down and up and down, and sometimes you're going to have a couple of days when you're, like, "ugh, I really need to get back into my groove!" This show keeps you on your toes! And it's really lovely, actually. [This role] forces you to try and stay on top of it.

I bet. So, you, of course, play the title role of Eva Perón, who is an icon not only in real life but also in the world of musical theater. While preparing to take on this important historical figure, what were some of the more interesting things you learned about her that helped shape your take on the role?

Ohmigosh! I learned so much about her! I didn't even get to really dig deep into her life prior to this. I mean, I've seen the movie and I saw a couple of [stage] productions of the show, but I didn't really know just how many things this woman got accomplished and how many people she had to get past in order to get to where she [eventually] rose to... and in such a short amount of time, between the ages of 15 and 33! She first became an actress, then became, basically, the head of what we here consider Actor's Equity---she was the head of the [guild] for actors there. And then she had her own radio show, which led to her meeting Perón. Pretty soon she got involved in politics and campaigning and ultimately became The First Lady. She started her own foundation. I mean, all these things she did are pretty incredible!

And, actually, after I learned the bulk of her life from all these books that I read on her, what I started to really pay attention to was the minor details that people would physically say about her. I looked for certain words that would trigger things for me. For example, there was a description [I read] of what Perón saw when he first met her: he saw a little girl who was 'nervous and fidgeting with her hand.' So I try to find places in the show---especially in the beginning of the show when she was younger---where I'm fidgeting or I'm nervously playing with my hands. There were a lot of these little [details] I try to use to help me create my Eva. I was excited that in my research, I found a lot specificity that maybe a lot of other people might not pick up on. But for me, these details really helped me dive into the character.

Well, you know, one of the things I noted from seeing your version of the character is that your Eva seems to show more vulnerability than other portrayals I've seen in the past. So, in this case these little details from your research truly paid off!

Yeah, I love that about our production, too, because it really shows her humanity. She's a real person, not just a political figure or a character. We always see these powerful people and how they are [publicly]; but here, we get a glimpse of how they are behind closed doors. When you watch her, you realize---ohmigosh---she's just a young woman, really. She was a young woman who was, well, uneducated, but yet taught herself and figured out how to use her sex appeal. Pretty soon, she seduced a nation. And she did all of this as a young woman! I mean, she was frikkin' the First Lady by the time she was 26 years old!

Wow, that is pretty young.

You tend to forget that she really is just a kid. She hid all her vulnerability from the public, but here, you get to see her go through her life changes. It's really effective in the storytelling. I think it's always been like this with the show---it's left up to you to decide how to really feel about her after watching her story unfold. How people view her is pretty much split down the middle in real life. Millions loved her and millions hated her. It's still a toss-up even today as to whether her actions came from the heart or for selfish reasons. It's what makes her so fascinating!

So for you personally, now that you've had some time to walk---and dance---in Eva's shoes, and have become intimately familiar with her... do you think she's good or evil?

Oh, gosh. [Pauses] I don't know... that's such a hard question [Laughs]. I think that that for an actor is such a struggle because, you know, you have to like your character. I think that it's personally up to the actor whether or not [knowing that] is going to help you. And, I think for me, I should like my character... because I have to find reasons behind all of her actions and why she does what she does. I think what I've decided is that, sure, maybe not necessarily all of her actions came from a good place, but they are certainly coming from a place where she thinks it's right. I mean, yeah, some of it may be coming from selfishness---but every person in the world is a little selfish in their 20's! [Laughs] Okay, so, yeah, she's selfish, maybe, on the hugest scale, but... no, I don't think she was all evil.

At least in my portrayal of her, I truly think she ultimately loved Perón. I do think she had an ulterior motive when she first met him, but in our production, we really [highlight] the love they had for each other. It's another way we show her humanity---she just wanted to be loved. She didn't get a lot of it as a kid, so she grew up with a lot of anger and angst. She felt she deserved more, so she created the life that she wanted.

Unfortunately for her... a life that was cut too short.

If you look at everything that happened in history... okay, well, now I'm turning into a nerd because I love this stuff. Anyway, right after she died, so much---well, for a lack of a better term---so much shit hit the fan! There were so many riots! And when they were embalming her body, all these people were trying to break into the Casa Rosada to destroy her body! They exiled Perón for years and eventually they had to bury Eva's body in a fake tomb. They had several different fake tombstones for her all around the country so people couldn't dig up her body! So did she die at the right time? I don't know. She died at a time when millions loved her---when she had millions at her feet... [Laughs] to quote the show. She lived in this perfect amount of time when she was able to have the fame, the glory, and the power that she wanted.

Wow, you're right, she did. I never thought of it that way. This revival, at least more than other productions I've seen, made me want to know more about the real Eva, actually. Now, going back into the beautiful music of the show, what's your favorite number to perform in the musical?

Ohmigosh, that changes daily. I mean, I would say it's "Buenos Aires"---but I freakin' can't breathe at the end of that number! [Laughs] I think I have found places to breathe during that number. But, you know, I really like singing those songs where Eva takes major shifts. I love "Rainbow High" for that reason. You kind of see her get a little bit overtaken by all the glory and having power, and having fancy things. She's enjoying it and loving her life---but this is right before her downfall, right before she started getting sick. I really love that song, but... "You Must Love Me" is pretty heartbreaking. I don't know how it looks like out in the audience, but to me it's so simple and quiet. I hope the audience is leaning forward a little bit. If this was a movie, it would be the perfect moment to do a close-up. [Laughs] I think it's just so beautiful and simple. But, you know, I also love the transitions in the score, especially when it's [combined] with the dramatic lighting---like when the soldiers come in through the catacombs. I think it's just gorgeous.

So, what was it like for you to sing "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"---the infamous balcony scene---for the first time?

Ohmigosh, well, my director wouldn't let me sing that song for my cast until I was standing on the faux balcony that we had at the New 42nd Street Studios [while rehearsing] in New York. I sang it for the first time on that balcony---not in a dress but in just normal rehearsal clothes. I looked down at my cast and everybody was crying. I was crying. It was just... ohmigosh, I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm doing this role. I can't believe I'm singing this iconic song! [Sighs] Everything about it was... surreal. I mean, I was in my sweatpants! [Laughs] It was a very powerful moment for everyone, I think, because when the [original Broadway production] happened back in 1979 for the first time, it was new and different and powerful. What an insane experience it must have been for Patti LuPone! And so, of course, once I finally put on the dress, it was pretty spectacular! I mean... I still can't believe I do this everyday. I get up there and I get teary almost every day. It's crazy! Can you tell I love my job? [Laughs] I pinch myself on a daily basis! I can't believe I do this for a living!

Well, after such passionate words about your job, what would you say has been the most rewarding aspect of being in this touring revival of EVITA?

I think that I'm constantly moving and growing in this role, and so it's going to be a learning experience the entire time I'm on the road. I mean, in the time I've had [so far] in this experience, I'm learning more about myself as a person... as a performer... as an artist... I'm growing immensely. I'm learning how to deal with the challenges of playing the role as well as learning how to "shut off" people's judgments about the role. You know, everyone thinks they're the experts. People are probably coming expecting one thing and maybe not like how I portray her. And so I'm trying to learn how to just be satisfied with the work I'm doing and continue the process of my artistic growth. None of that bad stuff is going to help me---listening to negativity is never going to help you as an artist. But I think I'm going to be totally changed by the end of this experience. I'm making so much progress in my life [inhabiting] this character, and as we both travel along, I want to be proud of that and happy with what I'm doing.

And how's that coming along?

I think, so far, I'm doing a good job of that! It's really nice and wonderful to have an experience like this. I'm finding a really good balance in my life. Obviously, at the end of every night, [Eva's death] is really a pretty depressing way to walk away from a show, and so I'm just trying to find ways to get myself "out" of that mode. I think I'm doing a pretty good job of that.

Well, those enthusiastic standing ovations at the end of the show help a little bit, right?

Oh, yeah! Totally! Oh... you know what else helps? Right now, we're currently trying to raise money for Broadway Cares/EFA. So, that also helps! I get to talk to the audience [after curtain call], and they get to kind of see my, like, goofy, loopy personality. I'm a total goofball in real life! I laugh a lot and I make jokes---I'm a total looney-tunes! So I get to show the audience that I'm not this serious character that I've been playing for the past two hours. [Laughs] So, yeah, that kind of helps jumpstart my kick out of the depressing ending to the show!

Cool, well that's a good thing! Alright, Ms. Goofball. These next set of questions is what I like to call the... "Lightning Round!" What I'll do is throw you some short, quick questions and all you have to do is give me the first thing that pops into your head. Is that cool?

Okay. Oh, geez... but okay. [Laughs]

What are some of your typical pre-show rituals before each performance?

Lots of water. Weird warm-ups. And rolling out... Oh, another pre-show ritual: I always make sure I shave my armpits. Nobody wants a hairy Eva.

Ha ha! Love it! Okay, who would you say is the silliest person in the cast?

Ohmigosh. [Pauses] ME! [Laughs] I think everybody in the cast would agree with me.

Alright, the opposite of that... who in the cast is the most serious?

Oh gosh... we all have such a good time but I would say... maybe... Ron Brown. But that may be because I don't know him very well yet.

That's right, I keep forgetting the tour is still pretty new. Just wait until after a year of touring...

Yeah, I'm sure everyone's worst will come out! [Laughs]

Okay, what do you like to do on your day(s) off?

I like to have a glass of wine... [Laughs] and I like to see movies!

What is your guilty pleasure?

Oh, geez... pizza! And chocolate chip cookies.

What's the song that you like belting in the shower or when you're all by yourself in the car?

"On My Way" from VIOLET.

Great! Do you have a dream role in another show that you hope to portray someday?

I think my dream role hasn't been written yet. [Laughs] So, I would love to do an original role.

Alright, what or who irritates you the most?

Oh... when people are being rude to my friends in front of me! I don't handle that well. I get pretty protective of people I love. I get into "Mamma Mode."

Ha ha, okay, well then... what instantly puts a smile on your face?

Oh, gosh. A lot! [Laughs] Ugh! Oh... [Long Pause] Why is this so hard? I just feel like everything makes me smile! I would say... Sunlight. When I wake up and it's a sunny day, I'm going to be happy. [Laughs]

Well, you're gonna love the O.C. People freak out here when it's not sunny.

Yeah! We were so spoiled when we were in L.A. and San Diego. So I'm excited!

Yay! Now, if you weren't an actor, what other profession do you picture yourself doing instead?

I think I would be a veterinarian or somebody who owns a dog farm. [Laughs] I think when I retire, I'm gonna have a dog farm and I'm just gonna sit in my field and hang out with my dogs!

Nice! What has been the funniest or perhaps the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you so far on this tour?

Oh! Okay, one funny thing that's happened is... one time, during the song "A New Argentina," I had just finished watching a clip of Patti LuPone that day doing "A New Argentina"---and she was doing all these hand movements that are a lot more hand movements than I do [in our show]. But I was feeling a little feisty that day, so I started doing these huge, flamboyant movements... and the jacket that I wear in the number is all snaps. Well, my jacket snapped open! And I'm only wearing a bra underneath of it! So it just went wide open and I had to clutch my jacket for the rest of the song! [Laughs]

[Laughs] Oh, wow!

Yeah, so that was funny... I gave them all a show! [Laughs] And then... there was another time during the Waltz, Josh Young stepped on my shoe---and my foot came out of my shoe! But the strap was still clasped around my ankle! So this shoe is just dangling off my ankle... and this is at the beginning of the Waltz. So I ended up getting down on my hands and knees and tried to get the shoe off. I whip the shoe off and I break it, and just threw it off into the wings. Well, then I thought, well... I gotta get the other one off! And so I'm angrily singing my verse and throwing my shoes off into the wings. I had to sing-and-dance the rest of the Waltz barefoot! [Laughs] And poor Josh was just trying not to laugh and not break. But I was filled with adrenaline and my heart was pounding---I was, like, there was no worry about me... I wasn't gonna laugh and break character! He just felt so bad for me!

[Laughing] That's awesome!

I'm sure there'll be more to come as the tour goes on. [Laughs]

Well, I'll call you again later in the run and check for updates. Alright, one last question: for a lot of our younger readers on BroadwayWorld, you are living their dream. What's your advice for young students who hope to one day work in musical theater too?

I always say... you're never done learning. So take every experience as a learning experience... a growing experience. Take classes. And pay attention... to your peers and to people in general because that is how you're going to grow as an actor. I myself am never going to be done learning. I learned so much while I was in KINKY BOOTS and watching those leads and talking to Billy Porter and Annaleigh Ashford. Be a sponge and just soak up everything you can possibly learn. There is just so much knowledge to be gained. And, most importantly... know that you're enough. Don't try to be like anyone else. People don't want to see anyone else when you walk into a room to audition for a show. They want you to just be yourself. They're gonna love you for you---[eventually] there's going to be something right for you. That's something I myself am still learning.

Follow Contributing Editor Michael L. Quintos on Twitter: @cre8iveMLQ

Photos from the First National Tour of EVITA by Richard Termine, courtesy of SCFTA.

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Performances of the First National Tour of EVITA at Segerstrom Center for the Arts continue through Sunday, December 22. Tickets can be purchased online at www.SCFTA.org, by phone at 714-556-2787 or in person at the SCFTA box office (open daily at 10 am). Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.

For tickets or more information, visit SCFTA.org.