Madonna and Menzel Up for Title Role in London Evita Revival

By: Aug. 26, 2005
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Both Madonna and Idina Menzel are being mentioned as possible candidates to step up to the Casa Rosada balcony as Evita in a West End revival that will open in Spring 2006.

The revival will boast Donmar Warehouse artistic director Michael Grandage (Don Carlos, Suddenly Last Summer) as its director, Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Doctor Doolittle) as choreographer and Christopher Oram (Passion Play, Merrily We Roll Along) as the main designer. The three had been on board in 2003 when the prospect of a new production of the classic rock opera was first discussed. Ultimately, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice "decided the city was not in the mood for serious musicals." While no other casting has been set, producers are seeking a star name for the title role of the former Argentinian First Lady who climbed her way to power. They are also considering such London stars as Philip Quast (Les Miserables, South Pacific, The Secret Garden), Douglas Hodge (Guys and Dolls at the Donmar) and Roger Allam (Les Miserables) for the role of president Juan Peron. The revival will be produced by Lloyd Webber's Very Useful Group.

Madonna received critical acclaim for playing Eva Peron in the 1996 film version of Evita. Directed by Alan Parker, it co-starred Antonio Banderas as Che and Jonathan Pryce as Juan Peron. An envelope-pushing music superstar for over two decades, she has also appeared on Broadway in Speed-the-Plow, on the West End in Up for Grabs, and on film in Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy (crooning the songs of Stephen Sondheim), Shadows and Fog, Body of Evidence, A League of Their Own, Swept Away and others. Menzel will soon be seen on the big screen as well--in the film version of Rent, in which she'll reprise her Tony Award-nominated performance as Maureen, and in the upcoming Ask the Dust. A Tony Award-winner for Wicked, she has also appeared in Aida and Lippa's The Wild Party and will soon star in Michael John LaChiusa's See What I Wanna See at the Public Theater.

Evita, which began life as a 1975 concept album, takes a cynical but multifaceted view of Eva Peron's ascent. With music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Rice, the show opened at London's Prince Edward Theatre in 1978 with Elaine Paige as Eva and David Essex as Che. In New York, it ran 1,567 performances at the Broadway Theatre, and won the 1980 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as six others. The show starred Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin (both of whom won Tonys) and Bob Gunton; Harold Prince also won a Tony for his direction.


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