Evita - Eva's 6 Show Week

[wskrs4]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 10:53am

So yesterday, the date of general ticket sales for Evita was announced, and along with it an announcement stating that Elena Roger will only be performing 6 shows a week due to Lloyd Webber's "vocally demanding score." What? This really confuses me - according to the article on playbill.com, it's typical for Evita productions to have the woman playing Eva only do 6 shows a week. Why is this a 'tradition' for Evita? Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are plenty of "vocally demanding" shows on Broadway right now, as there have been through history, and somehow other performers manage to do 8 shows a week, month after month. Why does the part of Eva Peron get a 2 show pass when other roles in other shows don't? Did Somebody, please enlighten me... (As an aside, I'm personally thrilled and hope they announce Roger's schedule so I can go on a day that she isn't performing. I'm sure she's authentic, etc, but my ears just cannot take her voice.)



"Continuing the Evita Tradition" Updated On: 10/28/11 at 10:53 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 10:59am

Why does the part of Eva Peron get a 2 show pass when other roles in other shows don't

Because Evita is doing it. Duh. They are all connected and there can only be one.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:03am

Evita is a through-sung show with Eva on stage singing for nearly all of its 90 minutes. There is no other show on Broadway right now that demands that much of a singer.

I would argue that it's the most demanding role in history for a female singer on Broadway. Others may hit higher notes, but they don't sing nearly nonstop for 90 minutes.

The only comparison that can be made would be with operas and opera singers, and they don't perform eight shows a week either.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:06am

Phantom took possession of the 2-show alternate pass when Evita closed. That's why there's never been a revival of Evita. Now that they are both running and Evita was granted the pass, Phantom is going to have to close.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:07am

I didn't realize there was only one pass.

Can't the principal write another?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:09am

The tradition was obviously implemented by smart producers who in 1978 realized that the role would likely ruin the voice of any actresses attempting to sing the role 8 performances a week for more than a few months.

There have been, as Best12, points out other roles in the history of the musical theatre that may have been more difficult, but its perhaps been worth noting that this is becoming an increasingly common occurrence --

Though not a 'tradition' as is the case of EVITA, recent tours of MY FAIR LADY, WICKED and NEXT TO NORMAL have all, at one time or another, had alternate performers sharing the role to alieve vocal stress on the show's leading lady.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:09am

I didn't know it either until I read the OP.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:11am

The tradition was obviously implemented by smart producers who in 1978 realized that the role would likely ruin the voice of any actresses attempting to sing the role 8 performances a week for more than a few months.

I thought it was implemented after Elaine Paige had already suffered some vocal damage/fatigue. Or am I mistaken?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:12am

Something about having blue eyes makes it impossible to sing the score more than 6 times in a week.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:14am

Per Playbill, Audra McDonald is only doing 2 performances every other 12 days with an alternate performance scheduled between performances 16-67 but only on even prime number dates and never matinees on odd number dates, excluding but not limited to dates not scheduled by the production which have the tight to perform without notice at any non scheduled performance of her choice.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:14am

Paige struggled with the role vocally early in rehearsals as did Patti LuPone, but I do think Susannah Fellows was always slated to do the two performances a week. I might be wrong, but I know people who saw the show very early in the run and who saw Fellows, so at the very least Paige didn't do the full 8 show schedule for more than a few weeks.

Fellows by the way is still a wonderful performer. Here is a recent clip of her singing (a non Evita number). She was famously much taller than Elaine Paige which apparently caused some interesting problems the first couple of times she went on.



Fellows singing Updated On: 10/28/11 at 11:14 AM

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:16am

I think it's pretty smart of them to do 6 shows for Eva. Now if only the producers of Wicked would do that for the Elphaba's.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:17am

Its also a smart marketing tool since all the gays will feel the need to pay twice to see both women play the role.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:19am

Paige struggled with the role vocally early in rehearsals as did Patti LuPone, but I do think Susannah Fellows was always slated to do the two performances a week.

Ok, I just thought I read that her vocal troubles became more apparent when actually performing, but I guess I was misremembering.


Its also a smart marketing tool since all the gays will feel the need to pay twice to see both women play the role.

And then come back here and complain that the alternate is better and why isn't she playing the role 6 times a week.

Updated On: 10/28/11 at 11:19 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:21am

And that her understudy is actually better than either of them.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:23am

As long as Rickster Martin is there the gays will be just fine.

[sassylash3s]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 11:24am

Speaking of understudies, I'm curious. When the main performer calls out for a performance they're scheduled to do, who goes on, the alternate or the understudy?

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:15pm

Unless the alternate is also listed as a standby, it would be the understudy.

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:18pm

I always thought it was like this
Lead
Standby
Understudy
if the lead cannot go on, then the standby goes on. If standby can't go on, then understudy is on.
However if its
Lead
Alternate/standby
Understudy
If lead can't go on alternate goes on then understudy?
or does the alternate ONLY do her share of shows?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:20pm

Since Evita other shows adopted a shorter performance schedule. When Sarah Brightman did "Aspects of Love" she only did six shows a week. Lea Salonga during "Miss Saigon" only did certain performances (was it 6 or was she reduced to 5?)

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:21pm

It might be at the discretion of the management. I know at Phantom, usually when a Christine is out its the alternate that goes on. In the original production of EVITA I think the alternate was also the standby (Nancy Opel who was the original Broadway Eva understudy has said in interviews she waited over a year to get to go on, and LuPone missed a lot of performances).

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:24pm

Okay that makes sense.
I think some shows really need to adapt the alternate system, it really does help keep the stars healthy while gives the standby/alternate/understudies chances to shine.
Not saying that all parts need alternates, but some certainly do.

[Justin D]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:39pm

cast Eden Espinosa as the alternate and they will all shut up

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:47pm

I agree with OP. Look how well Alice Ripley did in Next to Normal, and then she took that baby out on tour!! Where are the professionals like that today?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/11 at 12:48pm

Supposedly Jessica Lea Patty is the understudy for Eva in this revival. The alternate has apparently been cast but supposedly isn't a performer with a lot of Broadway credits or pedigree.

I agree with OP. Look how well Alice Ripley did in Next to Normal, and then she took that baby out on tour!! Where are the professionals like that today?

Yeah and she totally ruined her voice in the process and will probably never do a major role in a musical again. Updated On: 10/28/11 at 12:48 PM