London EVITA Recording- Page 2

[Buck]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:37am

I played it once and put it away. Patti, Elaine, Flo, Pia, Rocio and the amazing "Claudia" from the Brazilian cast recording sing circles around Elena. I wonder if she'll come to NYC with this particular production? Her review in The New York Times was not great and even compared her to LuPone in an unfavorable light. Link, anyone?

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:24am

Theatremanager, interesting and yet unsubstantiated comment about real Eva.

As for Elaine Paige, I always preferred her in other roles, like in Cats, Chess and Sunset Blvd, than in Evita.

Updated On: 12/7/06 at 08:24 AM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 8:59am

musical_devotee: While I don't believe that Eva was a prostitute in the common sense of the word (i.e. streetwalker), I think she used the bedroom/lovers to a degree in order to advance her acting career. Also, "whore" can refer to someone who compromises their principles for personal gain (i.e. fame-whore, money-whore).

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 9:24am

Replying to the question about the vinyl, I foudnd this on an Evita Fan Website.

CAST ALBUM: recorded in Los Angeles July 1979; remixed in London July/August 1979; released 5 October 1979

Complete 2 LP gatefold MCA2-11007 (1979); Cassette; CD MCAD2-11007/DIDX-197/198 - won 1980 Grammy Award for Best Cast Album

Highlights CD: mastered February 2002; Decca 440 016 99-2 - (released 2002

from http://www.geocities.com/evitainternational/index.html

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:14pm

Stagemanager: thanks for explaining your view. According to modern biographies of Eva, these things (i.e., using men to advance her acting career) were much owerblown with time by her detractors. Be that as it may, if the real Eva did use such means for her career, she was not the only one. Some of the big names of the screen (Liz Taylor, Marylin Monroe, Jean Harlow to name few) also had the same practice.

In any case, as for the comparison of the musical Eva vs. the real Eva, I always like to quote one of the early critics of the show: "A great piece of theatre, but not a history lesson." Elena Roger, the current London Evita, an Argentinean herself said although there are grey areas in Eva's life she admires her devotion to the poor people of Argentina and making things easier for women in the society where hitherto they didn't have a say.

Conclusively, all well researched biographies of the REAL Eva give account of a woman who had her faults like any other person, but who did more than a few good things in a very short time.

[JRybka]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 12:28pm

I like the new EVITA as it sounds fresh but there are times when it is really hard to understand Elena. I still like Patti as it was her defining moment.

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 3:28pm

There was an original London cast recording? I’ve never seen it

[gcal]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 3:39pm

I, personally, am a fan of the cuts made to the score. I felt every unnecessary measure of music was cut, and the show moved at a quick pace, which was very much appreciated. This staging does not require those instrumental verses of "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You" and "You Must Love Me".

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 3:40pm

Yes, the original 1978 London Cast with Elaine Paige as Eva, David Essex as Che and Joss Ackland as Peron, but it's a higlights regording.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 6:27pm

You must have a really short attention span, gcal. The show was already short enough as it was.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 12/7/06 at 10:12pm

I was saddened by how they left out a lot of good songs.

I love the cast, but Matt Rawle's horrible Spanish pronunciation makes me cry. "You let down your people Eviter"... oh god...

[Shawk]

Posted: 12/8/06 at 12:14pm

Not to mention "San Juan," both words rhyming with "van." Ow.

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 5:27pm

"Andrew Lloyd Webber has gone on record saying that in his opinion, the film soundtrack is the best recording of his musical."
This was just a couple years after the whole Patti Lupone Sunset Bvd. feud he would'nt admit that Patti was his best Evita

can someone please explain to me what this feud was?=]
Updated On: 12/10/06 at 05:27 PM

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 6:59pm

Oh it’s divatastic! I'm not an expert on the subject ( I hope someone writes one of those little essays that we see on these boards), but until then this is basically what happened. Patti LuPone was asked to do Sunset Boulevard in London> She accepted and performed her usual perfection in the role (giving life to an only so so musical. he "With One Look" and "As If WE Never Said Goodbye" are breathtaking) Ms. LuPone got rave review across the pond and was promised by Andrew Lloyd Webber to take the show to BROADWAY!! ! To Patti's surprise, she learned that in the Broadway-bound production in Los Angeles who would get the role? Patti of course (who else?), but NOOO Andrew loved Webber cast the more famous (in my opinion less talented) Glen Close. Patti was humiliated by the press and had a near mental breakdown for about a year and a half and then does "Patti LuPone Live on Broadway. Sunset Boulevard came to the states and over it's moderately short run such divas have graced the stage such a Betty Buckley and Elaine Page as Norma Desmond, but the show never had the critical success as when Patti graced the stage in the role.

[Muhlethaler]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 7:20pm

Patti, Elaine, Flo, Pia, Rocio and the amazing "Claudia" from the Brazilian cast recording sing circles around Elena.

Wow! Claudia! I own this cast recording. She's probably the best Evita EVER (vocally wise, I mean). And this comes from someone who loves LuPone! You should really listen to this recording. She's amazing. Her "Rainbow High" is unbelievable.

[laura is broadway]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 7:27pm

uhhgg that pisses me off andrew lloyd webber as a person is so frickin annoying.
i have the soundtrack with patti and its absolutly amazing, wtf was he thinking?


anyway i like matt rawle on the soundtrack as che, though i might change my mind if i saw him live. noo one else really seems to like him.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 7:44pm

Actually it's Madonna on the soundtrack.

[logan0215]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 7:45pm

On Eva/Evita:

There is a full A&E Biography special of Eva Peron posted on "the unmentionable site"(which surprisingly paints a story extrememly close to the Musical). The opinions of her as a historical figure are normally of 2 mindsets based on these facts:

Eva was a former mistress to many famous/influential men who climbed the social ladder to Juan Peron, lived decadently but also raised extreme amounts of money for the poor although her lack of book-keeping and means of collecting money (mandatory cut of workers' checks being the main source of income) drove the Peron regime into debt quietly. She was therefore hugely accepted by the poor and rejected by the rich who took advantage of every oppurtunity to show her that.

Her fans consist of those were helped through tough times due to her work, most notably with the Eva Peron Fund. She built many orphanages, housing projects and hospitals. She did live decadently, but by many accounts, it was to show the people that the ability to start where they are and end up in the upper class is possible.

Her detractors saw her as part of a facist regime (Peron, who in essense forced any opposing opinions out of the public's eye) and was a figurehead in influencing the people to further Peron's government by wrangling the poor and tempting them with promises of a better life.

As per the new London recording of the show, I've only heard Buenos Aires and am IN LOVE with the new ending. The choreography also seems supberb. I enjoy Elena's performance, regardless of a rough voice, due to the true raw talent and energy... and the accent doesn't hurt either.

Broadwayboy2631:

A few corrections to your story from what I've gathered:

Patti was not critically aclaimed in the production of Sunset Boulevard in London due in part to her performance (being too young for the part) and to the material itself.

The show was completely re-worked for the LA and following Broadway run and had a much better reception than the London production ever had. Further controversey followed the LA production when Faye Dunaway was promised the replacement of Ms. Close but after initial vocal training and rehearsels, was fired and subsequently sued Sir Webber (as did Patti).

I also believe that happened in the time before being fired when she was back in New York. If you listen to "Meadowlark" she speaks afterward about stealing costumes from every production she's in, then saying "I can't wait to get my hands on that Norma drag." I'm a little gray on this because I've also heard her say in interviews that she found out about not getting the Broadway part while still in London...

Updated On: 12/10/06 at 07:45 PM

[Broadwayboy2631]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 7:51pm

We’ll thank you for correcting me. Like I said, I’m not an expert on the subject 9even though I could have sworn that I read an article saying that she was critically acclaimed in the role) I still love the story and I’ll take Patti LuPone over Glen Close any day!

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 9:08am

Also, it wasn't ALW who 'fired' Patti LuPone, but the financial backers of the show in the US who wanted a 'star' in the role (I believe that Paramount Pictures also had a contractual input into casting). And with $35M in advance sales, you can't say that they weren't right...

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 3:12pm

Just to clarify, the Patti Lupone Live! recording was made right before she went to do Sunset in London. She announced her involvement with it as a surpris at the end of the show(s).

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 12/11/06 at 4:45pm

I adore Elaine Paige and think that she did a nice job with the role, but Patti really is the definitive Eva. I also enjoy Elena, but as noted, Rawle is an awful Che. The movie soundtrack has a few numbers that are absolutely fantastic, but I can't help but miss the punch of "Buenos Aires" and "Rainbow High" sung in the original key.

I have a friend who has a theory that it's impossible to have a perfect Evita recording because one of the three main characters is always a weak link. The better recordings are those with weak Perons.