Point Park's Conservatory Theatre Co. Presents Evita, Closes 3/20

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Evita at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for the last time on March 20. Evita is written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber; it is directed by John Shepard and co-directed by Jack Allison with music direction by Camille Rolla and choreography by Kiesha Lalama-White.

Born out of wedlock in a small village in rural Argentina, Eva Peron rose to become an inspirational leader of her country. This powerful Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical collaboration follows Evita's early life, love, rise to power, charity work, feminist activism and eventual death. This Tony Award-winning rock opera made its debut in London's West End in 1978, skyrocketed the career of Patti LuPone in 1979 and has been a favorite around the world ever since.

Evita premiered at the Broadway Theatre in New York City in 1979. It won the 1980 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actress in a Musical (Patti LuPone), Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Mandy Patinkin), Best Lighting Design and Best Direction of a Musical. Evita also won six out of ten Drama Desk Award Nominations.

Evita became a major motion picture in 1996 starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, directed by Alan Parker. It received two Oscar nominations and won for Best Music, Original Song for "You Must Love Me."

The Conservatory Theatre Company's production features scenic design by Michael Thomas Essad, costumes by Cathleen Crocker Perry, lighting by Lloyd Sobel, sound by StEve Shapiro, and projection design by Jessi Sedon-Essad.

Evita opens Friday, March 4th and runs through Sunday, March 20th, 2011; there will be no performances the week of March 7. Performances will be held Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $18 to $20 and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412-392-8000 or online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.

The "pay what you will" performance will be held on Saturday, March 5 at 2 p.m.

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