Review: EVITA at The Muny is a Mesmerzing Masterclass in Production Aesthtics

It has been 45-years since Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s EVITA swept the Tony Awards following its premiere in London’s West End two year prior. The London production of EVITA won two Olivier Awards for Best New Musical and Best Performance in a Musical (Elaine Paige). The Broadway production was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning seven for Best Musical, Original Score, Book, Actress (Patti LuPone), Featured Actor (Mandy Patinkin), Direction (Hal Prince), and Lighting Design. 

It was the role of Eva Perón that brought Elaine Paige and Patti LuPone their first Olivier and Tony Award wins. The actors, known for the powerful belt voices set a high standard for any actor who followed them in the role. 

Katerina McCrimmon, fresh off her role as Fanny Brice in the national tour of Funny Girl, makes her Muny debut in the titular role. Entertainment Weekly has called her “the next greatest star” and said she has a “once-in-a-generation voice.” Her vocal performance in Evita is both gloriously soaring and gorgeously subtle. Many of the most beautiful musical moments come from her more delicate performances with “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “High Flying Adored.” 

McCrimmon climbs into this role with the self-assured confidence of the first lady who turned the Argentinean political system upside down. Her enormous belt voice is impressive, and it depicts young Eva’s strength of character, but it is her poise and composure that shows the maturity of an actor who grasps the obligation of leading a show. She is a powerhouse actor and singer with indomitable presence.  

Omar Lopez-Cepero steps into the role of Che again. He has performed this role prior in the national tour, at the American Repertory Theater and Shakespeare Theatre, and The Fulton Theatre. His rock-star tenor and vocal intensity makes “Oh What a Circus,” “And the Money Kept Rolling In,” and “High Flying Adored,” pierce the stratosphere. His convincing portrayal of Che’s skeptical view of Eva’s intentions contrasts with the ensemble who portray the commoner’s view of the beloved first lady who supports the working class.  

McCrimmon shares strong chemistry with both Lopez-Cepero and Paulo Szot who plays her husband Juan Perón. Szot resonant baritone is filled with warmth. He conveys Perón’s vulnerability as the military Colonel who does not share the same political aspirations as his driven wife. Szot’s heartbreaking acceptance of his wife’s mortality steeps his portrayal in ripe honesty and sensitivity. He conveys Perón’s realization that disease has rendered his the once strong and powerful wife defenseless.  

Director Josh Rhodes has built a stunning production of EVITA. Everything about this production detail screams big-budget musical. Adam Koch’s majestic set design is expertly illuminated by Paige Seber’s dynamic lighting design and complimented by Steve Royal’s multi-dimensional video designs. It is impossible to tell where set pieces stop, and lighting and projections continue.  

Brian C. Hemesath’s 1930’s and 1940’s Venezuelan inspired fashions are aristocratically regal, militarily authoritative, and working-class common. Hemesath, an Emmy Award winning Costume Designer, captivates with tailored elegance that enhanced Rhode’s storytelling. Lee Wilkin’s and Junior Cervila’s Latin, tango-heavy, and syncopated marching choreography accentuates the beautiful flowing movement and crisp tailoring of Hemesath's costumes. 

Initially conceived as a rock opera, EVITA is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice’s most operatic composition. It is a series of musical vignettes, in a loosely constructed narrative, that chronologically tells of Eva’s early life and the Peron’s ascent to power. 

Rhodes empowers McCrimmon and Lopez-Cepero's conflicting portrayals of Eva’s story. Was she a social climber who took advantage of position or was she savior of the Argentinean working class? He leans into Webber and Rice’s dialect of the historical figure with exquisitely staged opulent grandeur.  

EVITA at The Muny is an auditory and visual feast. Hear Katerina McCrimmon, Paulo Szot, Omar Lopez-Cepero, and the rest of this talented ensemble sing the Webber and Rice score in superb operatic fashion. Be mesmerized by a breathtaking masterclass in production aesthetics and designing for the theatre and enjoy Director Josh Rhode’s splendid new vision of the resilient, ambitious, and revered Eva Perón.  

The Muny’s beautiful production of EVITA continues through July 24, 2025. Click the link below to purchase tickets.

PHOTO CREDIT: Phillip Hamer