Randuwa II: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Evita

Saturday, September 23, 2023

Shakespeare Theatre Company: Evita

I must begin with a disclaimer. I am not a fan of the works of Sit Andrew Lloyd Weber. They are too melodramatic for my taste; and the music reflects this sort of 70's rock opera vibe that had my fill of with The Who's "Tommy." So having said that, the fact that the shows was delayed by nearly half an hour without the courtesy of an apology, let alone even an inkling of a reason, didn't set my mood-o-meter to positive. When it did start, it just started. The house lights were still up. There was no prerecorded welcome message along with the typical disclaimers of no recordings of any kind and please make sure your cell phones are turned off. Nope. Omar Lopez-Cepero (playing Che Guevara) just walked out and begin staring at the white dress floating about the rows of flowers.

Placed in the hands of Director Sammi Cannold, who directed the highly acclaimed production at New York City Center in 2019; this production used the same sets and staging with a different cast. Simon Godwin, the artistic director of Shakespeare Theatre Company has a affinity for bringing already formed productions to STC in Washington. With the stage set I would say this was probably the best production you could hope for from "Evita." At 21 members of the ensemble, it was also one of the largest productions I have seen in a long time.

The set was simple yet solid and at times magical. The singing was top notch. The choreography lively, exciting, beautifully executed. Of the three principle actors to a person, they were engaging, charming, a joy to watch. Omar Lopez-Cepero's light, at times rock 'n roll squealing tenor reminded me of Mandy Patinkin's voice in the more lyrical moments. And Caesar Samayoa was, I thought new to me until I read his bio and discovered that I had seen in "Come Away From" at Ford's theater back in 2017 in the role of Kevin 2, one of two Kevins who were a gay couple on one of the diverted planes. From a lighthearted and sincere role to this powerful leader of a nation--what a wonderful transformation. When I see an actor again and don't recognize him--that's an ACTOR.

The stand-out performance, as it should, went to Shereen Pimentel as Evita Durante-Peron herself. Her voice was not limited to any range of notes. Where ever the music took her, she fully own not just the clarity of tone, but the exact emotional nuance that she wanted to convey. At the end the applause were robust, but I saved by standing to her entrance--and I was not alone. Bravissima!