I have a complicated relationship with Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals.  From my perspective:

1. “Cats” – I like that song “Memories”.  Often has fun costumes.  Everything else – meh. 
2. “Phantom of the Opera” – Fantastic music.  Memorable mask.  Cool falling chandelier.  Total lack of compelling plot.
3. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” – Strange choice of Bible story.  Not sure that those brothers shouldn’t get their comeuppance for literally trying to kill Joseph.  Fun music but no overarching theme to the songs (which I guess is the point)?
4. “Jesus Christ Superstar” – Fantastic music.  If I wasn’t raised knowing the story, I’m not sure I could follow it, as there aren’t like backstories or introductions for anyone.  Hate the whipping scene – too intense for the stage (and I saw it done with glitter).

“Evita”, currently playing at Peninsula Community Theatre, is my absolute favorite of the group.  Being introduced to the Madonna/Antonio Banderas movie version by my uncles a few years ago, the music continues to live rent-free in my head (I’ll often wake up in the morning and find myself humming “I’d Be Surprisingly Good for You” or of course “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”).  And – Webber solves his plot problems in this show.  You get a complete story, seeing Eva Duarte’s rise from poor, rural Argentinian to the height of fascist power with her husband Juan Perón, all while exploring her relationship to the poor and middle class people she claims to represent, personified in her flirtation with and constant rejection of Che, who narrates the story and constantly critiques the actions of the characters.

The curtain opens at PCT to reveal the necessary balcony (perhaps the second most iconic balcony in theater after Juliet’s) with set design by Darion Carr, well-lit throughout the evening by lighting designer Z. F. Norris, who matched the feel of each scene wonderfully (something solely left up to the lighting in many Webber musicals, with quick transitions barring traditional scene changes as the music rarely stops in his completely sung-through style of writing).  Norris creates nighttime in an outdoor cafe, a party environment, a politically charged game of poker, and dramatic balcony scenes, among others, all in the blink of an eye.  The lighting draws your attention to Eva throughout, perfect for someone so charismatic in real life (although I also found myself peeking at ensemble member Carrie Grace Morgan, who I believe was the one carrying an adorable little poodle stuffy when representing the well-off members of society in certain scenes).

We are quickly introduced to Che, who is already on his high-horse, calling the massive funeral march for Evita a “circus” (Che is, of course, totally correct).  Dagny Hobbs, playing Che, gets the “of the people” feel of the role just right, and delivers biting lines like “why try to govern a country when you can be a saint” with stinging disdain.  Soon enough, we are introduced to our production’s Eva, played by Andreyah Perry, veteran of recent shows “Working” and “A Beautiful Day…”.  Perry attacks the role with such ferocity and ambition that you can feel her need for advancement.  Meanwhile, the always reliable John Cauthen (nominated for HRACT Awards last season for his roles in “Something Rotten!” and “Harvey”) brings his sly smirk to the politically driven military leader Juan Perón.  And Joshua Cunnison is funny as tango singer Agustín Magaldi, clinging to (perhaps desperately) the one hit moment of his one hit song. 

Every time I see “Evita”, something new stands out to me, and this time, it was the more intimate, more emotional songs.  Specifically, Joy Snipes’ performance of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” is compelling as she realizes her fate as just another of Juan’s mistresses being thrown to the curb.  And the song on the other side of that coin, “You Must Love Me”, performed by Perry’s Eva, was my favorite of the evening, as she realizes and accepts her ultimate (and devastating) fate, but knows that Juan will stand by her until the end.  It is a beautiful moment where it feels as though perhaps there is something more genuine to this relationship than just using each other for political gains.  Or maybe Juan has just fallen into the same trap as the rest of the Argentinian public, hypnotized by Eva’s charisma (if not for Che’s critiques, we all might be… although not even Che could stop the audience from falling for that little poodle prop).