STAGE REVIEW 'Evita' casts charm over audience in New Castle

The musical portrays the life and death of Argentina's Eva Peron.
By GARRY L. CLARK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Superb performances by an outstanding cast marked Friday evening's opening performance of "Evita" at the New Castle Playhouse. The story of the rise of Eva Peron from illegitimate offspring to the first lady of Argentina, both politically and in the hearts of a majority of her people, is told entirely in song in this rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Background
Eva Duarte Peron was the second wife of Argentine dictator Juan Peron who virtually pulled herself up from a squalid childhood and sordid adolescence to the heights of power in Argentina.
The musical intimates her many affairs as she moves from an early career as a model and actress to the pinnacle of power, endearing herself to the masses.
Her life is the stuff of legend. She is a woman who was despised by the aristocracy as being conniving, ruthless and power-hungry and adored for her speeches to the "descamisados" (the shirtless ones) for whom she appeared to work tirelessly.
Cut down by cancer at only 33, history will never know which of these she was, though undoubtedly the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Cast
Lesley Gent gave a stunning performance in embodying the title character, liberally sprinkling her rendition with tiny but extremely effective nuances, most especially as her illness progressed. Her lovely soprano voice was more than equal to the task.
Portraying Che, a narrator and commentator of sorts, was the splendid Matthew J. DiBattiste, who helped to move the plot along at a fast pace.
The role of Peron was most ably played by Vaughn Hudspath, whose physical presence fit the character well.
David M. Halin's nice tenor voice rang out clearly in a very good performance as Augustine Magaldi, one of Eva's early lovers, and Leah Zahner was also quite good as Peron's early mistress.
Backing up the cast was an outstanding chorus of men and women that featured strong voices and exceptionally good choreography. Though too numerous to mention, they deserve special accolades for providing a good foundation under the leading players.
Also of special note was the effective use of actual photographs and movie footage of the real Eva and Juan Peron.
Set design was exceptional, as was costuming.
A production such as "Evita" requires a little more effort on the part of the audience in listening carefully since there is very little spoken dialogue. That being the case, it must be said that the orchestra, though excellent, was frequently too loud, overpowering the singers. Hopefully they will tone it down a bit in future performances.