Producers Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders have announced additional casting and the creative team for the new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s landmark musical EVITA, opening April 5, 2012 at the Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway). Previews begin Monday, March 12, 2012. Joining the previously announced stars of EVITA – world renowned music artist Ricky Martin as Che, Olivier Award-winning Argentinean actress Elena Roger in her Broadway debut as Eva Perón and Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris as Juan Perón – are Max Von Essen as Magaldi, Rachel Potter as the Mistress, and Christina DeCicco as the alternate/standby for Eva Perón. Alternate performances to be announced.
Rounding out the cast are Ashley Amber, George Lee Andrews, Wendi Bergamini, Eric L. Christian, Kristine Covillo, Colin Cunliffe, Margot de La Barre, Bradley Dean, Melanie Field, Jennie Ford, Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines, Constantine Germanacos, Laurel Harris, Nick Kenkel, Brad Little, Erica Mansfield, Emily Mechler, Sydney Morton, Jessica Lea Patty, Aleks Pevec, Kristie Dale Sanders, Timothy Shew, Michaeljon Slinger, Johnny Stellard, Alex Michael Stoll, Daniel Torres and Matt Wall.
The creative team includes Tony Award-winning Scenic and Costume Designer Christopher Oram (Red), Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Neil Austin (Red), Olivier Award-winning Sound Designer Mick Potter (Woman In White), Wig and Hair Designer Richard Mawbey (Frost/Nixon), Projection Designer Zachary Borovay (Rock of Ages), and Music Supervisor/Director Kristen Blodgette (Mary Poppins), Orchestrations are by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Cullen (Sunset Boulevard), and dance arrangements are by David Chase (Billy Elliot). As previously announced, Tony and Olivier Award-winner Michael Grandage will direct and Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford will choreograph. This is the first new Broadway production of the seven-time Tony Award-winning musical since it debuted on Broadway over 30 years ago.
Eva Perón used her beauty and charisma to rise meteorically from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady. She won international acclaim and adoration from her own people as a champion of the poor, while glamour, power and greed made her the world’s first major political celebrity.
EVITA tells Eva’s passionate and tragic story through Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most dazzling and beloved score, which includes “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” and “High Flying Adored,” together with “You Must Love Me,” the Oscar-winning hit from the film EVITA.
After researching the life of Eva Perón for many years, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber released EVITA in 1976 as a concept album with Julie Covington as Evita and it became a world-wide hit. Soon after, the production debuted on stage in London's West End starring Elaine Paige and directed by Hal Prince. The production transferred to Broadway and opened in 1979 starring Patti LuPone, who went on to win one of the seven 1980 Tony Awards the show earned. A major 1996 film of the musical was made starring Madonna as Evita and Antonio Banderas as Ché. Michael Grandage’s production of EVITA, which opened in 2006, took London by storm and garnered critical acclaim for the show and its leading lady, Elena Roger.
CHRISTINA DeCICCO (Eva alternate/standby) was most recently seen on Broadway in the cast of Sister Act. She has toured the United States playing the role of Glinda in the Stephen Schwartz hit Wicked, and was part of the final cast of the Off-Broadway hit The Marvelous Wonderettes as Cindy Lou Huffington. Some of the roles Christina has been seen as regionally are: Eponine in Les Misérables (Walnut Street Theatre) for which she received a 2008 Barrymore Award; Elmire in Tartuffe (Dog Run Repertory, NYC); Hope in Urinetown (Gateway Playhouse); Maria in West Side Story (Walnut Street Theatre); Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Walnut Street Theatre) and Betty Schaefer in Sunset Boulevard (Ogunquit Playhouse).
MAX VON ESSEN (Magaldi) After spending over a year roller skating across the country as Sonny Malone in Xanadu, Max returned to New York and immediately delved into several new projects. The first allowed him to play The Duke of Windsor in Only A Kingdom at the York Theater, then Alexander the Great in The History of War at The New York Music Theater Festival, and most recently, The Soldier in the Transport Group's acclaimed revival of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again. On Broadway, Max has played Enjolras in the 2008 revival of Les Misérables, Alfred in Dance of the Vampires starring alongside Michael Crawford, Jean Prouvaire in the closing company of the original Les Misérables, and he made his debut as a disciple in the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. In that production, Max understudied the role of Jesus and performed it many times. Other New York credits include Tremont in Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall, Woody in Finian's Rainbow at the Irish Repertory Theatre, and Matt in The Fantasticks at the Sullivan Street Playhouse. Regionally, Max starred in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of The Baker's Wife and the Kennedy Center's staging of Mame. Other favorite roles include Danny Churchill in Girl Crazy, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Dorian Gray in Dorian, Fredric in Pirates of Penzance, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Claude in Hair, and Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Max's first professional job after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was touring as a back up singer for the legendary Liza Minnelli. He has also toured Europe as Tony in West Side Story and the USA as Mary Sunshine in Chicago. In addition to Max's theatre life, he continues to perform for some of his favorite charities, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and The Matthew Shephard Foundation.
