A Response to Certain Comments About the Singing in Evita

[muscle23ftl]

Someone on this board said that every single performer who played the role of Evita had to struggle vocally to hit the notes. Just get tix to see Christina DeCicco, no struggle.

PS: When I saw Sarah Litzinger in the National Tour of Evita, she didn't struggle either, although she was not as amazing as DeCicco.

[broadwaydevil]

I happen to enjoy Christina well enough in the role but she doesn't even attempt the same notes Patti did. Plus, she hardly belts by comparison. I'm not saying those are bad things necessarily but to do Eva the way Webber intended is essentially impossible for any female vocalist for any sustainable run. Thus, the actress is left with a few choices: struggle and strain her voice or not go for all the notes.

[Mildred Plotka]

I'm sure they meant when sung in the original keys...

[AngelorPhantom1359]

Oh sweet Jesus not another Evita belting thread...

[everythingtaboo]

DeCicco is no struggle, and also a lukewarm performance.

[dreaming]

I saw Sarah Litsinger on tour and it was horrible. She sang like Belle from Beauty and the Beast singing the role of Evita (most likely because she played the role of Belle just prior to Eva-I don't know the timeline of her playing Belle, but she sure sounded like her).

[muscle23ftl]

Sarah has a great voice, but she sang most of the score on the same key, which might be what you are saying here. Yet, her acting, dancing and singing was far superior to Elena Roger's.

[dreaming]

Her acting did nothing for me (she made no impression-and frankly, I was much too distracted by someone who sounded like Belle singing the role to notice). Her dancing was definitely not as good as Elena's, who is a trained dancer first and foremost.

It's clear you hated Elena's performance, and I can respect that. (I liked it just fine.)

[muscle23ftl]

So you prefered Elena over Sarah?

Did you see Christina in the role?

[GavestonPS]

I saw Sarah Litsinger on tour and it was horrible. She sang like Belle from Beauty and the Beast singing the role of Evita (most likely because she played the role of Belle just prior to Eva-I don't know the timeline of her playing Belle, but she sure sounded like her).

Speaking of Belle, Paige O'Hara has only played Evita out of town, but I promise you she belted every note with ease. It was Houston Grand Opera and Disney that turned her into an operetta soubrette, but now that she's older, she's back to belting again, thank God.

(ETA the above reads like a knock against Disney and the Houston Opera, both of which have been very good to Paige. That isn't what I meant. I just missed her belting and I'm glad it's back.)

[DefyGravity777]

I saw Chrisina and she struggled to hit them. The only one that didn't struggle was Jessica Lea Patty. Not sure what Laurel Harris sounds like.

[everythingtaboo]

[Anthony Mouse]

"I saw Chrisina and she struggled to hit them"

ummm. No you didnt. First time poster. Long time lurker. Hi.

I read that comment and felt compelled to post. I work on the show and can say with absolute certainty that Chritina DeCicco has NEVER struggled to hit a single note. Not one. One of the most consistant singers I have ever heard. Just sayin'.

[darion]

i saw Christina and she was great, the day i went, she hit every note and clearly. I also saw her perform songs from the show in Bryant Park and again she was amazing. great set of pipes on that girl!

[DefyGravity777]

"ummm. No you didnt. First time poster. Long time lurker. Hi."

Ummmm. Yes I did see Christina but thanks for telling me I didn't.

[Anthony Mouse]

Nope. You can debate belt v.mix, character interpretation. Patti v. The field but I have seen every single performance of Christina's and she has never struggled to hit the notes. Never. In 9 months. Not one. In fact, she struggles less than pretty much any singer i have ever heard. Not sure what your ulterior motive is but you either know nothing about singing or there is something else at play here. There is NO WAY a person who knew anything abiut singing could listen to Christina sing and think that she was struggling. Not opinion. Fact. Sorry.

[Wynbish]

[Johnnycantdecide]

Well, this just got interesting

[artscallion]

[Rainbowhigh23]

Anthony Mouse, what do you do for the show? Sounds great that you get to see the show every night.

[everythingtaboo]

[Wishing Only Wounds]

I adored Christina in the role. And yes, I've seen Elena too. Loved Elena's acting, but Christina kept me more into the show... and was vocally great.

[muscle23ftl]

Christina is perfection in the role, I actually think she sounded better than LuPone (who is an extremely talented singer), but in this show she screamed the entire score, Elena is just struggling to be understood and to sing the score, I feel for her because she wasn't raised in this country and hasn't spoken English for a long time(like Ricky Martin for instance), but she is really miscast in this show and it will be one of the unsolved mysteries of Broadway.
She is even worse than Katie Clarke in The Light in the Piazza, who couldn't hit the notes...it's sad to watch.

[Reginald Tresilian]

LuPone certainly didn't "scream the score" the night I saw it.

And Roger hit every note the night I saw her, though I could certainly understand if someone didn't care for her voice.

[BroomstickBoy]

Don't you just love it when recovering Wicked addicts who dissect every actress to play Elphaba like a science project try to upgrade their musical maschismo by switching to EVITA?


It rouses up a few giggles, I must say.

[tomatlcm]

Ok I saw the show back in July when Ricky was on holiday and Christina was on. Yes she was good, but it felt like she was walking through the part rather than giving of the sparks of excitement that an actress playing Eva Peron should be doing and which like her voice or not Elena Roger does. I feel that to compare Patti and Christina, or even Elena or Christina is like comparing chalk and cheese- no two actresses will sing the role the same way there are too many variables. All 3 actresses do wonderful things in the role but personally from what I saw, I was only pleased by Christina, by no means overwhelmed.