EVITA to Conclude San Francisco Playhouse's 2023-24 Season

San Francisco Playhouse's 2023-24 season will conclude with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Evita. This captivating musical explores the life and meteoric rise of First Lady of Argentina Eva Perón, transforming from a poor child to an ambitious actress, to the most powerful woman in Latin America as the wife of military leader-turned-president Juan Perón. San Francisco Playhouse Artistic Director and Co-Founder Bill English stages this powerful pop-rock musical with musical direction by Dave Dobrusky and choreography by Nicole Helfer. Evita will perform June 27, – September 7, 2024 (opening night: July 3, 2024) at San Francisco Playhouse 450, Post Street.

Premiering in the West End in 1978 starring Elaine Paige in the title role, Evita's Broadway production ran for nearly four years and won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and Tony Awards for stars Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. Evita was adapted into a 1996 film directed by Alan Parker, featuring an iconic cast including Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce, and was recognized with two Golden Globe Awards. The Guardian lauded the musical as “Audacious and fascinating. A beautiful score from Andrew Lloyd Webber,” while The Hollywood Reporter deemed it “a ravishing spectacle.” London's Evening Standard declared the show “always newly relevant.”

San Francisco Playhouse has assembled a thrilling cast of talented actors to bring this acclaimed musical to life. Sophia Alawi (she/her) stars as Eva Perón, a fiery and fearless woman who becomes the First Lady of Argentina. Alawi returns to the Playhouse where she was seen in Groundhog Day: The Musical, for which she won the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (SFBATCC) award for Best Featured Actress, as well as As You Like It and Twelfth Night. She has appeared onstage at regional theatres such as 42nd Street Moon, Hillbarn Theatre, Theater Under the Stars, and Playhouse on Park. Alawi's TV credits include “Law & Order: SVU.”

Seen in last season's A Chorus Line, Alex Rodriguez (he/him) returns to the Playhouse as political activist Che. Seen in the national tour of Miss Saigon, he won Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Awards for his performances in Ray of Light's Triassic Parq, Bay Area Musicals' Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Broadway By the Bay's Evita. He has choreographed and directed productions for Berkeley Playhouse and Ray of Light Theatre, where he also serves as Artistic Associate.

Peter Gregus (he/him) makes his Playhouse debut as Juan Perón, an army officer who rises to become the President of Argentina. Gregus originated the role of Bob Crewe in the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, which he played for the entire 11-year run. Other Broadway performances include Ain't Broadway Grand and the Tony Award-winning Contact. Seen in the national tour of A Bronx Tale: The Musical, his regional theatre appearances include shows at La Jolla Playhouse, New York City Center, Provincetown Theater and New Bedford Festival Theatre. His TV credits include Bill Blass in Netflix's “Simply Halston,” HBO's “Show Me A Hero,” and Comedy Central's “The Colbert Report.”

Seen in the Playhouse's Guys and Dolls, Jurä Davis (he/him) returns to the Playhouse as Agustin Magaldi, a charming man with whom Eva has her first love affair. Davis's regional theatre credits include The North Carolina Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, and Piedmont Players Theatre.

Chanel Tilghman (she/they) makes her Playhouse debut as Perón's Mistress. Tilghman has performed at regional theatres including American Conservatory Theater, Center Repertory Company, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Berkeley Playhouse, Ray of Light Theatre, Shotgun Players, Lucky Penny Productions, and Contra Costa Civic Theatre. She has also participated in readings of new works with Boise Contemporary Theater's BIPOC Playwright's Festival, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company, and Lorraine Hansberry Theatre.

Malia Abayon, Christine M. Capsuto-Shulman, Chachi Delgado, Gabriella Goldstein, César Lino, Dian Sitip Meechai, Deanalís Arocho Resto, River Bermudez Sanders, and Nicholas Tabora round out the cast as the chorus.  

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Evita features music direction by Dave Dobrusky, choreography by Nicole Helfer, scenic design by Heather Kenyon, lighting design by Michael Oesch, costume design by Abra Berman, sound design by James Ard, properties design by Blue Hephaestus, projections design by Sarah Phykkit, wig design by Laundra Tyme, live cam consultation by Adam Elder, fight choreography by Dave Maier, dramaturg and cultural consultation by Juan Rebuffo, and tango consultation by Marcelo Solis. Alicia Lerner is the stage manager with Jo Davita Ortiz as assistant stage manager.

To post a comment, you must register and login.