Interview: Samantha Gershman On EVITA At The REV Theatre Company

The REV Theatre Company raises the curtain on their 2023 season with Evita, playing at Auburn’s Merry-Go-Round Playhouse through June 20. BroadwayWorld spoke to Samantha Gershman, who is playing the titular role.

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece, Evita, takes place in Argentina between 1934-1952. Audiences will be taken on a journey alongside Eva Perón, watching her rise from a poor, illegitimate child to one of the most powerful and iconic women in history, making an impact that we find relevant even today. 

Evita is directed by The REV’s Producing Artistic Director, Brett Smock. He is joined by choreographer Elle May Patterson and Musical Director Brian Cimmet with Associate Choreographer Cedric Dodd and Assistant Musical Director Alex Gutierrez. Evita features scenic design by Jeffrey Kmiec and associate scenic designer Milo Bue, lighting design by Jose Santiago, costume design by resident REV designer, Tiffany Howard, hair and makeup design by resident REV designer, Alfonso Annotto, and sound design is by Sam Silva. Kelly Hardy is the Production Stage Manager, with Kevin Dwyer and Morgan Benford serving as Assistant Stage Managers and John Lacson Malley serving as Stage Management Intern.

The principal cast of Evita includes Samantha Marisol Gershman (Broadway: A Beautiful Noise; Nat’l Tour: Jersey Boys) as Eva Peron, Justin Gregory Lopez (Off Broadway: Octet, Bare; TV: Jesus Christ Superstar Live; Kennedy Center: Bernstein’s Mass) as Che, Martín Solá (Broadway: On Your Feet, The King and I, Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohème; REV: State Fair) as Juan Peron, Felipe Barbosa Bombonato (Nat’l Tour: Les Miserables, Man of La Mancha, Cats) as Magaldi, and Erica Reyes making her professional debut as Mistress.

You most recently appeared on Broadway in A Beautiful Noise. Can you describe your journey from Broadway to landing Eva in this production of Evita?

My journey from A Beautiful Noise to The REV’s production of Evita was fortunately pretty seamless. My agents at DGRW had submitted me for this show, where I was then able to audition for this production in NYC. I auditioned, went to a callback (which happened to be on a 2 show day of A Beautiful Noise), went to a final callback and then got the offer call! Typically, after getting the offer, one can accept or decline, but in my situation, I had to get approval for a leave of absence from A Beautiful Noise before being able to accept this contract. Our producer at A Beautiful Noise emailed me personally and congratulated me on the offer! They approved the leave of absence and wished me well ◡̈ It’ll be a quick quick turn around after this show is over, however! I will finish Evita on June 20th, drive back home on the 21st and resume my contract at A Beautiful Noise on the 22nd! Someone is on vacation the week I get back as well, so I have a funny feeling I’ll be swinging right back into the show upon my return! 

What is it about the character of Eva Perón that appeals to you?

There is so much about Eva Perón that appeals to me. First and foremost, being able to step into the shoes of a strong Latina woman who takes over in a man’s world in the 1940’s to the early 50’s is beyond empowering. An opportunity to represent my Hispanic culture in a title role, like Evita, doesn’t come around often and I’m trying to soak it all in one day at a time. She is a mystery. Though, there is one thing about Eva, at her core, that stands out to me and that is her need to be loved. I always have said that my dad, who is no longer with us, had “Eva Perón syndrome” — he just wanted to be loved and at the end of the day, don’t we all want to feel loved? To feel heard and seen? Eva is a survivor, rejected at an early age and seeks to fill that void for the rest of her life. I think no matter where you came from, we can all relate to Eva Perón at her core. 

Did you do any preparation or historical research to prepare for the role?

I went down so many rabbit holes in preparation for this role! I’m such a nerd when it comes to the dramaturgy of it all. I’ve read all the articles out there, have seen all the videos, read all the books I can get my hands on, especially with a role like Evita, since it is based off of a real person. The research part of the job is one of my favorite parts! You get to take a deep dive into another human being and explore what makes them tick. 

What are the biggest challenges you've faced in embodying this iconic figure?

Stamina and navigating the arc of how she ages throughout the show have definitely been the most challenging factors of this process and role. Finding the pace of how to healthily perform this 8 times a week has definitely been a process, one that I’m still figuring out to be honest. Secondly, Eva is portrayed at 15 years old in the beginning of this show and ends the show on her death bed at 33 years old. It’s been quite the challenge, but so much fun, to explore vocally, physically and mentally how to translate that age gap. 

What have you learned about Eva Perón during this process that you didn't know before?

She was never told that she had cancer!! That is insane to me. They tried to protect her by keeping her cancer a secret from her. That fact adds such a complicated layer to her character. 

What is your favorite song or scene from the show, and why?

There are so many good moments it’s hard to pick just one!! First thing off the top of my head is right before my first entrance, I’m standing behind a set piece that’s about to reveal me and 4 other ladies in the cast. We all hold hands for about 3 seconds and breathe. It’s so grounding and something I look forward to every night. Top of act II, in the balcony scene, singing the iconic “Don’t Cry For me Argentina,” feeling like an absolute princess is pretty surreal. “Rainbow High” makes me feel like the baddest girl boss ever!!! Though, I have to say, I live for the waltz with Che. By that point in the show, the tension between Eva and Che is peaking and finally at a point of confrontation. It’s a scene to really dig your teeth into and Justin and I are always finding new ways to carve that material out, so it’s very exciting.

How have you prepared physically and vocally for this demanding role?

I have to do a full physical warm up to sing in general! If my body isn’t warmed up, my voice won’t be a happy camper. Other than that, lots and lots of TLC (tender, love and care).

You've played a number of strong women - Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde, Diana in A Chorus Line - what is it about musical theater that you think lends itself so well to telling the stories of these complicated characters?

In musical theatre, we not only get to tell a story, but we get to tell it with every fiber of our being. Our voice, our words, our movement. I believe that music is a universal language and that in musical theatre specifically, is the heartbeat and pulse underneath any story we share on a stage. Everyone is apart of creating that heartbeat, listening to it and letting it be heard. 

What do you hope the audience takes away from your portrayal of Eva?

I hope the audience is left utterly confused with how they feel about Eva Perón, yet thoroughly entertained. Was she a saint? Was she a sinner? I hope our story creates space for the audience to self reflect on how they go about the need to be loved. The need to be heard. The need to be seen. The need to make your mark in this world. The need to survive. 

Photos: Ron Heerkens, Jr. / Goat Factory Media Entertainment, LLC.