How well do you know the musical Evita? Test your knowledge of this iconic production that brought Argentina's Eva Perón to life through powerful music and captivating storytelling. Since its origins as a concept album in 1976, Evita has won prestigious awards, including the Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical. From its memorable songs like Don't Cry for Me Argentina to its adaptations on both stage and screen, Evita's legacy continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Adaptations
- Evita was adapted into a film in 1996 starring pop-icon Madonna, further cementing its status in popular culture.
- Interestingly, the film adaptation saw multiple potential leads and directors over the years, including Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli considered for Eva, and Ken Russell as a director.
International Productions
- The musical Evita won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical in London's West End in 1978 and the Tony Award for Best Musical on Broadway in 1979, marking it the first British musical to win this award.
- Animaniacs featured a short titled 'The Ballad of Magellan' where Argentina is humorously hinted to be awaiting an 'EVITA' production.
- The first Spanish version of the show premiered in Madrid in 1980 and featured a hit single version of 'No llores por mí Argentina'.
- The film version of 'Evita' in 1996 inspired the release of an Argentinean film biography, 'Eva Perón: The True Story', claiming to correct distortions in the musical's account.
- The original Australian production of 'Evita' opened on 30 April 1980 at the Adelaide Festival Theatre with Jennifer Murphy as Eva.
Musical Composition
- At least 25 English language cast albums of Evita have been released, along with numerous foreign language recordings.
- Evita, a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, began as a rock opera concept album in 1976 before becoming a global stage success.
- Evita's song 'You Must Love Me' won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997.
- 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina', a hit song from the album, reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and garnered international success.
- The song 'You Must Love Me' was specifically written for the 1996 film adaptation of 'Evita' and was later included in several stage productions post-film.
Notable Tours
- Evita was revived on Broadway in 2012 and ran for 337 performances.
Production Facts
- The character of Che in the musical 'Evita' was initially intended by Tim Rice to represent the voice of the lower, working class of Argentina. Harold Prince later reimagined the character to take inspiration from Che Guevara.
- The narrative of Evita centers on the life of Eva Perón, who rose from humble beginnings to become the First Lady of Argentina and a powerful figure before her death in 1952.
- In the Glee episode 'Special Education', characters perform 'Don't Cry for Me, Argentina' during a showchoir audition.
- The Simpsons episode 'The President Wore Pearls' is loosely based on the musical Evita, with parodies of its songs.
- Madonna won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role as Eva Peron in the 1996 movie 'Evita', which was directed by Alan Parker and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
- The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's 2019 production was the first musical directed by Jamie Lloyd at the venue.
- The 2012 Broadway revival was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival.
- Elaine Paige originated the role of Eva Perón in the original London production of 'Evita' after Julie Covington declined the role.
- During the Broadway run of 'Evita', several actresses alternated playing the title role in addition to LuPone, including Terri Klausner and Nancy Opel.
- The Broadway production of 'Evita' closed on 26 June 1983 after 1,567 performances and 17 previews.
- Patti LuPone starred as Eva Perón in the original Broadway production of 'Evita', which opened on 25 September 1979.
- Elaine Paige's portrayal of Eva Perón in the original West End production won her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical.
- The original London production of 'Evita' opened on 21 June 1978 and closed on 8 February 1986, after 3,176 performances.
