The Arts / Reviews

Theater review: Despite flaws, 'Evita' makes dramatic turnaround

By David Burke | Wednesday, August 20, 2008 | () comments

(contributed photo)

It’s funny how a performance can grow on you after awhile.

Or, in the case of the Quad-City Music Guild’s “Evita,” two performances.

Initially, I wasn’t impressed with Sheri Hess as Eva Peron nor Bryan Tank as Che Guevara. She didn’t have much of a stage presence in the early scenes, and his South American accent sounded close to an Irish brogue.

I don’t know if each of them improved during the opening-night performance or I became more accustomed to them, but my negatives had turned to positives before intermission.

With Hess, the turnaround came about the time she doffed a dark wig for her own blonde hair (about the same time historically as the former Eva Duarte changed her look), but that was only coincidentally. She had a mastery of the stage by the time the performance was complete.

Tank, after awhile, began to take on more of the impish, troublemaking character of the revolutionary, who also serves as a narrator and jumps in and out of scenes. (Historians will say that Che and Eva probably never met, but play along.)

As a whole, there’s much to like about Music Guild’s “Evita,” directed by Wayne Hess. (Make your choice of statement: Wayne is Sheri’s husband or Sheri is Wayne’s wife, depending on whom you want to give top billing.)

Much of the appeal in this production is visual, from Peggy Freeman’s voluminous costume designs to Steve Parmley and Kevin Pierce’s lighting to Sarah Garvey’s choreography (baskets and brooms are used effortlessly as props in one song and dance, for example).

C.W. Howard’s industrial-looking set effectively covers the multitude of scenes, but I question the necessity of bringing the centerpiece downstage at the beginning of the second act as the Peron balcony.

Gregg Neuleib directs the music, navigating the cast and a 14-piece pit around Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sometimes-tricky score — although one irritating piece of percussion kept rearing its head all night.

Like several Webber works, “Evita” is essentially a two-hour opera, with scant spoken dialogue. Lengthy scene changes, ostensibly to give Sheri Hess a chance to change costumes, broke the rhythm of a show that could have flowed like movements of a symphony.

Rounding out the cast are Dave Arnold, who brings an almost-operatic voice to the role of Juan Peron, Andrea Kapusinski, who has a stunning solo as Peron’s mistress with the song “Another Suitcase,” and Todd Weber as an early Eva paramour.

Despite its flaws, Music Guild’s “Evita” is worth the trip.

IF YOU GO

What: “Evita” by the Quad-City Music Guild

When: 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday, Aug. 16; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17

Where: Prospect Park Auditorium, Moline

How much: $15 adults, $9 kids

Information: (309) 762-6610 or QCMusicGuild.com on the Web

David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com. Comment on this review at qctimes.com.