By Laura Lane
- a magnet drama program that draws students from throughout Bellmore-Merrick -- always puts on a great show, but with "Evita," members raised the bar. A charming, rich production, the cast of "Evita" found different shadings in the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice Broadway musical, which I found fascinating.
Rob Levine played Juan Peron, the fascist military leader with presidential aspirations. Levine played the character as a friendly snake. Coming across as the small-town mayor, Levine was continually smiling, even when his character learned that military officials were planning his demise. No problem. Never losing his cool, Peron simply made each one disappear. Levine's saccharine congeniality helped the audience understand how so many Argentines could be fooled into lending their undying support to such a corrupt and cruel leader.
Of course, many believe that Peron would never have become so powerful without the help of his wife, Eva Peron, played passionately by the talented Shannen Hofheimer.
Hofheimer conquered one of the most challenging musical scores ever written for the stage. The leading lady's voice in "Evita" must be rangy, and the actress must be able to act as she belts out the music. Hofheimer's voice is full and dark, with a toughness that evoked the ruthlessness of Eva, a woman who rose from poverty and achieved her desires at the expense of everyone else. Still, Argentines tried, upon Eva's death, to canonize her as a saint because she at least made them believe that they, too, could overcome their squalid living conditions.
Hofheimer shone in the role of Eva Peron. And her performance of the show-stopper, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," was incredible and heartfelt.
Another magnificent performance was given by Tim Kurtzberg as Che Guevara, the socialist revolutionary who disapproves of the Perons' populism. The angry voice of reason, Guevara struggles to gain the attention of the masses to help them see the corruption and deceit of the Peron regime and the lack of character of their savior, Eva Peron.
Kurtzberg's lyrical singing voice was well suited for the role, always cutting through the mayhem. Kurtzberg, a superb actor, carried the story forward. If Guevara were uninteresting, or if you couldn't understand him, it would be almost impossible to follow the play. Having the right actor like Kurtzberg, one possessing talent and charisma, is crucial to the success of the production.
Spencer Glass, playing the over-the-top tango singer Augustin Magaldi, was quite good. Glass found the subtleties in his character, an untalented singer who would do anything to be a star. Cheerfully conveying the superficiality of Magaldi, Glass allowed us to see that he and Eva could be a couple.
Of note also was Angelina Caruso, Peron's mistress. Singing beautifully "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," she added an empty mournfulness to her character while coming to terms with becoming newly homeless and alone.
The On Tour ensemble, so important to the success of "Evita," should be commended. The opening, "Requiem for Evita," was chilling, as was the closing number of the first act, "A New Argentina."
Kudos to director Sal Salerno for drawing out such fine performances in the cast.
The orchestra can make or break any theater production, but especially a musical like "Evita." Members of the pit, led by the talented H.B. Williams, sounded like professional Broadway musicians. The show must have been challenging with so extensive and complex a score, but the orchestra succeeded in every way.
You couldn't help but hum the songs from "Evita" as you left the theater, and that means the evening was a success.
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
