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Review: Vancouver Opera's Evita entertaining, perhaps not educational

To really understand Vancouver Opera's sumptuous production of Evita now running at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, it's best you go armed with some knowledge about the historical figure at its heart.

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To really understand Vancouver Opera’s sumptuous production of Evita now running at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, it’s best you go armed with some knowledge about the historical figure at its heart.

Born in an obscure town in rural Argentina as the illegitimate daughter of a rancher, Eva Duarte grew to worldwide fame as the glamorous wife of Juan Perón, a man some compared to Mussolini while others saw as the saviour of his country. She gained power through sheer force of personality until cancer drained her of that drive.

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She died (this is not a spoiler — it happens in the first scene) beloved by the people but hated by the military that would go on to rule the country.

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If you’re looking for a heartfelt elegy to an important woman, this is not it. The Evita of Webber and Tim Rice is smart and ambitious, though occasionally naive and wilfully blind. The show tends to ascribe to her more control over the events of her life and in her country than could have logically been possible at a time before women were even allowed to vote in Argentina.

Caroline Bowman is more than a match for the soaring solos of the central character. Along with the pathos and fragility, she shines through Evita’s bravado and her flashes of vanity.

Over the years, there has been some controversy around the character of the narrator. He was originally written by Rice as a lower class Everyman, but shifted by director Hal Prince to directly reference South American revolutionary Che Guevara. The 2012 Broadway revival reverted the character to his original state, but for Vancouver Opera, he’s most definitely referencing the father of the Cuban revolution, going so far as to appear wearing a T-shirt with Guevara’s face near the end.

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As Che, Ramin Karimloo has charisma to spare. Though he sometimes struggles in the low notes, he flies through the pop rock high notes, ably standing out from the crowds as the sole dissenter to the country’s ardent love of the heroine.

The only local to have a solo, Shannon Chan-Kent, acquits herself with panache as Juan Peron’s young lover who’s immediately forced to vacate upon the arrival of Eva. Her song is sweet but her character comes kind of out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly, making for a rather jarring departure from the otherwise tightly focused story.

Drew Facey’s set pulls out all the stops, using multiple screens to lend depth to digital set pieces that evoke cathedrals and the glitzy streets of 1940s Buenos Aires.

Director Kelly Robinson approaches the material with a charming sense of humour and a healthy respect for spectacle. Tracey Flye adds a dose of tango to the choreography that fills the stage with constant dazzling movement. The orchestra led by conductor Jonathon Darlington lends heft and beautiful depth to Lloyd Webber’s score through such catchy numbers as “Buenos Aires” and “Oh What a Circus” as well as the well-known ballad “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.”

As a historical document, Evita may not be as deep as it could be, but the Vancouver Opera production of the show is certainly an entertaining evening.

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