EVITA!

Don't cry for me, Argentina!



So.....my parents had tickets to Evita. Broadway shows seem to be their new hobby. Maybe it's because now that they're retired, my dad doesn't have any really good excuses not to go when my mom asks him. Regardless, in preparation for the big show, my mom gets this great idea to search the web for more information about her life and watch the movie "EVITA" starring Madonna 3 hours before show time. The show itself is about 2 hours. That's a big dose of Evita for one day!

I don't know how many Madonna fans are out there, but I have to say that this movie showcases a side of Madonna that the public had never seen before. She really lives the role and her acting and singing are emotional, believable, and probably one of her best projects in her career.

I must mention my other two favorite projects (even though they are completely different genre and a different level of entertainment): her video with Austin Powers and (my all-time favorite) the video to "Material Girl" in which she embraces the Marilyn Monroe image. Anyhow, I think Madonna really shows off her true talent in this movie. Maybe it's because she can relate to Evita on a level many of us can't.

My dad walked in on this EVITA 101 video course and promptly decided that "there was too much music" and that he really didn't want to go after all and promptly made him wonder what I was doing that night. Thus, I was invited! I really enjoyed it.

The first thing I noticed was that they were smoking on-stage. Initally, I thought it was just part of the special effects as the smoke trailed up and around the characters, but the smell was pretty strong. Soon the entire civic center was filled with clouds of smoke and people started coughing and coughing and coughing....that lasted pretty much throughout the entire production. The cigarette smell is not one I'm overly fond of myself, but the cigars weren't too bad.

The lead screamed or shouted her lines and that was little distracting from her character. The movie portrays a much more personable, romantic side than the Broadway show. Of course, there's been time to refine all of those things. The most intriguing part of the night was the real footage they showed of the true Evita throughout. That was really fascinating and put in an element of truth and credibility to the whole thing. I loved the costumes. The white dress she wore was spectacular! Absolutely gorgeous! It could've been a wedding gown. And I also enjoyed the Lauren Bacall outfit.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that my mom's cell phone went off at the very end during Evita's funeral on-stage. That was a trip! Never mind that there were repeated reminders from myself and the staff...If you know my mom, you know how very typical this is...every time we go to there is always a crazy story to go with it, but we always have fun and we laugh about it later (sometimes, MUCH later!) I'm grateful that we are able to do things together!