"Evita"
"Evita" is the musical story of Eva "Evita" Peron, who rose from poverty to become the most powerful woman in Argentina's history before her death at age thirty-three.
It may have taken you a while to discern that if you had seen Munopco's production last Friday night, directed by Larry Williams. During the first three or so musical numbers, the audience hardly heard an articulate lyric.
The problem was more than just the sound mix, because when Daniel Petrovich began his fine performance as dictator Juan Peron, you could understand nearly every word he sang.
Both Irving Gonzalez as "Che" Guevara and Tammy Hutterer as Evita sang too fast to be generally understood, and were often drowned out by the blaring horns of the orchestra.
Since Gonzalez's character narrated the story throughout the two-hour show (Guevara originally came from Argentina), many of the scenes were incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The sets, usually a saving grace in Munopco's productions, were generally sparse and ugly. The choreography, which at one point featured cast members pushing their hands in the air and shaking their booty, was more likely to start a revolution than a celebration.
The show improved in the second half during quieter scenes. Gonzalez became less expansive, and Hutterer provided moving (and articulate) vocals during the scenes of Evita's decline and death.
Just as Eva Peron's image of benefactress to the poor threatened the underlying financial stability for her country, the attention to the elaborate costuming and lighting of her character seems to have overdrawn this production. Either way, it was enough to make Argentina cry.
''Evita,'' Oct. 3-5, performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1533 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets: $25; $22, seniors and children. 610-437-2441.
--Dave Howell, 9/03
(This article first appeared in The Morning Call newspaper.)
It may have taken you a while to discern that if you had seen Munopco's production last Friday night, directed by Larry Williams. During the first three or so musical numbers, the audience hardly heard an articulate lyric.
The problem was more than just the sound mix, because when Daniel Petrovich began his fine performance as dictator Juan Peron, you could understand nearly every word he sang.
Both Irving Gonzalez as "Che" Guevara and Tammy Hutterer as Evita sang too fast to be generally understood, and were often drowned out by the blaring horns of the orchestra.
Since Gonzalez's character narrated the story throughout the two-hour show (Guevara originally came from Argentina), many of the scenes were incomprehensible to those unfamiliar with the musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The sets, usually a saving grace in Munopco's productions, were generally sparse and ugly. The choreography, which at one point featured cast members pushing their hands in the air and shaking their booty, was more likely to start a revolution than a celebration.
The show improved in the second half during quieter scenes. Gonzalez became less expansive, and Hutterer provided moving (and articulate) vocals during the scenes of Evita's decline and death.
Just as Eva Peron's image of benefactress to the poor threatened the underlying financial stability for her country, the attention to the elaborate costuming and lighting of her character seems to have overdrawn this production. Either way, it was enough to make Argentina cry.
''Evita,'' Oct. 3-5, performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1533 Hamilton St., Allentown. Tickets: $25; $22, seniors and children. 610-437-2441.
--Dave Howell, 9/03
(This article first appeared in The Morning Call newspaper.)