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‘Assassins’ Benefit Concert at Studio 54

Back in 2004, I had made plans to see the 5-time Tony-winning revival of Weidman and Sondheim’s Assassins just after Roundabout announced an extension through the fall. Within a couple of weeks, the extension was rescinded and I ended up not being able to get there. Whenever the production was mentioned in conversation over the next 8 years, I felt a slight tinge of regret – something I don’t feel very often when I don’t see a particular show. I had been an admirer of the original off-Broadway cast album, and found Sondheim’s exploration into the psyche of assassins and would-be assassins compelling, chilling and ultimately fascinating. So I often kicked myself for having missed it.

Late one night this last August while loafing around on Twitter, an announcement came through my feed that Roundabout would be presenting a one night only benefit concert of Assassins reuniting the entire 2004 cast, with Joe Mantello returning as director and Paul Gemignani as musical director. I don’t know that I’ve ever dropped more than a $100 on a theatre ticket, but decided I would treat myself to a rear mezzanine seat for $150. (Others paid much, much more for the privilege). I figured, especially since at the time I had only just recounted my regrets of missing the production, that this was something I had to see. No excuses. And as it would turn out, my buddy, Twitter maven, Sondheim enthusiast and professional crier Tyler Martins, bought a ticket for the seat right next to me.

As we took our seats for the concert, I couldn’t believe that more than three months had passed and the evening was finally here. To say I was excited would be an understatement. The evening was a staged concert with music stands and binders, with actors attired in all-black mufti and the orchestra (playing Michael Starobin’s excellent orchestrations) onstage. However, with a book this strong and a score this astounding – to say nothing of the brilliant company (with a game Annaleigh Ashford filling in for Mary Catherine Garrison as Squeaky Fromme), it didn’t matter.

The cast was superlative. Becky Ann Baker was a show-stealing riot as Sara Jane Moore, Mario Cantone was an appropriately loose cannon on Samuel Byck’s mad-man ramblings. My first experience seeing Denis O’Hare on stage was this summer in the Shakespeare in the Park revival of Into the Woods. While I thought he less than ideal as the Baker, he is gobsmackingly brilliant as Charles Guiteau, the unsettlingly upbeat shooter of James A. Garfield (his song is based on the actual poem he delivered at the gallows). Michael Cerveris, who won a Tony as John Wilkes Booth was excellent in the Lincoln scene, but utterly astounding in the final scene with Lee Harvey Oswald (Neil Patrick Harris).

During “Another National Anthem” Harris exited the stage and returned wearing a white tee-shirt as Oswald. This final scene, the culmination of the evening, is a fantasia in which the assassins past and future visit Oswald in the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas on November 22, 1963 to urge him to kill President Kennedy instead of committing suicide. Director Joe Mantello recreated the famed Zapruder film projection on Harris’ shirt, while the orchestra played the warped carnival waltz version of “Hail to the Chief.” This leads into “Something Just Broke,” a brilliant rumination by the show’s small chorus on the impact these assassins had on the rest of the world; how a major tragedy rattles us as a nation, leaves vivid memories like scars of where we were and what we were doing, and ultimately how we carry on (for me, I haven’t lived through an assassination attempt, but it brings to mind the events of 9/11).

I left Studio 54 numb, though I would have gladly paid for an encore.

Show Round-Up

Annie – I caught an early preview of the classic Strouse-Charnin musical at the Palace. I have a dubious history with this one; the last time I saw it onstage was 21 years ago and while I don’t remember much, I wanted Hannigan to win. Fortunately that was not the case in this new production directed by James Lapine and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler. Katie Finneran holds nothing back as Miss Hannigan, but the performance hadn’t quite gelled when I saw the show, and it didn’t help that her Rooster and Lily are barely there (and what’s up with Lily’s accent? Not cool, kids). Lilla Crawford has great sincerity and a clarion voice that brought down the house repeatedly, but her accent gets in the way. Merwin Foard, a reliable standby in so many recent productions, is finally onstage and a total delight as FDR. The real standout, though, is Australian baritone Anthony Warlow, whose sumptuous baritone is the 8th wonder of the world. His “Something Was Missing” stopped the show cold in act two. I was mixed on the set, though I loved the chandelier/Christmas tree effect. The choreography is, to put it mildly, terrible. Only the final number really had cohesion, and it was still a hot mess. Quibbles aside, the show is a charmer, thanks to its score and the sharp libretto by Thomas Meehan.

The Performers – I caught a late preview of this fast flop, which was entertaining but tremendously slight. There was no real conflict, mostly a non-porn couple who inexplicably question their monogamy while visiting Las Vegas for an adult film industry awards show. The play is rife with enough raunchy dialogue to make your great-grandmother’s monocle pop, but ultimately feels…tame. That said I found much to enjoy, and much to laugh at. Props to the terrific ensemble led by Alicia Silverstone, Henry Winkler and Cheyenne Jackson. However, the real star of the evening was Ari Graynor as Peeps, a dim, defensive porn star with a heart of gold. Everything she said or did went over like fireworks on the 4th of July, and a performance I am glad I had the opportunity to see. The play’s closure after 7 performances was a bit of a shock, as I’ve seen far worse enterprises run longer. While I don’t think it’s much of a play, I think the script could make for a more enjoyable film.

Giant – Edna Ferber’s novel is now a musical, in a sprawling retelling of the story of a Texas cattle baron and his decades long marriage to a Virginia socialite. This bold, ambitious piece is currently playing the Public Theater and while it could use some tinkering and fine-tuning, it’s a thrilling experience. Michael John LaChiusa’s music is haunting and often soars. The show has a cast of 22, and an orchestra of 16 – rare for an off-Broadway production. Brian D’Arcy James is excellent as Bick Benedict, a cattle baron whose unconditional love for Texas is challenged by a changing world. Kate Baldwin is giving the the performance of a career as his wife Leslie. John Dossett provides brilliant, sympathetic support as Uncle Bawley, while Michelle Pawk brings gruff pragmatism to Bick’s older sister Luz. Katie Thompson is a find as Vashti Hake, a ranch heiress jilted by Bick who becomes one of Leslie’s closest friends. Thompson can really sing, and deserves to be a leading lady herself. The character of Jett Rink lacks definition and as written barely registers as an antagonist (played by a game P.J. Griffith). For a show set in and about Texas, the musical feels somewhat cramped on the Newman stage. A show of this scope cries out for a venue like the Vivian Beaumont.

20 years of Encores! A Gala Celebration – This 90 minute program featuring many of Broadway’s finest talents performing under the music direction of both Rob Berman and original Encores! musical director Rob Fisher. Kelli O’Hara opened with “It’s a Perfect Relationship” from Bells Are Ringing, but her highlight was a sumptuous rendition of “Lover, Come Back to Me” from The New Moon. Raul Esparza revisited “Everybody Says Don’t” from Anyone Can Whistle and cut it up big time with the tongue twisting “Tchaikowsky” from Lady in the Dark. Rob McClure was charm squared leading “Once in Love with Amy” (and yes, the audience sang along!) from Where’s Charley? Joel Grey did “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago, Rebecca Luker, Sarah Uriarte Berry and Debbie Gravitte revisited their glorious “Sing for Your Supper” from The Boys from Syracuse. Other numbers came from Finian’s Rainbow, Too Many Girls, Fanny, Anyone Can Whistle, Do Re Mi, Juno, Lady in the Dark, Carnival and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Of special note was a middle section of found items, including “Where Do I Go From Here?” cut from Fiorello!, thrillingly sung by Victoria Clark. The most esoteric item on the bill was the overture for Nowhere to Go But Up, a nine performance bomb from 1962. Jack Viertel had asked Jonathan Tunick about whereabouts of its “the long-lost overture” during Merrily orchestra rehearsals. Turns out Tunick had it in his apartment. The evening ended with ‘Til Tomorrow from Fiorello! (which was the very first Encores! and will be revived this January). All musical numbers used the original arrangements and orchestrations. If there was a complaint it was that the evening ended too soon.

Theatre Aficionado at Large: The Last Five Years

It’s hard for me to believe it but five years ago today my first post went up on Theatre Aficionado at Large. I was amazed when this blog turned one year; I’m completely astounded it’s now five. It all started when I was invited to see a performance of Spring Awakening, and afterwards at a Starbucks on 8th Avenue, Noah Himmelstein and the immortal SarahB encouraged me to start a blog. I was reluctant to do so, as I had (and still have) no desire to be a formal critic, but a blog ultimately seemed better than sending the same three or four people a lengthy e-mail with observations about what I had just seen. And thus it began.

Over the last five years, I have had the great privilege to see many shows and events, and I’ve been invited to see more than I can possibly cover. This is wonderful, and I am still grateful and astonished by the courtesies I’ve received. But most importantly (and I apologize in advance for the sentiment), what I treasure most are the friends and acquaintances I have made as a result of this blog. The internet can be a weird, crazy place at times filled with very weird, crazy people, but have been lucky to meet so many people from all over the world, whom I would have not known otherwise. I treasure the brunches, dinners, post-show drinks, emails, tweets, comments (even the ones from people I’ve managed to piss off), text messages and phone calls. So many of my readers and fellow bloggers have become important people in my life. This is one of the greatest gifts that I have ever received by merely being a fan.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for engaging me in conversation and debate, and for making me a better writer. As the site enters Kindergarten, I look forward to more spirited adventures, opinions, obsessions and whatever else the future may bring.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – First Preview

I’ve received press invites to many preview performances, but until Thursday night I had never been invited to cover a show’s first preview. The 50th anniversary revival of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? has started performances at the Booth Theatre, an import from Steppenwolf starring Tracy Letts and Amy Morton. Even more surprising about this invite is that I received no press embargo. Well, with a play this solid and a production this fantastic, the October 13th opening is merely a formality. This new revival, gamely directed by Pam McKinnon, is a must-see.

Albee’s play is one of my favorites. I’ve read it many times (both the 1962 and 2005 editions). I love the “games” played, the logic and wordplay, as well as the iconic put-downs. I was bowled over by the 2005 revival starring Kathleen Turner and Tony-winner Bill Irwin (incidentally, the first time I ever saw a Broadway play for a second time) and one of my prized possessions is the 4-LP original Broadway cast album from Columbia (a collector’s item worth tracking down – Uta Hagen exceeds the hype). I even enjoy Mike Nichols’ iconic, if humorless film adaptation. I know Virginia Woolf? is 50 years old, but I don’t want to reveal any plot points just in case there’s someone reading this who hasn’t experienced it. In short: a professor’s wife invites a new, younger professor and his wife to their house after a faculty party for a small mixer. Booze and insults starts to flow, and things get unpleasant.

This Steppenwolf import is not your grandmother’s Virginia Woolf? Dynamics are significantly altered, characters fleshed out in ways that puts a different new spin on a classic. Even the familiar set is a now glorious disaster; a beautiful living room now marred by George and Martha’s mess: piles of books and papers strewn everywhere (including the fireplace), empty glasses, and bottles. Martha doesn’t take total command on her first entrance with “Jesus H. Christ” and George doesn’t seem quite so deferential.

In fact, Amy Morton takes Martha in a whole new direction. She doesn’t exude the larger than life gaucheness you expect of Martha. Instead, Morton enters looking very much the prim and proper professor’s wife in a conservative coat with her haired pulled back tightly. Once she lets down her hair, however, she is more than ready to hurl razor-sharp, ugly insults and “bite till there’s blood.” Yet Morton reveals many layers and facets of Martha that I hadn’t considered before. Her organic approach brings out Martha’s rage and disappointment in unexpected ways, even with her understated deliveries of certain scenes. Her final moments are utterly devastating.

Tracy Letts, probably better known these days for his award-winning writing than his acting, offers one of the most complicated and most dangerous interpretations of George. Typically played as a seemingly subservient foil to Martha’s domineering battle-ax, here he has more control than usual. The relationship between George and Martha has always been complicated, compelling and weird. With Letts’ tremendous performance, George not only dominates, but his relationship with Martha becomes as terrifying as a depraved codependency can be. His is a performance for the ages.

Madison Dirks plays Nick as less all-American and with more of an edge; his arrogance, ambition and condescension for George so naked that it’s easy to see why George goes out of his way to humiliate him. Even more impressive is Carrie Coon, offering one of the best interpretations of Honey I’ve seen. She enters, the epitome of primness and overly eager to impress, ultimately coming across as an embarrassment to her husband. As Honey gets drunker and drunker, Coon plays the scenes with a reckless, yet endearing abandon which makes Honey more empathetic and her breakdown over Nick revealing a personal secret all the more devastating.

Every time I experience Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (on stage, film or record), I am utterly spent by the end, as though I’ve actually stayed up until 5AM with these people. The play holds up remarkably well. It’s still unbearably hilarious and it ultimately still packs the sort of wallop that leaves an audience reeling. I can’t wait to experience it again.

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” – Encores! Cast Recording

My jaw dropped when I started playing the new cast album of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I know the Jule Styne-Leo Robin score fairly well, and have heard every recording there is (including the revised Lorelei). However, I was not prepared for the wall of glorious sound that came at me. It was like hearing the score for the first time – the detail in the Don Walker orchestrations during the overture, with its jazzy homage to the 1920s. This new recording of the acclaimed Encores! concert (courtesy of Masterworks Broadway) is an eargasm from start to finish, and manages to do something that many recent revival recordings have failed to do: capture the essence of what made the show such a hit onstage.

Megan Hilty is on the fast track to major musical theatre stardom. One of the reasons I stopped watching Smash is that I knew they were setting up her character to fail as Marilyn, which made absolutely no sense to me. While evoking Marilyn, she was her own gorgeous, sexy creation as Lorelei, bring the laughs to “A Little Girl from Little Rock” and providing the audience with a bona fide showstopper in “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” (The night I saw the show, she scored so big with this number that the audience revived its ovation on her entrance into the next scene). Also, the girl can friggin’ sing…

She is almost outdone by the delectable Rachel York, who as Dorothy Shaw leads the biggest production numbers and does so with a joy that was evident from the balcony of the City Center. Her joy is present here on disc; as York tears into “I Love What I’m Doing” and “It’s High Time” you can practically feel her smiling as she sings.

Aaron Lazar sings the ballads beautifully, Stephen Buntrock is delightfully absurd and in exceptional voice in his ridiculous paean to exercise and the benefits of fiber. Clarke Thorell croons Gus Esmond’s number with great ease. Simon Jones and Deborah Rush are also on hand and lend amiable support. The entire ensemble sings well, especially those who were assigned Hugh Martin’s intricate vocal arrangements. The result is just astounding. The first time the ensemble broke into the “Bye Bye Baby harmonies – both at City Center and in my living room – I got full body chills.

Under the baton of Rob Berman (who also co-produced the album) Don Walker’s orchestrations really shine forth. For the first time, the complete original stage score is preserved with all the encores, first and second act finales, dance breaks, and even that insanely catchy “Button Up with Esmond” jingle (the latter was previously only available on the original London cast album which has never been on CD). Of special note is the ten minute “Paris” sequence. It’s superfluous to the book, but quite attractive to hear. The album itself is packaged beautifully with many photographs, synopsis, essays and the complete lyrics.

Finally, I want to send a huge thank you to Margaret Styne, Jule Styne’s widow, who was instrumental in making sure this recording happened.

New from Broadway Records

New label Broadway Records is fast adding eclectic titles and talent to its catalog with its first cabaret recording and first concept cast album, though I don’t really think a 20 year old score can really have a “concept” recording this late in the game (more on that later). They’re fast becoming a label to reckon with, following on their high profile inaugural releases of Bonnie & Clyde, Lysistrata Jones, and the Nick Jonas How to Succeed EP.

It seems that Laura Osnes is just about everywhere these days. In the last year alone, the rising star has become a Tony nominee for her leading turn in Bonnie & Clyde as well as the new darling of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization (Encores! Pipe Dream, Carnegie Hall’s The Sound of Music and the upcoming revisal of Cinderella). She also brought Dream a Little Dream, her first go at cabaret, to the Cafe Carlyle.

She opens with “How ‘Bout a Dance,” the best from the Bonnie & Clyde before launching into a specialty “I Have Confidence.” An affable personality, Osnes has a self-deprecating sense of humor about stints in The Music Man (her dream role is Marian the Librarian) and even sings along with a demo of “Don’t Rain On My Parade” recorded by her 12 year old self. The comic highlight of the album is her reunion with Bonnie & Clyde co-star Jeremy and their spirited rendition of “Anything You Can Do” from Annie Get Your Gun (lots of delightful ad libs, and Osnes holds that note for 23 seconds). Props to her for including the obscure “Femininity” from the 1958 musical Oh, Captain. The emotional apex was with her tribute to her late mother, singing a devastating “When She Loved Me.”

Overall, Osnes is stronger in her middle register, or interpreting pop material (“I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today” and Norah Jones’ “Sunrise”) than in her less interesting ingenue/soprano mode (“Till There Was You” and “All The Things You Are”). That said, this doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of an accomplished recording. The single misstep I see in the recording is the inclusion of “A Whole New World,” a duet with Osnes’ husband Nathan Johnson which quite frankly lacks any real spark. This was Osnes’ first attempt at cabaret, so the patter isn’t very strong and she fills in gaps with what sounds like nervous laughter. As cabaret, this set as a whole lacks cohesiveness, but as a recording it’s quite fine. As a bonus, she included a preview of her upcoming Cinderella with a sincere rendition of “In My Own Little Corner.”

A new tour of Jekyll & Hyde starring Constantine Maroulis and Deborah Cox is on tour prior to a spring berth on Broadway. This new “concept” recording has been released in correlation with this new production. This time the orchestrations (by Jason Howland) are more rock flavored than I recall. Since the recording consists of the principal characters, the abysmal ensemble numbers are (thankfully) nowhere to be heard. The album restores “Bring on the Men,” which had been cut for the 1997 Broadway premiere. To be honest, the adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel is still fairly ridiculous, with some truly poor lyric choices from Leslie Bricusse and Steve Cuden though it has a few moments that stand out (namely “In His Eyes”).

Maroulis sings an impressive “This is the Moment,” while his “Confrontation” is something of a hot mess. Cox brings an appropriately dark, sultry vocal quality to Lucy (the role originated by Linda Eder) and acquits herself especially well on “Someone Like You” and “A New Life.” Teal Wicks doesn’t made much of an impression as Emma, a flavorless performance of a flavorless role paling in comparison to those have sung this role before. This recording was made in July and I can’t help but feel that the singers would have been better served with a later recording date, allowing them to define the characters they hadn’t yet played.

Summer Vacation

I can’t believe it’s fall. I had an incredibly busy summer, with work and life requirements getting much of my attention. I took a mental health break from formal blogging, but in the interim I discovered the rabbit hole that is Tumblr. I don’t quite know what to make of the site, except that I’m incredibly addicted. (You can follow me by clicking here).

Made it to Peter and the Starcatcher just prior to Christian Borle’s departure. The play was charming, if occasionally twee (I saw the big “reveal” coming a mile away). I wanted to make sure I made it to the show before Borle departed for season 2 of Smash, and I am not sorry I did. His Tony-winning performance as Black Stache was truly something spectacular and a triumph of comic madness. I was amazed with the laugh he got late in the second act, one of the longest sustained I’ve experienced in a theatre. It was also nice to be back in the Brooks Atkinson, my first time since the revival of Noises Off.

I also caught The Lyons on its closing performance. I’m not quite sure I love the play, but I was bowled over by Linda Lavin. It became quite apparent why Lavin passed up the Broadway productions of Follies and Other Desert Cities to do the play’s off-Broadway run. Rita Lyons surprised me in ways I didn’t expect. Her eleven o’clock aria-like monologue to her awful children was one of the most astonishing things I have seen (from a character perspective, I was genuinely surprised). Lavin received two back-to-back ovations: one when she told her kids to go fuck themselves, and immediately following on her exits. A euphoric audience shouted “Bravo!” and stamped feet. At the curtain call, Lavin started her curtain speech by saying “I’m going to give my Tony speech now…” met with a huge ovation from the audience and her fellow cast members. Also: The Cort Theatre needs to be refurbished. Those mezzanine seats were downright cramped and uncomfortable and I’m practically a hobbit.

Also caught up with the revival of Evita (loved the production, Roger and Cerveris; Max von Essen was a thrilling Che), the Sydney Theatre Company’s visiting production of Uncle Vanya (wrong venue, but Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh were sublime. The production made me want to throw myself in front of a bus – in a good way). I also spent three Midnights in Central Park with the thrilling (if bewilderingly controversial) revival of Into the Woods, with a new concept that I bought hook, line and sinker. This outdoor production at the Delacorte marked the first time I have ever cared what happened after the Witch left. Speaking of the Witch – Donna Murphy was utterly astounding; her “Last Midnight” was one of the most terrifying and electrifying musical theatre experiences I have ever had. The critical consensus was mixed; I do think they should have allowed four weeks of previews before letting in the press a la Playwrights Horizons.

Made it a point to catch Will Chase during his week-long stint in Nice Work If You Can Get It. The show has been doing remarkably well in spite of its chilly reception from critics. I am in the minority of reviewers who enjoyed the show for what it was and was in an even smaller minority who enjoyed Matthew Broderick’s performance. Revisiting the show with Chase was fun, he sings exceptionally well and has ample charm. I know that they are otherwise attached, but if he and co-star Kelli O’Hara ever mated that would be the ultimate musical theatre super baby. Interestingly enough, he was not nearly as funny as Broderick in the role. Tony winners Michael McGrath and Judy Kaye are even funnier now. The first act drags a bit, but the second act works like a piston – gags and shtick went over like gangbusters. I’m still in love with the glorious orchestrations by Bill Elliott and dance arrangements by David Loud.

I read producer Ruby Preston’s Broadway-related novel ShowBiz, which details the adventures of an aspiring Broadway producer and her whirlwind life working for a feared Broadway impresario (shades of Merrick, including the last name Margolies). The style isn’t spectacular, and the writing is fairly pedestrian but the yarn was amusing for a quick read. Hijinks involve the death of a major critic, the opening of a spectacle with echoes of that whole Spider-Man debacle, romance with a vicious but earnest gossip columnist and other hijinks. Preston is writing under a nom de plume, as her characters are apparently based on people that are major Broadway players. The book won’t win a Pulitzer, but I doubt high literary standing was the intent.

Finally, some thrilling news: one of my favorite actress (and Twitter pal) Holland Taylor is coming to Broadway in Ann, a one woman play that she wrote about late Texas Governor Ann Richards. Richards is an iconic political personality, with her trademark wit, brutal honesty and larger than life demeanor (to say nothing of that “Republican hair”) and ripe for dramatization. I have been following the development of the play rather closely over the last year, and have been anticipating this announcement for some time now. This is Ms. Taylor’s first experience as a playwright, a personal project that has been seen to great acclaim throughout Texas and in recent engagements in Chicago and Washington DC.

The playwright/star invited me to a brief presentation of Ann to NY theatre owners in May, and that just ramped up my excitement. Though we were only treated to about 20 minutes or so of the play, the star’s transformation is astounding. I was sitting in the second row at New World Stages and it felt like the late Governor herself entered and took court. Also: this isn’t hagiography nor is it a collection of familiar colloquialisms and sayings. The dialogue is almost entirely original, the product of years of painstaking research and revision. Opening night is March 7 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, and I cannot wait.

Now onto the new season…

Emma Thompson: Musical Theatre Leading Lady

Maryann Plunkett won the 1987 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Me and My Girl, but what many might not know is that the role of Sally in the Stephen Fry-Mike Ockrent revisal of the British classic was first played by Emma Thompson in the West End.

The show was a mammoth success in London, besting Les Miserables for most of the awards (most particularly Robert Lindsay’s sweep of Best Actor in a Musical) and running for 8 years.

From the Royal Variety Performance here’s Lindsay and Thompson performing the title song:

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They are joined by the company for the rousing “Lambeth Walk”

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Evita – New Broadway Cast Recording

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows don’t do much for me. I’ve never really been taken in by his style, and I tend to approach his shows from a mostly academic perspective, pulling the albums from the shelves every year or so for a refresher. The one exception is Evita. The rock opera by Webber and Tim Rice, which made stars of Elaine Paige and Patti LuPone, fascinates me to no end. I think it’s the most musically and dramatically compelling score Webber has ever written for the theatre, with a riveting and often thrilling look at a larger than life and divisive political legend.

Evita is back on Broadway for the first time since the original production closed, in a transfer of the acclaimed 2006 London production directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford. I haven’t seen the new smash-hit production yet, but Masterworks Broadway was kind enough to send me the new 2-disc cast album, the first complete recording of the stage score since 1979. And I haven’t stopped listening since I removed the shrink wrap.

As Che, Ricky Martin sings very well but his characterization likes bite and frankly, he sounds as if he’s narrating a school project. Where his character should be filled with anger and dripping with venom, Martin only seems mildly annoyed by Eva’s antics. Perhaps Harold Prince was right in modeling the character after Che Guevara. The always-reliable Michael Cerveris makes Juan Peron, usually a thankless role, the show’s emotional center. Max von Essen is the best Magaldi I’ve ever heard, while Rachel Potter sings a gorgeous “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.”

As for Evita herself, there’s been a lot of controversy over the casting of the Argentinian actress Elena Roger, whose vocal performance has been almost as divisive as the late Argentine First Lady herself. While I obviously cannot offer an opinion on her live performance, I can compare and contrast her singing between the 2006 London album and this new recording. In the intervening years, Ms. Roger’s English and diction have greatly improved, and her singing is stronger and clearer. I suppose I am in a minority, but I love the way she sings the role. Ms. Roger sings Eva with a flexible, steely voice and I love what she puts into the words acting-wise.

The liner notes are filled with color photographs. There no plot synopsis, but director Grandage has written a short essay. The complete lyrics are included. The production has new orchestrations by Lloyd Webber and David Cullen, which are a mixed bag. In certain sections they soar, in others it sounds like karaoke backing tracks. Also: the production includes the Oscar-winning “You Must Love Me” from the 1996 film adaptation.

Ultimately, no matter your opinion of Roger, this is an Evita worth hearing and worth the discussion. Included is a bonus track of Roger singing ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” in Spanish which makes me long to see her in a Spanish language production.