Evita Soars at Bay Street Theater

Thrilling revival of classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical soars at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor.

By: Patrick Christiano

August 5, 2018: The thrilling revival of Evita, the classic biography of Eva Peron with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, soars through the rafters at Bay Street with a luminous staging by Will Pomerantz, also the Associate Artistic Director of Bay Street Theater. He impeccably incorporates every element into a visually lush evening that scores emotionally as well as musically. His Latin American cast is sensational led by a radiant Arianna Rosario as Eva, with a sensual Trent Saunders as Che and a strong Omar Lopez-Cepero as Peron. Pomerantz has able assistance from Marcos Santana’s spirited choreography, and Anna Louizos’ imaginative set that transforms the theater into a working-class tango bar in Buenos Aires circa 1962.

This revival of the 1978 classic, originally staged by Harold Prince, takes a new look at the iconic Eva Perón’s ascent to the First Lady of Argentina. Her story, under Pomerantz’ guidance, feels equally relevant today, 40 years after Perón’s tragic death from cancer at the age of 33, resonating with themes of politics and women’s empowerment.

Bay Street, under Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, has developed a signature treatment for large-scale musicals, by adapting them into an intimate experience in a thrust theater that gives the audience an up close and personal view of the action without losing any of the grandness of the musical. Evita’s classic score has some of Webber and Rice’s biggest hits, including “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “High Flying, Adored” and “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.”

Evita will run at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor through September 2. To purchase tickets or for more information call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or purchase online at www.baystreet.org

Photography: Barry Gordin

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