Not Quite Donne

OMG. Tom Hollander at The National Theatre, squee.

Please, someone go with me. Please. I want to go Monday the 2nd, Wednesday the 4th or possibly even this Saturday if someone wants to. Tickets are about £20, though I can call and ask if they do half price concessions for previews.

PLEASE OMG I WANT TO GO!

On a related note, if anyone wants to see Attempts on Her Life at the National next Thursday, Tan and I are going and I can sell you a ticket for £10. They are sold out, and it's supposed to be a really good play. t00by people: join us!

In my lame "yo, I'm too lazy to post" phase this weekend, I forgot to mention in my morning Percy/Oliver squee post that I saw Evita this weekend!

OMGAMAZING. I've loved this musical since I was a child, as I used to listen to the 1976 Concept Recording record my mom had. Julie Covington's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" = ♥. I know not everyone is a fan of Evita, as it is Andrew Lloyd Webber's most discordant/over-the-top rock operas, but there's just something about the mad harmonies and Tim Rice's lyrics (their last collaboration!) that grabs me. Plus the Evita story is fascinating.

I also quite like the movie, though I will say that when I rewatched it this weekend post-musical, some of the cinematography I used to really like looked a bit sloppy. But still, I really enjoy the arrangements they did for the music, despite the fact that they lowered most of Eva's songs to suit Madonna's (lack of) range. It's a really good soundtrack, and I've never particularly liked the Broadway recording (with Patti Lapone and Mandy Patinkin - the arrangements are too muddled/bombastic and I prefer more nuance in my Eva).

But the new London cast. Oh, the new London cast. Sir ALW has outdone himself. I thought the cd was good. But the show was BETTER. The orchestrations are even stronger live, and they put real power behind the big show numbers. The whole cast is FABULOUS, particularly the Che because OMG HIS HIGH NOTES, but the show, of course belongs to Eva. She may be only like 5 foot tall (she's really petite!), but she's a powerhouse - even when dancing her ass off, her singing is clean, emotive and crisp (she's actually Argentinean, so the crisp refers to her diction :D). Plus, yes! Her being Argentinean lends a real authenticity to her portrayal, I think. She doesn't need to put on an accent, unlike a few other actors who try and it sounds really pretentious.

I usually don't really like Magaldi or Peron's big song numbers, but I think they've finally cast two really solid male performers who compliment both the Eva and the Che, and I really enjoyed them. Che had hints of indie wannabe boy, but he really pulled off the second half (high notes!). The Waltz for Eva and Che was FAB.

So, yes: if you're in London and want to see a really good musical, I highly recommend the new Evita. I saw the travelling company in Boston three years ago, and this far surpasses it in every single way. I wasn't convinced Evita really worked as a stage musical until now.

Squee. (thank you thegreenquill for taking me!!!! ♥)

Equus. EQUUS.

Okay. Well. Yes.

Spoilers Ahoy.

( I may have some unpopular opinions, to be better expressed in a forthcoming formal review )

That's all I can think of for now. I need more time to gather my thoughts. I'm also not home, so now's no time to sit down and do a proper write up. Obviously I'm approaching this very critically, with the eye of a theatre/film critic, not as a squeeful fan. Feel free to initiate discussion in the comments; I'd be happy to elaborate on any point, clarify or quantify my answers.

In conclusion: DAN IS FUCKING SHORT AND I WANT TO CRY.

And, no, I didn't see him after, but I plan on going back when the back stage door isn't so crazy crowded. I did see the girl who played Jill, as I mentioned.