Evita is rainbow magic (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Evita is rainbow magic

5:24pm Friday 24th April 2009 in

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Evita

The Mayflower

RACHAEL Wooding’s heart-rending performance as Argentina’s famous first lady stole the show in Evita.

As a long-standing fan of the musical, I grew up listening to the effortlessly powerful voice of Julie Covington, and this – coupled with Antonio Banderas’ charismatic and sexy performance in the 1996 film – meant that, for me, Bill Kenwright’s production had a lot to live up to.

But I needn’t have worried.

Wooding brilliantly portrays Eva Duarte’s journey from the parochial teenager to the poised and confident heroine, and saint, that she becomes – singing from her balcony to the Argentine masses – through to her illness and ultimate death.

Her tears are real and the emotion she goes through and puts into her powerful voice with every performance must leave her drained and exhausted.

Mark Heenehan plays a sympathetic Peron and the supporting cast, who pop up in different guises, have some great ensemble numbers – in particular their joyful dancing in Buenos Aires and And the Money Keeps Rolling in (and Out).

Seamus Cullen – a finalist in the BBC’s show Any Dream Will Do – as Che is clearly an audience draw, but although he certainly has a good voice, for my liking, he does not have enough charisma for the character.

He is good at drawing in the audience as he watches and comments on Eva’s actions, or inaction, but Cullen is still quite inexperienced in stage musicals compared with his co-stars, with the exception of James Waud as Magaldi, who won a “search for a star” competition in the Liverpool Echo to land his role, and is suitably sleazy.

There are some wonderful frocks to ogle – there must be near a dozen costume changes for Wooding – which is epitomised in the Rainbow High dance where Eva is surrounded by suited men with full-length mirrors as she dresses.

This polished production is running at the Southampton venue until tomorrow and tickets can be booked from the box office, on 02380 711811, or at mayflower. org.uk.