Evita

Eva Peron (1919-1952), the legendary first lady of Argentina, rose from poverty to become one of the most influential women of the 20^th Century. Her amazing, short life is the subject of myth and legend. This fact really wasn't brought to prominent international recognition until the Lloyd-Webber/Rice concept album Evita came to light in 1976, followed by it's Brechtian style musical in 1978.

This reviewer vividly recalls “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” being a smash Number One radio hit in 1977. It's not difficult to recall just how much the thrilling orchestration and beautifully narrative lyric stood out at the time, alongside the likes of “Car Wash” by Rose Royce. So much so, that this song (and the accompanying hypnotic, often darkly-discordant score) never fails to still make the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up.

Gosford Musical Society's slick production reflects this reverent tone in absolutely every aspect of the piece. From the imposing and versatile two storey set, to the powerful lighting effects, authentic costume design and tight vocal harmonies.

The depth of talent in the GMS stable ensures that professional-level performances have come be expected – but even in saying that, Kasey Mckenzie as Eva, Tyson Almond as Che, still really stood out in their respective roles. With the largely static set allowing for virtually negligible scene changes – it served to highlight just how accomplished and charismatic their performances were in particular.

Christopher Martin's sensitive portrayal of Juan Peron and cameos by Jessica May King and Gareth Isaac are all also outstanding. However, equal star billing also has to be awarded to the ensemble. The commitment from every chorus member and the genuinely exhilarating choreography is a credit to the obvious devotion Davis and his production team have to the story, as well as the source material.

Rose Cooper