Posts Categorized: Evita

Broadway’s Best Working Girls – 4 – Evita

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Although some people are born into being rich, politics and having a name, Eva Person sleeps her way to the top of the political scene in the musical Evita. Eva Peron started out in a little town which she knew wasn’t for her. Eva took a train into Buenos Aires where she had to start out as a working girl to pay rent, buy food and to survive. After realizing she could actually climb a social and political ladder by using her body and her looks, she eventually climbed her way into getting a radio show, a husband and a political career that started with a radio show and that will always live on in history.

Eva used her radio show to brand herself as the leader or the voice of the people and also to help elect her husband, Juan Peron, into office as the leader of the Argentine people. By sleeping her way to the top, she was able to take over a country, help provide food and money to numerous people in need as well as work on international politics by flying around the world and making allies with numerous countries. Unfortunately not all of them were positive allies like when she partnered with Adolf Hitler and used Nazi money (stolen from Jewish families, etc…) to help fund her programs and make her people’s lives better. Although I don’t agree with her taking advantage of the Holocaust and partnering with Hitler, at the same time she was looking out for her country and her own people. I’m Jewish so of course it disgusts me but when she comes from a poor family and finds sources of income to help her people, I don’t think she was able to resist taking it. It’s kind of funny that Eva Peron and Evita is all about life and making life better, but it was also at the cost of millions of Jewish people, Muslims and others who were being tortured and she would turn her head.

Eva was a definite prostitute in my opinion and was able to sleep her way into fame and fortune. She died being one of the most loved and hated leaders of Argentina and her name is in almost every history book. What many people don’t actually know is how she funded everything and the history books don’t always talk about the negative influences she had on other people by using Nazi money.

Evita Audience Participation – Madonna Version

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Ok, one thing everyone loves is a good classic Broadway Show.  Well not everyone but when you mix a Pop Diva like Madonna, her acting is on and you also throw in a heart throb Hollywood Actor and Broadway Star like Antonio Banderas, you definitely have a winning mix.

Not only did this show become a reality and hit the main stream in the 90′s to bring Broadway back to main life, but it also sparked a career for Madonna, since in my opinion it was the only movie she starred in (besides A League of Their Own (Directed by Penny Marshall) with the fabulous, Tom Hanks, Rosie O’Donnell, Gena Davis and Lori Petty) where she did a phenomenal job.  I love Madonna and was even more in love with her when I saw this movie production.  I even went out and bought her remixes on vinyl to spin at a couple of raves and clubs when I was in college because when you mix a Pop Diva and Broadway together you are bound to get a few flawless songs and remixes from it.  Sure enough her Don’t Cry for Me Argentina hit the top of the dance charts as well.  But did you expect anything less from the fabulous miss Madge in her Broadway Screen debut?

Anyways, onto the purpose of this post which is the call backs from the song Don’t Cry for Me Argentina for Showtunes nights when they play Madonna’s Evita and everyone goes crazy.

She starts on her balcony with:

Madonna (M):  It won’t be easy

Audience (A):  Like you

M:  You’ll think its strange

A:  Like you

M:  When I try to explain how I feel

A:  Like a slut

……………….

M:  It won’t be eeeeaaasy

A:  Like you

Then this goes on for a while.

Now, when she finishes her next couple versus, the camera scans the audience and as it is scanning it eventually catches on to Antonio Banderas in the crowd and everyone yells “There’s Waldo”.

Another fun call back is when the crowd starts cheering Peron, Peron, Peron and the camera is scanning from the back to the front whee Madonna is on her balcony and since it is looking from behind the supports signs say noreP instead of Peron so everyone in the crowd will start chanting No Rep, No Rep, No Rep.  I just realized how ironic that is especially since Eva was for the representation of the Argentine People and we are chanting No Rep and that is her husband’s last name backwards.  Gotta love Irony!

Anyways, at the end of the song in some bars they all pass out drink napkins and when she finishes her speech and everyone cheers people toss drink napkins in the air like confetti to celebrate either the end of the song if you are not an Evita or Madonna fan or to cheer them both on.  Some bars do this and some don’t do it for this song but they do do it on the song “Buenos Aires” when she is leaving for the train.  BTW there are a ton of fun call backs for this song too.

Anyways, Evita was a hit at the movies and is still going strong strong at showtunes nights across the country in both straight and gay bars.  Everyone loves a classic show you can sing a long to and when you tie in stars like Madonna and Antonio Banderas it gets even better.