Cincinnati Landmark Productions has converted a one-time West Side cinema into a fine theatrical venue, the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, and the group’s ninth season has kicked off with an ambitious production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita, the tale of the charismatic, controversial Argentine first lady, Eva Perón.
The Covedale benefits from an excellent system for sound amplification, so every word sung by Brook Rucidlo (Eva), Michael Shawn Starks (Che) and Mike Sherman (Juan Perón) comes across clearly. Each is a strong vocalist, and this show — which is more sung than spoken — has a hard-working chorus, the members of which play numerous roles and sing and dance from start to finish. (Choreography is by Matthew Wilson.)
So why did I come away wishing for more? A fundamental challenge every director must face at the Covedale is the broad expanse of a stage that once supported a wide movie screen. Wilson’s choreography uses the space well, and the dancers feel well rehearsed, but director Greg Procaccino distributes performers from side to side and on elevated platforms. Although it’s a cast of 18, they feel sparse when spread out, not the kind of massed crowds that would add energy to scenes when Eva appeals to the masses. Even more troublesome are moments when central characters have so much distance between them that it diminishes the emotional potency of their interaction.
Evita continues at the Covedale Center for the Performing arts through Oct. 17. Go here to read Rick Pender’s full review.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2010.
