Cast Evita 50th Anniversary — Photo by WM Creative Agency
Belgium is hosting a special concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Evita, before it tours across the Netherlands.
The musical has gained popularity after its massive success in London last year, where Rachel Zegler stepped into the role of Eva Perón and introduced the iconic song “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” to new audiences.
An increible duo
Vajèn van den Bosch and Milan van Waardenburg are exceptional; they couldn’t have chosen a better cast for
Eva Perón and Che. There wasn’t much acting or staging but you could really feel the connection between the two. Milan surprised the audience with his amazing voice and some impressive high notes during the song: “And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)” while, Vajèn was outstanding as Eva Perón, delivering an incredible performance with
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and “Rainbow High”.
A Concert, Not a Musical
As this is a celebration, the focus was entirely on the incredible star casting and the iconic score written by
Andrew Lloyd Webber. Every song is so powerful, and the musical score is phenomenal.
Che is played by Milan van Waardenburg and Eva Perón is played by Vajèn van den Bosch, neither of whom are strangers to the big stage, having recently made their UK debuts in Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman (which is transferring to the West End next year).
The supporting roles are played by Dieter Troubleyn as Juan Perón and Louis Thyssen as Magaldi. Louis Thyssen is best known for his role as Vladimir in the series Nachtwacht and, more recently, as Prince Maurice in Sleeping Beauty. It is a nice change to see him stepping into a new character; his voice is super strong, and it’s unfortunate we didn't get to see more of his character.
The cast is joined on stage by a 30-piece orchestra and a choir, which added a powerful touch to the performance.
Stage and Lighting Design
Despite the incredible singers, choir, and musicians, there were technical issues throughout the show. Thirty minutes in, they had to pause the performance due to problems with the cast members' in-ear monitors.
Furthermore, the production made some interesting staging choices. During the final scenes, the audience was given an unexpected view of the backstage area at the Stadsschouwburg in Antwerp. Throughout the show, the stage was framed by black curtains, which were suddenly raised during Eva’s death scene. Why? I have no idea, but it created a very strange and empty feeling, leaving me wondering whether it was intentional or another technical issue.
The set design was minimalistic, which is understandable for a concert. The iconic steps were placed in the center, surrounded by the orchestra. Because the stage design was kept intimate, the focus was placed heavily on the lighting; however, there were a lot of flashing lights that didn't feel entirely necessary.
Overall, Evita features a historic score and incredible musicians and cast, giving you the feeling of standing in Argentina.
Evita is playing until November 15 in Belgium before touring in the Netherlands. More information can be found at: https://www.evita50.eu/
