Artistic Director’s Welcome
WELCOME TO EVITA
This is one of my all-time favorite musicals. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s soaring, visceral score is a modern classic—I remember buying the original cast album and listening until I knew the music by heart. Whether you are a longtime fan of the show or are encountering it here for the first time, I’m so happy to welcome you to A.R.T. for this new incarnation of Evita.
This production is helmed by director Sammi Cannold, who started her journey at the A.R.T. in 2016 as an Artistic Fellow. Since then, Sammi has contributed to a total of ten productions here, including her evocative and inspired direction of Endlings in 2019. Sammi’s concept for Evita fuses musical theater choreography and authentic tango, crafted by co-choreographers Emily Maltby and Valeria Solomonoff. The international ensemble, with many members hailing from Argentina, unites veteran theater performers with world-champion tango artists.
The historical Eva Perón has been simultaneously deified and demonized, and this production puts a spotlight on that contradictory legacy. On multiple research trips to Argentina, Sammi and her team have delved into the history of this woman who, never educated above grade six, became First Lady by the age of twenty-seven. A.R.T.’s “Essential Question” for this piece, developed in conversation with the creative team, asks: Icon or human. Villain or saint. Aggressor or victim—who was the woman inside the ballgown?
Read on in this Guide for a window into the creative process of the piece, including an interview I conducted with Sammi, and be sure to explore our lobby display of imagery and objects related to the legacy of Eva Perón.
Thank you for joining us!
Diane Paulus
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director
