Touring Broadway's Evita Comes to Eisenhower for Two Shows April 9 and 10
March 17, 2008
Winner of seven Tony Awards, Evita brings to life the dynamic, larger-than-life persona of Eva Peron. The epic story of the rise and fall of Argentina's former first lady is told in a sweeping pop opera featuring the song "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina." The touring Broadway production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical comes to Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium for shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, April 9 and 10.
Section one and two tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are $48 and $42 for an adult, $38 and $32 for a University Park student and $43 and $37 for a person 18 and younger. Buy tickets online at www.cpa.psu.edu or by phone at (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also on sale at four State College locations: Eisenhower Auditorium (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays), Penn State Tickets Downtown (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday), HUB-Robeson Center (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays) and Bryce Jordan Center (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays).
Blessed with charisma, Peron captivated a nation by championing the working class. Evita is a story of glamour, power and greed. The musical moves swiftly from her illegitimate birth into poverty to her status as a world player and South America's most important woman.
Evita became the first mega musical and set a record for the largest box office advance when it opened at the Broadway Theatre in September 1979. It went on to sweep all the major theater awards, winning seven Tonys including best musical, score, book and director. It ran for 1,568 performances on Broadway before closing June 25, 1983.
Evita was the first Broadway show to be reproduced successfully in every major city in the
world. It also became the first musical since the Rodgers and Hammerstein era to burst on to the world's pop charts. The Broadway cast album won a Grammy Award in 1981.
A new generation was introduced to Evita in December 1996 with the opening of Alan Parker's film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas. The film received five Oscar nominations, winning for best song, and won three Golden Globes, including best musical or comedy picture.
Rice (lyricist) won Tonys for best book and best original score for Evita. He also wrote the stage musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess, King David and The Lion King. He received Oscars for Evita's "You Must Love Me" and Aladdin's "A Whole New World."
Lloyd Webber (composer) won a Tony for best original score for Evita. He also composed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, By Jeeves, Song & Dance, Cats, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard and Whistle Down the Wind. He has won six Tonys, three Grammys and an Oscar for Evita's "You Must Love Me."
Kish Bank sponsors the performance. WTAJ-TV is the media sponsor. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist or local expert, is offered in Eisenhower Auditorium one hour before each performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity. Seating is available on a first-arrival basis. Audio description, which is especially helpful to patrons with sight loss, is available for the April 10 performance at no extra charge to ticket holders. A grant from the Penn State Student Activities Fee Funds makes University Park student prices possible.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379