Dark Monday - Evita

It was 1979, and the musical Evita was all the rage. The music and lyrics were written by the hot young duo of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. And by hot I am meaning professionally, because there is no way at any given point in time Webber could be considered physically hot. It starred a young woman who had many roles on Broadway prior to this, but used the role of Eva Peron to skyrocket to fame. Patti LuPone was a tour de force in the role, and earned endless praise. Another breakout star was Mandy Patinkin in the role of Ché Guevara, with his amazing voice and vocal range, and an acting ability that saw no bounds.



Evita was the story of Eva Peron, and her rise from commoner to the first lady of Argentina. It is thought she slept her way to the top, chewing up and spitting out many on her way, and this musical doesn't disagree with that point. But with her booming voice and amazing charm, LuPone keeps the story interesting and the character human. Here is Patti singing Don't Cry For Me Argentina in a special event.



The production won 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Lead Actress In A Musical for LuPone, and Best Featured Actor In A Musical for Patinkin. It opened in September 1979, and closed in 1983 after more than 1,500 performances.

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Dark Monday - Sunday In The Park With George

I was lucky enough to see Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin in the original Broadway production of Sunday In The Park With George, as well as the recent revival brought over from London's West End. The musical, written by my hero Stephen Sondheim, is a brilliant homage to the painting by George Seurat, A Sunday Afternoon On The Island of La Grande Jatte. I will say I enjoyed the revival, but the original was just so damn good, with amazing performances by both Bernadette and Mandy which left an indelible memory of the experience even though with was about 25 years earlier.



The first act centers on Sondheim's take on the people who influenced the characters in the painting. The second act brings the story to the present, as Seurat's [fictional] great-grandson about to put on a 'light and color' art piece, inspired by the painting produced in the first act. Like most of Sondheim's work, the music and lyrics were textured and layered, with meaning, emotion, and storyline a focus. The first act closed with George (Patinkin) finishing the painting, and placing all the characters in the tableaux.



The show focuses on the process of art for the artist, from George songs like Color And Light, Finishing The Hat, and Putting It Together opening a discussion of the thinking of artists. I certainly remember thinking it was perhaps Sondheim's most personal musical to date. His quiet, reclusive, and ponderous George was about as close to his own reputation as any character has been.


The marquee for the revival.

The following is a clip for the song Move On from Act II of the show. While not from the show, it is Bernadette singing it beautifully.

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