The truth is she's never left us!

In the summer of 1976 the follow up "rock opera" of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice was based on the life of Eva Peron.

Who? Yeah, that's what I thought back then. So, I gave it a chance because it was by the authors of Jesus Christ Superstar. I went to Record Factory ('member?) and purchased the double-LP of Evita: An Opera Based on the Life of Eva Peron 1919-1952. Wow! After the initial listening, I started to play it over and over and its anthem, Don't Cry for Me, Argentina became permanently etched in my mind. Of course, everyone asked what the heck was I singing or humming. Even during the rehearsals of Candide the director told me and a friend, Betty, that we sang nicely, but it was the wrong score! Well, needless to say that I was introducing this new theatre-rock score to my friends and they all accepted. You might say it was surprisingly good for them. (ahem!) So what was next? Of course, a theatrical version. By 1978 the great news arrived that Evita would open at the Prince Edward theatre in London. Oh, great! I'd have to save lots of money to go to an opening night. I had to make due with the reviews in Time and Newsweek, and of abbreviated cast album. David Essex played "Che" and Joss Ackland portrayed "Juan Perón. An unknown, Elaine Paige, got the lead and became the talk of the town in her dynamic portrayal of the First Lady of Argentina. Evita got really rave reviews and it was just a questions of time when it would come to Broadway. And who would earn the coveted role? Ann-Margret? Charo? Cher?

Summer of 1979...Evita has its American premiere in Los Angeles and in late July comes to San Francisco to the Orpheum Theatre. My friend Betty got 10 tickets for a preview, which was to benefit the San Francisco Opera, if I recall. And what a night. To see the young actress who was portraying Eva Duarte de Peron- Patti LuPone! She was dynamite and I got a lump in my throat to her incredible interpretation of Rainbow High- the song that she uses to dress up ready for her trip to Europe. But, apparently Patti was having vocal problems; the role of Evita was vocally demanding. I was able to see Evita five more times, but not with Patti, but with her alternate, Terri Klausner. BTW, she was just as electrifying as Patti. The local newspapers gave this show good reviews. The Chronicle referred to the show as "Eva Peron, Superstar." So, Evita closed in San Francisco and would open on Broadway in September of '79. A group of us went to the last Saturday matinee where we got the autographs of Mandy Patinkin (Che) and Terri Klausner. We got our fix for this incredible show.

The show opened on Broadway with Patti LuPone in command of the role. Check YouTube and you'll see her rendition of Rainbow High. Now, speak of irony or coincidence. At the Tony Awards in 1980, Faye Dunaway would present the Best Actress in a Musical. When she announced Patti LuPone for Evita the crowd was ecstatic. So was I. Oh, Faye Dunaway would later portray Eva Peron in a made for TV mini-series, Evita Perón. Hence, the coincidence.

This musical was the high tech of its day, with projections and girders and bridges that came down. Hal Prince, the director, was a genius. This musical is yet another chapter in the textbook on staging epic musicals.

"Eyes, hair, face, image

All must be preserved

Still life displayed forever

No less than she deserved"

("Lament" from Evita)