The Production's Got Potential

Evita - Ganderheimer Domfestspiele, 20th July, 2014

I hadn’t really intended (noticed the other day how often I start posts with these words these days. I have to blame the dullness of the theatre scene in this country for it ;-) ) to see this production of Evita. Not that the festival actually originally intended to show it having announced Jesus Christ Superstar first but due to licencing issues had to change the musical.

I am not such a fan of open air productions, the chance of getting rain in this country in summer is relatively high, getting to Bad Gandersheim is pain in the a*** if you need public transport, two changes and tight train schedules sometimes or you may have to run for your train when the show is over as I had to again.

The Evita shows were already nearly all sold out anyway even before announcing the full cast – interesting that Evita still has, despite having been around for so many years and so many productions, even that festival performed Evita already in the late 1990s, such an appeal with also still plenty other rep theatres showing it.

Well, when the casting was announced I was pleasantly surprised with Patrick Adrian Stamme cast as Che and Karsten Kenzel as Magaldi having liked both in other shows, so I checked the shows I would have been able to go to – all sold out. Great. 

But I did not give up hope and most spontaneously checked for last Sunday’s matinee to see that what seem to be the house seats had been released to the ordinary crowd – as I also had time, even if it meant to be spend HOURS on trains – I decided to go. 

So on Sunday morning I was off to Bad Gandersheim....

Cast 

Eva Peron - Franziska Schuster
Che - Patrick Adrian Stamme
Juan Peron - Hardy Rudolz
Magaldi - Karsten Kenzel
Mistress - Julia Hiemer

Ensemble: Alice Hanimyan, Pascal Höwing, Johannes Kiesler, Alexander Martin, Anna Preckeler, Silvio Römer, Tabea Scholz,  Dominika Szymanska

Direction - Craig Simmons
Musical Direction -  Heiko Lippmann
Set Design - Kati Kolb
Choreography - Hardy Rudolz 

The production opens in a rather run-down bar, an older guy standing behind the bar polishing glasses, some other guy cleaning the chairs and the floor, bar guests arrive when you suddenly hear the Secretary of the Press' announcement out of a radio that Evita "entered immortality".

The guests lament Evita, a photo of her is put on the bar until the guy who had just cleaned the chairs seems to have enough breaking into "Oh What A Circus" turning out to be Che - BUT just a Che, not as in most production THE Che.

What happens now is a bit of a novelty for me having seen about a dozen other productions. The story does not then switch back to how it all started with Evita more or less just like that - the female ensemble sings the last lines of "Oh What A Circus" and one after the other gets evicted by Che who is comparing each to a portrait of Evita and what the people in the bar then actually initiate is they reflect on Evita's life and re-enact the story.

One guest is picked as Magaldi, one guest later then as Peron and so on. The whole staging of this story telling also reflects that as the various scenes are often stuff which stood around before in the bar with just the odd additional prop being brought on stage, also costume changes are often taking place on the stage or on the side so can be watched by the audience. The whole concept actually reminds a bit of the one or other production of "Man Of La Mancha" - not sure whether that is coincidence or not.

What though annoyed me was the pace which was rather slow with the scene changes done by the small ensemble using up time with costume changes happening on stage or at least on the side, the poor ensemble, especially the guys having to switch characters within seconds the odd time, even the 'big' change for the normally opening scene of act 2 when Evita is to perform "Don't Cry For Me Argentina ". This being Bad Gandersheim though they have to keep running time under two hours so there is no interval (but as a short show anyway not the usual cuts as seen at other shows there).

Saying that the whole "Montage" got fortunately cut, never a fan of it, massively bugging me in the current UK tour production as it interrupts the flow of the final moments for me. I just want to Evita to do her speech, sing her "Lament" and die.

The costumes did not always match the scenes but keeping the opening scene in mind it was a logic concept.

Interesting also the final moments once Evita has died Che helps the girl he picked to portray Evita out of the bed, she takes off the blond wig to hand to Che who gesticulates that she shall keep it. It is also the two then who sing the lines the embalmers normally sing - clever idea to let "Evita" sing the final line even if the her holding the wig and looking at it reminds a bit of Meg Giry picking up phantom's mask at end of POTO.

Well, overall the concept was one I liked, there were the odd ideas I didn't like as during "You Must Love Me", but then I have a major issue with the German translation anyway as already mentioned when seeing Evita in Wiesbaden, but here Peron just leaves Eva when she sings the number as if tired of her or as if it is all too much for him, so not the original idea of that number - the pace just did not match it. 

It may have been better if they had worked with some extras so that the performers could more focus on actual performing job and not being stage managers. The pace is actually an issue I have more and more with shows directed by Craig Simmons. 

He certainly knows his job and does decently what he does being a good handyman - he is just simply no artist for me so his productions often miss that special magic making it more exciting especially with the cast largely convincing. 

I was especially impressed by Patrick Stamme as Che. He does not go over the top being to cynic, too bitter but largely stays that ordinary guy from the crowd and with the concept as it is finds the right balance between being the kinda director in the show leading the people in the bar to tell the story but also portraying (a) Che wonderfully. Vocally he can also convince with a stridence in his voice never heard from him. 

Karsten Kenzel as Magaldi was also treat. I discovered him as the arbiter in Chess at the same place two years delivering a brilliant performance and this time he could show that it was not a once off thing. His Magaldi is fetching, sonorous, with great moves and perfect mix between smoothie and gallant.

Franziska Schuster in the title role unfortunately is disappointing. I know I am spoilt having some stunning Evitas as Madalena Alberto most recently but Franziska could with her limited play being throughout the performance way too vulgar and brash just deliver a suitable performance as the younger Evita. 

Especially in act 2 the portrayal is absolutely not matching the characteristics of Evita. Maybe it is the concept of the production' fault or direction's, a mix etc. I do not know but I just want to see something else. 

Vocally she could also not shine. While she may hit the notes her voice sounds quickly thin and shrill as lacking stamina most notably in "Buenos Aires" - and no, the choreography is not the reason being usually rather lame. 

Not sure what Hardy Rudolz' idea was and what inspiration he had but for me it hardly ever caught the spirit of the moment, the country, the scenery and underlining certain lines, words with matching gestures is just so old fashioned. Some people just should stick to their on stage job as his Peron was of a suasive performance.

The rest of the ensemble was well cast, especially pleased to see Alexander Martin and Tabea Scholz on stage at last again having liked them in other shows in past.  They all really worked so hard having so much to do. Full kudos to them.

The band, unfortunately stuck with the disappointing new orchestration, introduced in the Broadway production, that lost its special vibe and often sounds too rattling, did a decent job making the best out of it but they and the ensemble often let down by sound desk with mikes, ports etc. failing, not switching them on in time, then in other moments being way too loud and overmodulated that it often hurt. 

Hardy Rudolz got so annoyed at one point when sound failed on him for the third time shouting his lines (not that he had to having such a powerful voice you can hear in that small-ish place still decently even without a microphone). 

The set is largely just rather simple with boxes turning into stages, desks etc. but for me Evita does not need much more. I just wished they'd found a different solution for the props...

Well overall a production that has due to the pretty interesting concept and its largely great cast left an impression. 

I just wished Craig Simmons would stop doing DIY and pleeease Ganderheimer Domfestspiele just because someone was a decent Sally Bowles does not mean someone is a good choice for Evita - totally different league! Audition properly next season please whatever you play.

More information and pictures on the >>official website

Some pictures from pre-show action on stage while people taking their seats