Max Von Essen Plays Stint As Che in Broadway Revival of Evita Starting July 2

By Andrew Gans
02 Jul 2012

Max von Essen
Max von Essen
Photo by Nathan Johnson

Max von Essen, who plays Magaldi in the Broadway revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita, steps into the role of Che for six performances, July 2-7, while Grammy winner Ricky Martin, who created that role for this production, is on vacation.

Daniel Torres will play the role of Che for both the matinee and evening performance on July 8. 

Martin returns from vacation July 9. (Martin will also be out of the show Aug. 6-11. Von Essen and Torres will cover for him that week as well.)

The performance schedule for the week beginning July 2 is Monday at 8 PM, Tuesday at 7 PM, Thursday at 8 PM, Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 PM and 8 PM and Sunday at 2 PM and 7:30 PM.

On Broadway von Essen played Enjolras in the 2008 revival of Les Misérables, Alfred in Dance of the Vampires, Jean Prouvaire in the closing company of the original Les Misérables, and he made his debut as a disciple in the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. Other New York credits include Death Takes a Holiday, The Duke of Windsor in Only A Kingdom at the York Theater, Alexander the Great in The History of War at The New York Music Theater Festival, The Soldier in the Transport Group's acclaimed revival of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again, Tremont in Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall, Woody in Finian's Rainbow at the Irish Repertory Theatre and Matt in The Fantasticks at the Sullivan Street Playhouse.  Regionally, von Essen starred in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of The Baker's Wife and the Kennedy Center's staging of Mame. He also spent over a year roller-skating across the country as Sonny Malone in Xanadu. Von Essen's recording of "Just in Time for Christmas," the David Friedman-David Zippel holiday anthem written for and originally recorded by the late Nancy LaMott, is now available by visiting iTunes; proceeds benefit The Trevor Project.

Daniel Torres has been seen on Broadway in The Woman in White, The Pirate Queen, A Christmas Carol (Madison Square Garden), Off-Broadway in Altar Boyz, and in the national tour of Wicked. His regional theatre credits include PCLO, Sundance, La Jolla Playhouse, Goodspeed, Cleveland Opera.

The Broadway production stars Grammy winner Martin as Che, Olivier Award-winning Argentinean actress Elena Roger as Eva Perón and Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris as Juan Perón.

"Eva Perón used her beauty and charisma to rise meteorically from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady," according to press notes. "She won international acclaim and adoration from her own people as a champion of the poor, while glamour, power and greed made her the world’s first major political celebrity."

The creative team includes Tony Award-winning scenic and costume designer Christopher Oram, Tony Award-winning lighting designer Neil Austin, Olivier Award-winning sound designer Mick Potter, wig and hair designer Richard Mawbey, projection designer Zachary Borovay and music supervisor/director Kristen Blodgette. Orchestrations are by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Cullen, and dance arrangements are by David Chase.

For more information visit  EvitaOnBroadway.com.