West End concert performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita will be presented July 31 and August 1 at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane. As previously announced, Moana
star Auli'i Cravalho and Matt Rawle will lead the company as Eva and
Che, respectively.
Cravalho, also seen in the Kennedy Center staging of Sunset Boulevard, recently appeared on the U.K. chat show This Morning. Watch the actor perform the Evita anthem "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" in the video above and also discuss her unusual audition for the upcoming concerts.
Joining Cravalho and Rawle will be Jeremy Secomb (Les Misérables) as Peron, Nathan Amzi (Heathers the Musical) as Magaldi, and Emily Lane as Peron's Mistress. Rounding out the cast in the ensemble will be Lloyd Davies, Robin Kent, Emily Langham, Jasmine Leung, Amonik Melaco, Joseph Poulton, Agnes Pure, and Sophie Sass, along with the London Musical Theatre Chorus.
Bill Deamer is directing, with music supervision by Simon Lee, music direction by Ben Ferguson, sound design by Adam Fisher, lighting design by Tim Deiling, scenic and costume design by Rebecca Brower, and casting by Sarah-Jane Price. Ferguson will lead the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, playing orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Lloyd Webber's originals.
Evita, which premiered as a two-LP recording starring Julie Covington (Eva) and Colm Wilkinson (Che), features a score by Lloyd Webber (music) and Rice (lyrics). Hal Prince staged both the original London and New York productions of the musical, which made stars of Elaine Paige, Mandy Patinkin, and Patti LuPone. The score features such tunes as "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Buenos Aires," "A New Argentina," "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You," and "Rainbow High." Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce starred in the film version; Elena Roger headed the cast of the London and Broadway revivals, the latter with Ricky Martin.
The upcoming concert performances are being presented by Fourth Wall Live and London Musical Theatre Orchestra. Tickets are available at FW-Live.com.