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Review: Evita Singapore

'Salve Regina mater misericordiae' is one of the earliest lyrics I memorized (together with Lisa Loeb's "Stay" ) because I was mesmerized by the Latin chant in David Essex's "Oh What a Circus" video when we first saw the tape of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Premiere Collection. Evita came to me like a lightning bolt, I was completely struck by this woman who rose to power, worshipped by the masses and died inexplicably (I was very young and did not know about the cancer).

The rest of the songs came easy like a sponge, though I won't understand the meaning of "Peron's Latest Flame" until in the later years when I finally saw the 1996 movie and Evita fever (followed by Madonna fever) caught on.

To see the musical was already bound to be a dream come true. But certainly some credit must be given to Emma Kingston whose glorious and dazzling Eva heated up the stage that it was a pain to watch her fiery portrayal all burn out in the second act. The musical's best known songs "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" and "You Must Love Me" are actually among my least favorites because...hilariously, I didn't get them. That was until Emma's renditions with only her singing doing the talking. No scene cuts to distract. Equally delightful is watching her act against a strong cast, Magaldi (Anton Luitingh) Juan (Robert Finlayson), the mistress (Isabella Jane) and Che (Jonathan Roxmouth).

I had the pleasure of seeing Jonathan three times on stage, previous to his take as Che Guevara and he delivered no less than an exceptionally brilliant, nuanced performance. Unlike the Phantom where he lurked and hid in the shadows, he is omnipresent in Evita as the jaded narrator, snarky commentator and entertaining participant-slash-troll throughout the tumultuous historic events portrayed. Trust Jonathan to go above and beyond his singing and acting duties and portray Che with a cynicism that transcends his time, giving the musical that premiered in the 1970s, a very contemporary relevance. He was very "woke" as millenials might put it, and his criticisms of the government and the military seem to be with a hyperawareness of the 21st century present, which makes his 4th walling shrewdly efficient!

Many of the best performances would not have their impact if not for a powerful and cohesive ensemble, notable acts are the the frenzied choreography of "Buenos Aires", alternating cadences of "Peron's Latest Flame", the rousing chorus of "A New Argentina" , the rocking musical chairs of "Art of the Possible", the electrifying tango of "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You" done by some of South Africa's consistently excellent performers (already the third show I've seen with them).

I loved that the show made do with what they had, the lighting (never underestimate), propaganda materials, a few beds and the "balcony". Their most special effects, besides Eva's costume change with "Good Night and Thank you", was a screen projector that displayed historic footages snd which really lent for authenticity. I love that the "Rainbow Tour" was similar to the movie except with the use of actual scenes from Eva Peron's European tour, which is the best way to do it IMHO.

All-in-all, the production made my heart full and I'd so love to see it again someday. A gem of a show and absolutely not to be missed. Taiwan, HK and Japan are in for a hell of a treat.

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Just in 

Harold Prince Aiming to Bring Original Evita Staging to Broadway After International Tour 

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I’m tired of people romanticizing overexertion. Exhausted is not the new chic, coffee (though a delicious necessity) is not a food group, and running on fumes is not admirable. Why do we hold pedestals for sleepless nights, breakdowns, and inner turmoil? Are those really things to aspire to? Self-care. Balance. The ability to know when your body, mind, and spirit need to take a step back. Those are things we should admire. We have to stop blurring the line between ‘commitment’ and self-endangerment because too many people are burning out before they have a chance to truly shine.

my opinion on the way we envision hard work and the way we should live life  (via coffeecoloredveins)

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DO U LIKE OPOSSUMS

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“You have indeed felt a great loss, but love is a form of energy, and it swirls around us.  The Air Nomads’ Aang’s love for you has not left this world.  It is still inside of your heart, and is reborn in the form of new love.”

The announcement of the upcoming graphic novel brought up all sorts of old feels, so in commemoration of the continuing story, I decided to break my own heart.  Enjoy.

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Uh oh.

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Pamagat: “Ang tatay ko at ako lumaki sa parehong, maliit na lungsod sa Pennsylvania, at bading s'ya at bading rin ako…pero pinatay ny'a ang sarili ny'a. At ako? naging lesbya na karikaturista…”

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linmanuel:

amuseoffyre:

At @linmanuel‘s impromptu book club the other day, we learned this:

Take a look at the closing lyrics:

BENNY/NINA And I’ll think of you every night At the same time

BENNY When the sun goes down NINA When the sun goes down BENNY When the sun goes down

Anyone else seeing this place in their mind’s eye?

YES, thank you for providing me the opportunity to share that with you.

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I hate glamorizing over-working. It’s not healthy. The fact that there are so many people going without sleep, food, personal hygiene (not to mention time for relaxation, personal time, and socialization, which are very necessary for mental health) just to stay afloat is not something to be celebrated or applauded. It’s a problem, not a goal that all good employees should aspire to, or a norm everyone should be expected to perform.

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Review: Superb ‘Fun Home’ cast moves audience to tears

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It’s not a Sunday unless you completely waste it and feel really sad around 8PM

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Audio.

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I was looking at selfie sticks on amazon and i think this review is so sweet and cute

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You’re not fake simply because you act differently depending on the person you’re with. Different personalities bring out different aspects of your personality. You’re complex and multidimensional; it’s beautiful.

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