The Tony-hogging Evita, which opens at the Palace Theatre tonight, tells the story of the charismatic wife of Argentina dictator Juan Perón and her political rise all set to music by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Its a tale with conflicting sides: Was Perón (affectionately called Evita by the poor people who adored her) a scheming post-World War II careerist? Or did she really care about the impoverished citizens of the nation ruled by her militaristic husband? Either way, she was a pioneering feminist, says Litzsinger. She was charismatic, she had ambition, she says. It was unheard of for a woman to go as far as she did in the political scene during that time period. So many people loved her, and so many other people couldnt stand her. There was such a great divide about how people felt about her. Thats why her story is so compelling.
The thirtysomething Litzsinger who made her Broadway debut at age 11 in Marilyn: An American Fable researched the role by reading Perón bios. I wanted to get an idea of her dynamics, she says. She didnt want to show insecurity, so she came off as mean. Yet Litzsinger found inspiration in Rice and Webbers script. They believed in her, she says.
Still, Litzsinger admits, shes no closer to figuring out who the real Eva Perón was. All she knows is that in a stage career thats included Broadway roles in Oliver! , Les Misèrables, and Beauty and the Beast (her two-year stint as Belle ranks as the shows longest-running), Evita comes close to topping them all. I had never seen Evita until I got cast in it, she says. But its a delicious role. Im a very feisty person, so I can really relate to the character. Nobody expects this hostility to come out of me.
Tuesdays-Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 1:30 & 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 15, 1 & 6:30 p.m. Starts: Jan. 10. Continues through Jan. 22