Evita

I was really looking forward to reading Evita, By Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice, because I am fond of Webber's Phantom of the Opera. I had high expectations before reading Evita, since I knew Webber's work was fantastic. Although I was not disappointed, I was not completely thrilled about the play in general. I did not really like Eva as a character upon first reading the play because to me she seemed overly manipulative and conniving by doing whatever, like sleeping around, to claw her way to the top. And to be honest, as the conclusion of the play, I still could not really stand her. She "seduces" Peron and manages to convince him that she could help make him to the top in Argentina. And I guess, really, she sort of does considering that Peron makes it to president of the country. And from that point on, I really saw Eva not just as a tricky character, but also as one who conflicted numerous times with those around her. It was pretty clear that the upper class (even those in France, Italy, and England) really did not take a fancy to her. Also after her conflicts with these aristocracies, as Che points out, Eva really does use the Argentina people to benefit herself. This was a big reason why I was not too fond of her, even though I really did not pick up on this until Che points it out. Eva promised she would engage in helping the people of Argentina, but when Che accuses her of instead using them to only her success, Eva become somewhat defensive and states that "there is no glory in trying to help the world from the sidelines". Although Peron adored her, and also the people of Argentina, I felt that Webber and Rice were attempting to depict the stereotypical woman; a woman that is manipulative and will do just about anything to achieve what she wants and maintain her success. Although I did not personally like Eva as a character, I do think that her dynamics really helped make the play and added to the story that Webber and Rice wanted. So overall, I really did enjoy Evita, although not as much as other plays we have read this semester in Women's Studies, and I think that the message the writers here are attemping to get across fits perfectly into this story.