Ryan ChartrandCal Poly will serve as a national tour stop for the dramatic Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Evita,” at 7 p.m. Friday in the Performing Arts Center.
The winner of seven Tony awards, “Evita” brings to life the dynamic personas of the characters in a visually stimulating and ear-pleasing way.
This epic story is told in the style of a pop opera, with a rich influence of Latin and jazz music in the score, and it features one of Broadway’s most dynamic anthems, “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina.”
An event such as this coming to Cal Poly serves as a real treat, giving the county the ability to see Broadway without leaving San Luis Obispo.
Michael Donovan, an English sophomore, already bought his tickets and is ready to go.
“My parents always took me to shows when I was a kid, and now I’m addicted,” he said. “I want to see them all. For something like ‘Evita’ to come on tour here in our little city is pretty amazing.”
When “Evita” opened on Broadway in 1979, it set records for the largest box office advance and swept all the theater awards that year.
Depending on the generation, some remember this Broadway “Evita” from 1979 and some remember when Alan Parker’s critically acclaimed film adaptation, starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, hit the screen in 1996. The film received five Oscar nominations and won three Golden Globes.
Cal Poly Arts will present this center-stage event just in time for the holidays in hopes that it stirs a lot of interest and is successful.
Lucy Rennel, a business administration senior, grew up loving the movie and is excited that “Evita” is coming to campus.
“It’s hard to find the time to go to a real show in San Francisco or, for the matter, New York, so I’m happy ‘Evita’ is coming to us! It’s a real production with real actors coming to Cal Poly, and I wouldn’t miss it,” Rennel said.
Tickets are being sold for $45 and $60 and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Center ticket office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
To order, call 756-2787 or go online to www.pacslo.org.