After months of rehearsals, OXOPS brings famous musical Evita to the Oxford Playhouse stage next week, the first time it has ever been performed at a major Oxford venue by an amateur company.
The huge Oxford Operatic Society cast of 68 will be bringing the story of Eva Peron, Argentina’s most famous first lady to life, with an all-singing, all-dancing production featuring many of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most iconic songs including ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.’
“It’s a story of passion, ambition and great tragedy, but has really universal themes and is so relatable that there is something for everyone here,” lead Ben Ashton promises.
“It’s not black and white but leaves the audience to decide because the characters are so nuanced and layered, so complex. So it begs the audience to decide if Eva Peron was a villain or a hero, and the ambiguity in that is fascinating to watch,” he adds.
Evita originally opened in the West End and Broadway in 1976 winning an Olivier and Tony Award, before being made into a film in 1996 starring Madonna.
And next week you will be able to enjoy it for yourselves as Evita opens for the week at Oxford Playhouse. So how is the cast, made up of local enthusiasts, feeling?
“Its been a massive undertaking. Evita is often called a rock opera and the entire musical is sung from start to finish, so the singing is very complicated, but we can’t wait to get on stage.
We put a lot of time and energy to making this happen, but we do it because we love it, and it’s such an incredible opportunity and privilege to finally be able to perform somewhere as prestigious as the Oxford Playhouse.
“There’s something about all singing together that’s so powerful, because OXOPS is a really great group of people ready to take creative risks, as anyone who saw our last show Calander Girls will know.
“So come along and see something on an epic and grand scale. It’s a really brilliant musical. It’s funny and moving, exciting and interesting – the full range of human emotions and its feels very modern and fresh. Evita is a captivating show.
OXOPS’ Evita at Oxford Playhouse runs from Mon 23 – Sat 28 Jan 2023. https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/evita
