Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s EVITA returns to London’s West End for a strictly limited season.
Opening on Tuesday 16 September at the recently refurbished Dominion Theatre, the musical considered by many to be Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s masterwork will play for 55 performances only in the West End, with musical theatre and pop icon Marti Pellow playing Che, extraordinarily talented newcomer Madalena Alberto in the title role and ‘Superstar’ winner Ben Forster as Agustin Magaldi.
With more than 20 major awards to its credit, and the Oscar winning film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Evita has become iconic. It features some of the most memorable and best loved songs in musical theatre, including ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’, ‘On This Night of a Thousand Stars’, ‘You Must Love Me’, and ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’. Evita charts the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, from her humble beginnings through to the extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately led her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’.
The full West End cast for Evita is Sarah McNicholas, Michelle Pentecost, Amira Matthews, Olive Robinson, Verity Burgess, Gemma Atkins, Lizzie Ottley, Joe McCourt, Joe Maxwell, Joel Elferink, Ryan Pidgen, Anthony Ray, Chris Stoddart, Callum Fitzgerald, David Burlin, Stuart MacIver, Peter McPherson, Joseph Connor, Jamie Tyler and Christopher Palmer.
Marti Pellow, one of music’s most respected artists, plays Che, a character who reflects the voice of the Argentine people - linked to Eva by destiny; he brings conflict to the story of Eva’s rise to fame. For over 30 years Marti Pellow has enjoyed global success as the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet, as a solo artist, and now as one of the UK’s most acclaimed and respected leading men of musical theatre. Starring roles include The Witches of Eastwick, Chess, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago and Blood Brothers. As a solo-singer, recording artist and with Wet Wet Wet, Marti Pellow has enjoyed virtually unrivalled chart success, with over 25 hits and three of the UK’s biggest number one singles, including the seminal Love Is All Around. In 2013, after 20 years apart, Wet Wet Wet reunited for a sell-out arena tour.
Madalena Alberto’s musical theatre credits include the role of Piaf at the Curve Theatre and Fantine in the 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables. Other roles include Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde, Carmen Diaz in Fame, Sam in Over the Threshold and Sonia in Godspell. The Portuguese singer-songwriter’s first album Don’t Cry For Me will be released to coincide with the opening.
Ben Forster returns to the West End in the role of Agustin Magaldi, Eva Peron’s first love. Ben shot to fame after winning the ITV show ‘Superstar’, landing the part of Jesus in the UK arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar which also starred Spice Girl Mel C, actor and musician Tim Minchin and DJ Chris Moyles. The following year he continued in the role, which had already won him critical acclaim, when it toured Australia before bringing it back to the UK. He is now is back and joining forces with musical theatre’s greatest partnership once again.
Matthew Cammelle plays the role of Argentine President Juan Peron. Matthew recently completed an extensive UK tour with Three Phantoms, played the lead role of Emile de Becque in the highly acclaimed UK Tour of South Pacific and has West End credits that include The Phantom of the Opera, Stephen Sondheim’s Follies and Les Misérables.
