A musical slice of Argentina will take root in Philadelphia when “Evita,” the world-renowned Tony Award-winning production by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, comes to town for a run of performances June 17-22 at the Academy of Music.
The story follows the rise to power of Eva Perón, who used her beauty and charisma to climb socially and politically from the slums of Argentina to the presidential mansion as First Lady, where she went on to become beloved by her people as a champion for the poor. Her greed and ambition made her a controversial figure, and her fragile health and untimely death made her a tragic figure as well.
In the nearly 40 years since the musical first debuted, it has been performed in theaters all over the world and attracted some of the stage’s biggest names to portray the main roles, as well as Hollywood superstars to play them on the big screen.
Actor Josh Young, who plays the role of Che Guevera, said that having to take on roles played so famously by the likes of Mandy Patinkin and Antonio Banderas did not give him any worries.
“I wasn’t really intimidated,” he said. “A long time ago, I came to grips with the fact that all I can do is be in the part and people can take it or leave it. Mostly I think they are taking it. That’s all we can do: Throw ourselves out there and be accepted or not and have fun with what we are doing. The guy who originated this role is one of my role models. Mandy Patinkin originated the role in New York City and I met him last year. It was pretty cool. I sang at his lifetime-achievement award ceremony. I’ve met both actors who originated the role and they couldn’t have been nicer. I’m thrilled to follow in their footsteps. I still wasn’t intimidated by the role. I took it as an opportunity and had great fun with it.”
Young added that it also helped that he has not seen “Evita” on stage or on screen before being cast in touring productions of the classic musical.
“I’ve actually never seen ‘Evita,’” he said. “I’ve been in two separate productions but I’ve never seen it. I’ve definitely worn out some recordings [of the show’s soundtrack] and I think it is to my benefit that I have never seen it because I might be inclined to copy, whereas I‘m able to make it completely my own because I‘ve never seen anyone do it.”
Young appears to be in good company, as he says a sizable number of the audience members he encounters are seeing “Evita” for the first time as well.
“I feel like it’s about 50-50,” he said about the proportion of “Evita” vets compared to newbies.
The inspirational story, combined with unforgettable music, keeps winning over audiences both old and new.
“The music is really good. It’s got that hum-ability factor that most musicals don’t have. There are so many songs people leave the theater humming and wanting to buy the album. It’s also the universal appeal of a woman inspiring hope in millions. Everybody can sympathize with her story. Everybody has his or her heroes. So there’s the story aspect. Plus there is incredible acting and dancing, and I think the team that the creative staff put together with the cast couldn’t be better.”
He added that Lloyd Webber and Rice have an immense talent for bringing timeless stories to the stage.
“The shows that Webber and Rice write, they definitely resonate with people no matter when they are performed,” he said. “The first show I did of theirs was ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and that story, although it’s 2,000 years old, it still resonates with people. This story, I mean it’s not the story of Jesus Christ, but this woman is someone people look up to as almost a deity. For that reason, the story is universal.”
Having performed in a number of classic musicals over the course of his career, Young ranks “Evita” as one of his favorites — which may have to do with the fact that his character doesn’t die on stage.
“This is definitely the most plum for me,” he said. “In ‘Les Miserables,’ the role was kind of lovesick and he ends up getting shot. It’s a beautifully written piece. In ‘West Side Story’ I end up singing my face off and getting shot in the end of it. In ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ I end up committing suicide at the end of it and singing my face off. ‘Evita,’ on the other hand, is a really great place for my voice and the role is just so fun. Of all those shows, I’m just talking about my character and not the show in general; for me it’s just the most enjoyable, and I hope that comes off on stage.”
Young added that the role of Guevera is made more appealing by the fact that he is the voice of the people and addresses what many wish they had the courage to say.
“Everybody has that cynic inside of them and for sure not everybody voices those opinions,” the actor said. “Half the audience, they may be introverts and they have that person sitting on their shoulder that would say things but doesn’t. Che is that voice, specifically the voice of the people. In our production, Che is specifically a device of the people Evita called ‘the shirtless ones,’ which means those who roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
Young is no stranger to rolling up his own sleeves and working. When he is not performing on stage, he is working on his recording career.
“I have two albums of cover songs and some new musical-theater pieces by Philadelphia native Brian Loudermilk,” he said. “He went to high school with me in Wallingford. He’s one of the up-and-coming Broadway composers. We’ve collaborated on these two CDs, along with some pop and rock covers like Joni Mitchell and The Beatles.”
Young’s CDs are available online and at his theater shows, which will have to do for his fans for now because he doesn’t plan to perform his music live any time soon.
“I would love to but I’m never not performing in musicals,” he said. “I never have any time to do some concerts but I would love to if I had the chance. I’d like to do some film stuff as well but I’m busy.”
Broadway Philadelphia presents “Evita” June 17-22 at the Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-893-1999 or visit www.evitaonbroadway.com.