Kelly DiLorenzo commands the crowd in ‘Evita’. Courtesy of Amanda Roy, Bad Hair Day Photography.
As a newbie to Florida’s walkable coastal towns, I was charmed last weekend visiting the Lake Worth Playhouse in downtown Lake Worth, just north of Delray Beach in the South Palm Beach area for ‘Evita’. We popped into a happy hour featuring small plates at the brand new “street food” restaurant, Lilo’s, and passed a happy hour indeed on the patio sipping $3 sangria and nibbling on $2 tacos before curtain. It’s community cultural institutions like these weave the fabric of our communities and make friends of new neighbors.
The classic Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber score is hypnotic with sinuous Argentine tango, rousing anthems and operatic drama relating the story of an iconic woman who rose from the slums of Buenos Aires to capture the heart of a nation as a figurehead for revolution.
The company numbers sizzle in ‘Evita’ at Lake Worth Playhouse. Courtesy of Amanda Roy, Bad Hair Day Photography.
‘Evita’ larger-than-life on intimate stage
The quaint downtown theater is diminutive with just 200 or so seats, a respectable stage, trompe l’oeil balconies and Jacobean faux finished beams and trusses—which puts us up close to the action.
The 64-year-old community theater draws players from our region’s seasoned pool of stage veterans, which ups the ante in terms of principal performances. You get the pipes and command of the stage of touring pros, but it can make for an uneven cast: old salts chewing up the scenery alongside ingénues.
A commanding ‘Evita’
Kelly DiLorenzo, cast in the title role of Eva, played her first equity production in Los Angeles in “Evita” as the mistress, the dewy-eyed ingénue. Opening week she delivered a commanding performance, firmly establishing the brash, seize-the-moment ethos of the era in “Buenos Aires,” although the ensemble’s split second timing was a bit off. The distinctly plaintive ballad of “Another Suitcase,” delivered with waifish sincerity by Alexandra Garcia—a turn that was one of the most authentic moments of the night’s performance, nuanced and moving. This recent FAU grad is sure to make her mark.
Chris Teixeira as Che brings a Puckish pugnacity to the role, commandeering the stage with predatory elan. He hits his stride on “Night of a Thousand Stars,” providing sly counterpoint and commentary throughout as the Greek chorus voice of the people.
‘Evita’ captures the mood of a nation on the brink of revolution. Courtesy of Amanda Roy, Bad Hair Day Photography.
Eva and Juan
The off note is the casting of Richard Forbes as Juan Peron. While he’s a polished actor of five decades, he presents as grandfatherly, sapping the role of chemistry with Eva, undermining the dramatic tension in the narrative arc.
Although “Oh What a Circus” got off to a wobbly start, the ensemble really delivered on “A New Argentina.” Although I’ve never seen the show without an orchestra, and so it felt a bit thin and tinny-sounding, the company nailed the tricky number with solid harmonies and crisp phrasing.
In all, it’s a rousing evening of community theater and director Erin Pittleman gives us an evening out that is worth the price of admission.
Chris Teixeira, UCF grad reveals his solid opera chops in ‘Evita’. Courtesy of Amanda Roy, Bad Hair Day Photography.
“Evita” runs through Feb. 5. Next up is “The Sugar Bean Sisters,” a Southern comedy opening March 2, tickets $23-$38 at 561/586-6410, lakeworthplayhouse.org.
