See This: Theo Ubique's Evita
By Suzy Evans in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 11, 2009 5:15PM
An intimate café on an unremarkable street in Rogers Park isn’t a likely location to stage an Andrew Lloyd Weber powerhouse musical. There are no flashy costumes, no booming sound system, no plush balcony seating, no pit orchestra…well basically there are three guys with instruments in the back of the room, two or three set pieces and no downstage curtain. But when the performers take the stage, you feel as though you’re sitting in the grandest opera house in the West End.
Theo Ubique’s Evita opened at the No Exit Café on Monday night, and all we can say is: GO. Evita tells the story of the actress turned beloved political figure Eva Peron through the eyes of radical Che Guevara. The show began as a concept album in 1976 and opened in London in 1978. It won seven Tony Awards when it premiered on Broadway, and Madonna and Antonio Banderas immortalized the show with the 1996 film. This production does not have the huge budget or big-name stars of these predecessors, but given the minimal space in the venue, the fact that the company can successfully present a musical by a composer noted for his over-the-top shows - think of the chandelier crashing to the stage in Phantom of the Opera -is further testament to this production’s great success.
The naked quality of the performers’ voices permeates the space and the choreography is crisp and perfectly suited to both the dancers and the small stage. The costumes complement the performers’ actions without becoming an unneeded distraction. Ultimately, Theo Ubique proves that a little money can go a long way in the theater. What’s most important is talent - which they’ve certainly got.
The company specializes in “cabaret theatre” in which the fourth wall is broken and actors mingle with the audience. However, the performers do not ogle audience members; they merely bring the magic of theater to a more personal level. Theo Ubique also won a Jeff Award for its production of Cabaret last year.
Before show time, you can get a pre-show dinner of Argentine cuisine for an added cost and enriched theater experience. (And if that doesn’t convince you, you can order wine and beer to drink during the performance - from a waitress who is also a performer in the show might we add.)
Performances run at the No Exit Café through April 19. You can buy tickets online or by calling 773-347-1109. Tickets are $25 but if you’re a student or an artist, you can get them for $20 on Sunday nights with student I.D. or headshot and resume.
Photo courtesy of Theo Ubique. From left to right: Jeremy Trager as Juan Peron, Maggie Portman as Eva Peron and Chris Damiano as Che Guevara.