Updated version of 'Evita' comes to American Repertory Theater
CAMBRIDGE — A new take on the Tony-award-winning rock opera "Evita" is now on stage at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge.
The production aims to give audiences a truer look at the late first lady of Argentina Eva Peron, who died from cancer at age 33.
While the ART's version doesn't change the music or dialogue, it makes the intentions of the characters clearer.
"Anytime that a piece is being revived or being revisited, you have to take risks and explore new ways of telling it," said actor Omar Lopez-Cepero, who plays Che, the play's narrator.
Shereen Pimentel stars as Eva.
While many past productions showed her character as using men as a stepping stool to success, Pimentel says a closer look at history found that wasn't necessarily the case.
"What we have learned is that she was actually sexually assaulted as a young girl," said Pimentel. "Maybe she is kind of moving through person-to-person but what is the beginning of that? Where was that a learned behavior instead of something that she just was born with?"
The cast is majority Hispanic or Latino, something you don't often see, despite the story taking place in South America.
"I think that it's really important when we tell the stories we produce and direct these stories, that they have an authenticity and they represent the culture and the heritage of the people that are playing these roles," said Lopez-Cepero.
Pimentel agreed with her costar on the importance of Hispanic representation.
"As Hispanic people being able to look around and say, no matter what you look like you can still be a part of this community and be loved by this community," she said.
"Evita" is running at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge through July 30th. For more information, click here.