The post-war world has been consistently transfixed by an alluring and mysterious magic from Argentina. To list some of the sorcery, the world has been captivated by Lionel Messi, Maradona, Che Guevara, Hong Kong has produced a classic movie inspired by the Iguazu falls, not to mention the all-time favourites which are Argentinian beef and tango. And now, the mother of all modern Argentinian magic is working her spell in the Little Red Dot.

The name Evita might not ring a bell to most people, but a lot would recognise the tune of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”. Little did I realise the strong political message which is embodied by this song until I watched this musical. Before going into describing my thoughts and feels towards this musical, allow me to say that the “Evita inauguration speech” scene must be one of the most divine which I have witnessed of late.

“Evita” the musical uses an interesting narrative, wherein Che Guevara from the funeral of Evita brings the audience through a flashback journey of Evita’s life. Watching Evita’s life just reminds me of the cyclicality of human behaviour throughout history. Despite a political storyline, I suspend any judgement on the consequences of Evita’s life on the course of Argentina. I think one would better appreciate the essence of this musical by focusing on the fallibility of human actions and ambitions, which is so acutely expressed through Evita’s last regret before her last breath, where she chose a short and furious life of fame over a long and healthy life.

I guess the ultimate joke is, even if one falls eventually after all the short-lived glory, one can still excuse himself or herself by asking everyone to refrain from tears, like this:

Don’t cry for me, Argentina

The truth is, I never left you

All through my wild days, my mad existence

I kept my promise

Don’t keep your distance

And as for fortune, and as for fame

I never invited them in

Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired

They are…

Don’t miss out on the Argentina magic here!

Credits:
Photos courtesy of Pat Bromilow-Downing & Christiaan Kotze

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