For my first music direction assignment at USD, I wanted to focus on ensemble precision in the areas of tone, timbre, intonation, articulation, and cut-offs. The musical score is very rhythmic, with everything from Peron’s martial beats to the non-typical tempos of Che’s revolutionary songs. Evita, on the other hand, has songs that go from seductive and melodic to epic anthems. All of the songs carry a Latin flavor that influences their rhythms and tonalities, and this also had to be accounted for as we established our stylistic aesthetic.

 

With our soloists, particularly the actress playing Evita, I spent time working on the transition from her speaking voice into her singing voice, and then the transition from her chest register into her soprano register. We also worked on integrating acting the songs in addition to translating the feedback from the directo into musical choices. I was proud of the musical growth of the ensemble and the soloists, and the vocal work they put in paid big dividends in the overall impact that the show had on audiences.

Photos by Raimondo Genna. Used with permissionx

Scenic Design by Tim Case; Lighting Design by Lionel Riley; Costume Design by Linda Wigley Scribner.