Rise and Fall

Evita Perón had the ultimate rags-to-riches story.

“She went from extreme poverty to extreme power,” said Andrew Start, a tango dancer with the musical Evita, which is coming to the Valley.

Born May 7, 1919 into a poverty-stricken family in Los Toldos, Province of Buenos Aires, Evita rose to become the spiritual leader of what at the time was the fourth wealthiest country in the world.

As a young girl she left her pueblo behind, at the urging of a tango singer, and took to the stage in Buenos Aires. For 10 years she toiled on stage and radio and then once she had made a name for herself, she made it to the big screen.

As her fame rose, the country fell into chaos. In 1943, a military coup ousted the president and Colonel Juan Perón took over the National Department of Labor, and deftly moved toward becoming president. A year later, the country fell further into despair when an earthquake killed 7,000 people, left 12,000 injured and a city destroyed. Perón spearheaded a national relief effort and asked the most popular stars to lend their names to the cause.

Evita was one of the celebrities who answered the call. She and Perón met at a benefit gala and the two began dating.

As their relationship intensified, Evita found herself thrust into the political arena. She became the face of the party, motivating the “campesinos” to stand by Perón. She also started foundations to benefit the poor and working class, as well as a feminist movement. She became a populist phenomenon, gathering momentum from the poor until eventually she contemplated running for vice-president. Her health and the will of her husband stopped that bid from materializing. And then tragically, her life ended when she fell victim to cancer and died at age 33.

Her story has become legendary.

It was immortalized by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical and the movie adaptation where Evita was played by Madonna. Now her story is coming to the Valley.

“It is a very heavy story of her life,” Start said.

Told through music and dance, the pop opera traces the rise and fall of Evita. Along with the music and dance, the show features projections of archival photographs, Start said.

“The audience leaves with a better idea of who Eva Perón is,” Start said.

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Paige Lauren Deiner covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4425.

Evita

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: McAllen Civic Center Auditorium, 10th Street and Expressway 83, McAllen

COST: $53.50 to $62

TICKETS: Visit www.gettix.net or visit the McAllen Convention Center Box Office, 700 Convention Center Boulevard, McAllen