Arts & Entertainment

Blond ambition

National ‘Evita’ touring production sturdy, serviceable

Published

11 years ago

October 9, 2014

Patrick Folliard

Caroline Bowman in ‘Evita.’ (Photo by Richard Termine; courtesy Kennedy Center)

‘Evita’

Through Oct. 19

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

2700 F St. NW

$39-125

202-467-4600

Kennedy-center.org

Since its London world premiere in 1978 and subsequent global success, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Evita” has been produced ad infinitum.

And whether it’s Broadway’s Patti LuPone or Madonna on the big screen, the woman in the title role ultimately determines each version’s success. Playing Argentina’s controversial first lady who slept her way to power and position and died young isn’t easy — the part is vocally challenging and requires more than a modicum of charisma.

In the national tour of the 2012 Broadway revival now at the Kennedy Center Opera House, Caroline Bowman takes on the part. As the young Eva Duarte, Bowman misses the grit and energy of the provincial teenage dancehall girl — she might as well be playing the naïve ingénue in a comedy of manners. But it’s her turn as the slightly older and blonder Eva in which Bowman excels, skillfully conveying the outsized ambition and complexities churning behind Eva’s calculated façade.

In fact, neither Bowman’s performance nor the entire production staged by Michael Grandage really take off until Eva bleaches her hair.

Told in flashbacks, the sung-through pop opera begins and ends with Eva’s funeral. Young Eva and the musical fable’s narrator Che (Max Quinlan) emerge from a shadowy gathering of mourners and the story unfolds. In fast moving scenes, Eva climbs from poor, illegitimately born provincial girl to radio actress to girlfriend and later wife of military officer and politico Juan Perón (Sean MacLaughlin). Yes, in pursuit of fame and fortune she changes men like underwear but all that stops with Perón. In him, Eva finds her ticket to the big time.

Despised by the bourgeoisie and the military for her low birth and undue influence her husband, Eva finds an adoring power base in the working classes. “I am you,” she sings to them. As first lady, she gains popularity by funding numerous charities.

Her ascent is tracked musically with “Buenos Aires,” “High Flying, Adored” and, most memorably “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” which she sings to the crowds from the presidential residence’s balcony. Diamond like in a shimmering strapless ball gown, Eva’s beatification is complete. Not one to miss an opportunity, Perón puts his wife’s charisma to use and sends her on a European goodwill tour. Her Rainbow tour is cut short by the cancer that will soon kill her at 33 in 1952.

Set and costume designer Christopher Oram envisions a gloomy Buenos Aires of soaring colonnades, tall arched windows and heavy doors. His costumes are painstakingly period (‘30s and ‘40s). Most striking are Eva’s balcony scene gown and Dior-inspired traveling suits.

Throughout the show, choreographer Rob Ashford cleverly employs tango in scenes involving mourners, lovers and friends. He even partners soldiers in a more combative variation of the dance.

Lloyd Weber’s score is gorgeously sung by the three principals and Christopher Johnstone as Magaldi, the schmaltzy tango singer who reluctantly brings teenage Eva to Buenos Aires.

Without his trademark beret, Quinlan’s Che is less politicized. He possesses the irony but lacks the fire of a revolutionary. As quietly ambitious Perón, McLaughlin (whom local audiences will remember from Signature Theatre) is terrific. He’s a seductive presence and makes a believable love match for Bowman’s Eva.

Unfortunately an otherwise strong and energetic effort is marred by some audio problems. On press night, Tim Rice’s lyrics were difficult to decipher. Those familiar with the songbook fared best.

Still, this “Evita” is a production well worth seeing.

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FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Calendar

Calendar: March 27-April 2

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

12 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, March 27

Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].

Saturday, March 28

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.

Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].

Monday, March 30

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).

“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Tuesday, March 31

Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.

Wednesday, March 1

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Thursday, April 2

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Out & About

Celebrate cherry blossoms the drag way

Unconventional Diner hosts bingo party

Published

21 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

The cherry blossoms are here. Celebrate at a unique event hosted by Unconventional Diner. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.

Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.

Tickets can be secured via Resy.

Sports

New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics

New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles

Published

23 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Michael K. Lavers

(Photo by Greg Martin; courtesy IOC)

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.

“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.

The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”

“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”

The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”

The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”

“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

(Video courtesy of the IOC)

Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.

Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.

Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.

President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.

“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.

An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.