Show guide
Evita
Evita is the sung through musical that charts the extraordinary rise of Eva Peron from humble beginnings to the heights of Argentine political power.
- Broadway premiere
- 1979
- Music by
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 1940s
Evita: quick answers
What is Evita about?
- Evita traces Eva Perón's rise from a 15-year-old in a small Argentine town to actress, wife of Juan Perón, and First Lady of Argentina, and her early death, with a cynical narrator named Che commenting throughout.
When did Evita open on Broadway?
- Evita opened on Broadway on September 25, 1979, at the Broadway Theatre, with Patti LuPone as Eva, and ran 1,567 performances until June 26, 1983, winning the Tony for Best Musical. A 2012 revival starred Elena Roger and Ricky Martin.
Is Evita sung-through?
- Yes. Evita is sung-through, with the whole story carried by music rather than spoken scenes. It began as a 1976 rock opera concept album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Where and when is Evita set?
- Evita is set in Argentina from 1934 to 1952, from the town of Junín to Buenos Aires.
Has Evita played in London's West End?
- Evita premiered in London on June 21, 1978, at the Prince Edward Theatre with Elaine Paige, running 3,176 performances and winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Rachel Zegler starred in a 2025 revival at the London Palladium.
Is there a Evita movie?
- Alan Parker's 1996 film starred Madonna as Eva, Antonio Banderas as Che, and Jonathan Pryce as Juan Perón, and its new song You Must Love Me won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The story of Evita
Set largely in the 1940s, the show follows the ascent of a young woman who moves from poverty toward fame and influence, eventually becoming one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in her country's history. The story is told with a critical, often ironic distance, using a narrator figure to comment on her rise and the myth that grew around her.
Because it is grounded in real historical events, the show carries a documentary like weight even as it uses theatrical devices to dramatize its subject's ambition, charisma, and complicated legacy.
The music and the makers
The score is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the most commercially successful composers in modern musical theater, known for sweeping melodic writing and grand theatrical scale. As a sung through musical, nearly the entire show is delivered in song rather than spoken dialogue, giving the music an unusually central role in carrying the story.
The result is a score that moves between intimate character moments and large scale anthemic numbers, built to convey political spectacle and personal ambition on an equally grand musical scale.
Evita on Broadway
Evita helped cement the sung through musical as a major form on Broadway, arriving at a moment when audiences were drawn to bold, operatic storytelling paired with real world history. Its scale and its unusual, morally ambiguous central figure set it apart from more conventional book musicals.
The show's blend of political drama and soaring music has kept it a durable presence in the Broadway canon, appealing to audiences drawn to grand theatrical statements as much as to those interested in the history behind its story.
Evita: frequently asked questions
When did Evita open on Broadway?
It opened in 1979.
Who composed Evita?
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the score.
What genre is Evita?
It is a sung through musical based on history, telling the story of Eva Peron's rise to power in 1940s Argentina.
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