Evita
The Western Stage Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave., Salinas (831) 755-6816, westernstage.com
“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” is the signature swan song, but “Oh What a Circus” captures the chaos of political ascendancy. Eva Peron was the First Lady of Argentina for a brief moment, but made such an impact that Argentines adore her to this day. And thanks to Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s 1978 musical Evita, that adoration has spread worldwide. Western Stage artistic director Jon Selover says that their season-ending production of this Broadway hit musical translated to a Salinas hit musical on the strength of its lead performances, especially that of Malinda DeRouen as the title character. “It was totally the cast that moved the audience,” Selover says. “Every performance.”