Bullets Over Broadway presents: EVITA EVITALyrics by TIM RICEMusic by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBERACT ONE 1. A CINEMA IN BUENOS AIRES, 26 JULY 1952 (An audience is watching a less than distinguished movie [in both the original London and New York productions of EVITA a clip from one of Eva Peron's own movies was used]. The soundtrack dialogue is in Spanish, the music melodramatic. Suddenly the film grinds to a halt. The people in the cinema begin to protest but aresilenced by an announcement) THE VOICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE PRESS (in Spanish) It is the sad duty of the Secretary of the Press... (in English) ...to inform the people of Argentina that Eva Peron, spiritual leader of the nation, entered immortality at 20.25 hours today.2. REQUIEM FOR EVITA / OH WHAT A CIRCUS (EVA's funeral. CHE is the only non-participant. He moves through the mourners, apparently unseen.)CROWDRequiem aeternum dona Evita Requiem EvitaEvitaEvitaCHEOh what a circus! Oh what a show! Argentina has gone to townOver the death of an actress called Eva Peron We've all gone crazyMourning all day and mourning all night Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right Oh what an exit! That's how to go!When they're ringing your curtain down Demand to be buried like Eva PeronIt's quite a sunset And good for the country in a roundabout way We've made the front page of all the world's papers today But who is this Santa Evita?Why all this howling hysterical sorrow? What kind of goddess has lived among us?How will we ever get by without her? She had her moments--she had some styleThe best show in town was the crowd Outside the Casa Rosada crying, "Eva Peron"But that's all gone now As soon as the smoke from the funeral clears We're all going to see how she did nothing for years!CROWD Salve regina mater misericordiaeVita dulcedo et spes nostraSalve salve regina Ad te clamamus exules filii EvaAd te suspiramus gementes et flentes O clemens o piaCHEYou let down your people Evita You were supposed to have been immortalThat's all they wantedNot much to ask for But in the end you could not deliverSing you fools! But you got it wrong Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long Your queen is dead, your king is throughShe's not coming back to you Show business kept us all aliveSince 17 October 1945 But the star has gone, the glamour's worn thin That's a pretty bad state for a state to be in Instead of government we had a stageInstead of ideas a prima donna's rage Instead of help we were given a crowdShe didn't say much but she said it loud And who am I who dares to keepHis head held high while millions weep? Why the exception to the rule?Opportunist? Traitor? Fool? Or just a man who grew and sawFrom seventeen to twenty-four His country bled, crucified?She's not the only one who's died! Sing you fools? But you got it wrong Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long Your queen is dead, your king is throughShe's not coming back to youCROWD Salve regina mater misericordiaeVita dulcedo et spes nostra Salve salve regina PeronAd te clamamus exules filii Eva Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentesO clemens o pia (A non-descript GIRL moves through the pageantry of the funeral. She sings as the voice of the dead Evita)GIRLDon't cry for me Argentina For I am ordinary, unimportantAnd undeserving of such attention Unless we all are--I think we all areRide on my train o my people And when it's your turn to die you'll remember They fired those cannons, sang lamentationsNot just for Eva, for Argentina Not just for Eva, for everybodySo share my glory, so share my coffin So share my glory, so share my coffinCHEIt's our funeral too 3. ON THIS NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS / EVAAND MAGALDI / EVA BEWARE OF THE CITY (Flashback to 1934 and to a nightclub in Junin, EVA's home town. EVA DUARTE is fifteen. The cabaret is nearly over. MAGALDI is singing with great gusto.)CHE Now Eva Peron had every disadvantage you need if you're going to succeed. No money, no class, no father, no bright lights--there was nowhere she'd been at the age of fifteen, as this tango singer found out. A tango singer! Agustin Magaldi--who has the distinction of being the first man to be of use to Eva Duarte.MAGALDI (The final song of his act) On this night of a thousand starsLet me take you to heaven's door Where the music of love's guitarsPlays for evermore! In the glow of those twinkling lightsWe shall love through eternity On this night in a million nightsFly away with me! I never dreamed that a kiss could be as sweet as this --now I know that it can I used to wander alone without a love of my own I was a desperate man But all my grief disappeared and all the sorrow I feared Wasn't there anymore On that magical day when you first came my way Mi amor!On this night On this nightOn this night of a thousand starsLet me take you to heaven's door Where the music of love's guitarsPlays for evermore! (MAGALDI joins EVA and her family--mother, 3 sisters, brother--at their table. CHE is loitering nearby at thebar.)EVA To think that a man, as famous as you are, could love a poor little nothing like me!MAGALDIThe audience here are sitting on their hands CHEListen chum, face the fact they don't like your actMAGALDI But this is Junin! If this were Buenos Aires--I'd have that town at my feet! I never ever meet members of the public--they'd tear me apart! CHEI understand their feelingsEVA I want to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple!EVA and FAMILY She wants to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple!CHE Just listen to that! They're onto you Magaldi! I'd get outwhile you canEVA It's happened at last--I'm starting to get started--I'mmoving out with my man MAGALDINow Eva don't get carried away-EVA Monotony past--suburbia departed--who could ever get kicks in the back of the sticks?MAGALDIDon't hear words that I didn't say EVA's FAMILYWhat's that? You'd desert the girl you love?MAGALDI The girl I love? What are you talking about?EVA's FAMILY She really brightened up your out of town engagement, she gave you all she had--she wasn't in your contract --you must be quite relieved that no-one's told the papers--so far-EVA I want to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple! Would I have done what I did if I hadn't thought, if I hadn't known, we would stay together?CHE Seems to me there's no point in resisting, she's made up her mind, you've no choice. Why don't you be the man who discovered her? You'll never be remembered foryour voice.MAGALDI The city can be paradise for those who have the cash, the class and the connections--what you need to make a splash. The likes of you get swept up in the morning with the trash--if you were rich or middle class-EVA Screw the middle classes! I will never accept them! And they will never deny me anything again! My father's other family were middle class and we were kept out of sight, hidden from view, at his funeral! If these are the people of Buenos Aires I welcome the chance to shine intheir city!CHE Do all your one night stands give you this trouble?MAGALDI Eva, beware of the cityIt's hungry and cold, can't be controlled, it is mad Those who are fools are swallowed up wholeAnd those who are not become What they should not becomeChanged--in short they go badEVA Bad is good for me--I'm bored, so clean and so ignored I've only been predictable--respectable! Birds fly out of here so why oh why oh why the hell can't I I only want variety--notoriety! I want to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple!EVA and FAMILY She wants to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple!MAGALDI Five years from now I shall come back And finally say, you have your way--come to town But you'll look at me with a foreigner's eyesThe magical city a Younger girl's city, aFantasy long since put downEVA All you've done to me--was that a young girl's fantasy? I played your city games alright--didn't I? I already know what cooks, how the dirty city feels and looks I tasted it last night, didn't I? I'm going to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple!EVA and FAMILY She's going to be a part of B.A.--Buenos Aires--Big Apple!MAGALDI Eva beware your ambitionIt's hungry and cold, can't be controlled, will run wild This in a man is a danger enoughBut you are a woman, notEven a woman, not Very much more than a child and whatever you sayI'll not steal you away! 4. BUENOS AIRES(EVA and MAGALDI arrive in Buenos Aires)EVA What's new Buenos Aires?I'm new--I want to say I'm just a little stuck on you You'll be on me too!I get out here Buenos Aires Stand back--you ought to know what'cha gonna get in me Just a little touch of star quality! Fill me up with your heat, with your noise, with your dirt, overdo me Let me dance to your beat, make it loud. let it hurt, run it through me Don't hold back you are certain to impress Tell the driver this is where I'm stayingHello Buenos Aires! Get this--just look at me, dressed up somewhere to goWe'll put on a show! Take me in at your flood, give me speed, give me lights, set me humming Shoot me up with your blood, wine me up with your nights, watch me coming All I want is a whole lot of excessTell the singer this is where I'm playing Stand back Buenos Aires!Because you ought to know what'cha gonna get in me Just a little touch of star quality!And if ever I go too far It's because of the things you areBeautiful town--I love you And if I need a moment's restGive your lover the very best Real eiderdown--and silenceCHEOn the 9th February 1935, in Buenos Aires--a polo match, between a team of leading Argentine players and the touring British side. The British ambassador said he had never seen a social occasion quite like it. Even by the standards of Buenos Aires society the gathering at the polo ground glittered. The Rolls' and the Daimlers, the hampers from Harrod's, the clothes, the diamonds, the crystal, the wines, the procession of nannies from England and France. The result of the match? Oh yes-- the home team won, but as the British ambassador pointed out, that did not reflect badly on British horsemanship. Three of the Argentine players wereeducated at Eton.EVA You're a tramp, you're a treat, you will shine to the death, you are shoddy But you're flesh, you are meat, you shall have every breath in my body Put me down for a lifetime of successGive me credit--I'll find ways of paying Rio de la Plata! Florida! Corrientes! Nueve de Julio!All I want to know! Stand back Buenos Aires!Because you oughta know what'cha gonna get in me Just a little touch ofJust a little touch ofJust a little touch of star quality! 5. GOODNIGHT AND THANK YOUCHE (To MAGALDI)Goodnight and thank you Magaldi You've completed your task, what more could we askOf you now? Please sign the book on your way out the doorThat will be all If we need you we'll callBut I don't think that's likely somehowEVA Oh but it's sad when a love affair diesThe parting, the closing of doors But we must be honest, stop fooling ourselvesCHEWhich means--up yours! CHE and MAGALDIThere is no-one, no-one at all Never has been and never will be a loverMale or femaleWho hasn't an eye on In fact they rely onTricks they can try on Their partner They're hoping their lover will help them or keep themSupport them, promote them Don't blame themYou're the sameCHE (To EVA's FIRST LOVER) Goodnight and thank you whoeverShe's in every magazine, been photographed, seen She is knownWe don't like to rush but your case has been packed If we've missed anythingYou could give us a ring But we don't always answer the phoneEVAOh but it's sad when a love affair dies But when we were hot we were hot I know you'll look back on the good times we've sharedCHEBut Eva will not! CHE, EVA, MAGALDI, EVA's FIRST LOVERThere is no-one, no-one at all Never has been and never will be a loverMale or femaleWho hasn't an eye on In fact they rely onTricks they can try on Their partner They're hoping their lover will help them or keep themSupport them, promote them Don't blame them, you're the sameCHE (To EVA's SECOND LOVER) Goodnight and thank you whoeverWe are grateful you found her a spot on the sound radioWe'll think of you every time she's on the airWe'd love you to stay But you'd be in the waySo do up your trousers and goEVA Of but it's sad when a love affair diesThe decline into silence and doubt Our passion was just too intense to surviveCHEFor God's sake get out! (By now a fairly long line of EVA's rejected LOVERShas formed)LOVERS Oh but this line's an embarrassing sightSomeone has made us look fools Argentine men call the sexual shotsSomeone has altered the rulesCHE Fame on the wireless as far as it goesIs all very well, but every girl knows She needs a man she can monopolizeWith fingers in dozens of different pies- LOVERSOh but it's sad when a love affair dies6. THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE (Five members of the G.O.U., a right-wing grouping of officers within the military government that seized power in Argentina in 1943, including Colonel Juan PERON, are seen moving slowly back and forth in rocking chairs. During this sequence, every time the music stops, the officers rise and one chair is removed. By the end of the scene there is just on chair left, occupied by PERON.)OFFICERSOne has no rules Is not preciseOne rarely actsThe same way twiceOne spurns no device Practicing the art of the possibleOne always picksThe easy fight One praises foolsOne smothers lightone shifts left to right It's part of the art of the possible (While the officers continue their game of political musical chairs, EVA appears, script in hand, at a microphone.)EVA (on the air) I'm only a radio star with just one weekly show But speaking as one of the people I want you to know We are tired of the decline ofArgentina with no sign of A government able to give us the things we deserveOFFICERSOne always claims Mistakes were plannedWhen risk is slightOne takes one's stand With much sleight of handPolitics--the art of the possibleOne has no rules Is not preciseOne rarely acts The same way twiceOne spurns no device Politics--the art of the possibleVOICESPeron! Peron! Peron! 7. CHARITY CONCERT / I'D BE SURPRISINGLY GOOD FOR YOU (Backstage at the Luna Park Stadium. EVA by now a successful actress, and PERON, by now one of the most powerful men in the military government, are both present. EVA's old friend MAGALDI is finishing his acton stage.MAGALDI On this night...CHELuna Park Stadium, Buenos Aires, January 22, 1944MAGALDI On this night...CHEA concert in aid of the victims of an earthquake that devastated the town of San Juan, ArgentinaMAGALDI On this night of a thousand starsLet me take you to heaven's door Where the music of love's guitarsPlays for evermore!CHE Ladies and gentlemen! Agustin Magaldi! Any minute now--the man of the hour! (MAGALDI comes off stage and runs into EVA)EVAYou're act hasn't changed much MAGALDINeither has yours(MAGALDI leaves. The crowd begins to call for PERON. PERON pushes his way onto the stage.)PERON Tonight I'm proud to be the people's spokesman! You've given help to those who've lost their homes, but more than that conclusively shown that the people should run their affairs on their own! Make sure your leadersunderstand their people!CROWD Peron! Peron! Peron!(PERON leaves the stage and finds himself face to face with EVA)EVAColonel Peron?PERONEva Duarte?EVA and PERONI've heard so much about you! I'm amazed for I'm only an actress (a soldier) Nothing to shout about (One of the thousands) Only a girl on the boards (Defending the country he loves)EVA But when you act, the things you do affect us allPERON But when you act, you take us away from the squalor of the real world--Are you here on your own?EVAYesPERON So am I--what a fortunate coincidence. Maybe you're my reward for my efforts here tonightEVAIt seems crazy but you must believe There's nothing calculated, nothing plannedPlease forgive me if I seem naive I would never want to force your handBut please understandI'd be good for you I don't always rush in like thisTwenty seconds after saying hello Telling strangers I'm too good to missIf I'm wrong I hope you'll tell me so But you really should knowI'd be good for youI'd be surprisingly good for you I won't go on if I'm boring youBut do you understand my point of view Do you like what you hear, what you see, and would you beGood for me too? I'm not talking of a hurried nightA frantic tumble then a shy goodbye Creeping home before it gets too light That's not the reason that I caught your eyeWhich has to imply I'd be good for youI'd be surprisingly good for youPERON Please go on--you enthrall me!I can understand you perfectly And I like what I hear, what I see, and knowing meI would be good for you tooEVA I'm not talking of a hurried nightA frantic tumble then a shy goodbye Creeping home before it gets too light That's not the reason that I caught your eyeWhich has to imply I'd be good for youI'd be surprisingly good for youEVA and PERON (neither seems aware that the other is singing)There is no-one, no-one at all Never has been and never will be a loverMale or femaleWho hasn't an eye on In fact they rely onTricks they can try onTheir partner They're hoping their lover will help them or keep themSupport them, promote them Don't blame them, you're the same8. ANOTHER SUITCASE IN ANOTHER HALL (EVA and PERON arrive at PERON's apartment. PERON's 16 year-old MISTRESS is in bed.)EVAHello and goodbye! I've just unemployed youYou can go back to school--you had a good run I'm sure he enjoyed youDon't act sad or surprised, let's be friends, civilized Come on little one!Don't sit there like a dummy! The day you knew would arrive is here--you'll surviveSo move, funny face! I like your conversation--you've a catchy turn of phrase (EVA turns PERON's MISTRESS out into the hall.)MISTRESS I don't expect my love affairs to last for long Never fool myself that my dreams will come true Being used to trouble I anticipate itBut all the same I hate it--wouldn't you? So what happens now?CHEAnother suitcase in another hallMISTRESS So what happens now?CHETake your picture off another wallMISTRESS Where am I going to?CHEYou'll get by, you always have beforeMISTRESS Where am I going to?Time and time again I've said that I don't care That I'm immune to gloom, that I'm hard through and through But every time it matters all my words desert me So anyone can hurt me--and they doSo what happens now?CHE Another suitcase in another hallMISTRESSSo what happens now?CHE Take your picture off another wallMISTRESSWhere am I going to?CHE You'll get by you always have beforeMISTRESSWhere am I going go? Call in three months time and I'll be fine I know Well maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow I won't recall the names and places of this sad occasion But that's no consolation--here and nowSo what happens now?CHE Another suitcase in another hallMISTRESSSo what happens now?CHE Take your picture off another wallMISTRESSWhere am I going to?CHE You'll get by, you always have beforeMISTRESSWhere am I going to?CHE Don't ask anymore9. PERON'S LATEST FLAME CHEAt the watering-holes of the well-to-doI detect a resistance to...ARISTOCRATS Precisely!CHE...our heroine's styleARISTOCRATSWe're glad you noticedCHE The shooting sticks of the upper classARISTOCRATSGive her an inch...CHE Aren't supporting a single assThat would rise for the girlARISTOCRATS ...she'll take a mileSuch a shame she wandered into our enclosure How unfortunate this person has forced us to be blunt No, we wouldn't mind seeing her in Harrod's But behind the jewelry counter--not in frontCHE Could there be in our fighting corpsA lack of enthusiasm for...ARMYExactly!CHE ...Peron's latest flame?ARMYYou said it brotherCHE Should you wish to cause great distressIn the tidiest officer's mess Just mention her nameARMYThat isn't funny!Peron is a fool, breaking every taboo Installing the girl in the army H.Q.And she's an actress! The last straw Her only good parts are between her thighs She should stare at the ceiling, not reach for the skies Or she could be his last whoreThe evidence suggestsShe has other interests If it's her who's using himHe's exceptionally dimBitch! Dangerous Jade! ARISTOCRATSWe have allowed ourselves to slipWe have completely lost our grip We have declined to an all-time lowTarts have become the set to knowARMY It's no crime for officers to do as they please As long as they're discreet and keep clear of diseaseWe ignore, we disregard But once they allow a bit on the side To move to the center where she's not qualifiedWe should all be on our guard She should get into her headShe should not get out of bed She should know that she's not paidTo be loud but to be laid Slut! Dangerous Jade!(EVA, the glamorous movie star, enters,flanked by HEAVIES.) CHE (in the guise of a reporter)This has really been your year Miss Duarte Tell us where you go from here Miss Duarte Which are the roles that you yearn to play Whom did you sleep--dine with yesterday?EVA Is that the extent of your interest in me?It shows how futile acting must beCHE Can we assume then that you'll quit? Is this because of your association with Colonel Peron?HEAVIESGoodnight and thank you (They push CHE aside and EVA out)ARMY She won't be kept happy by her nights on the tiles She says it's his body but she's after his filesSo get back onto the street! She should get into her headShe should not get out of bed She should know that she's not paidTo be loud but to be laid The evidence suggestsShe has other interestsIf it's her who's using him He's exceptionally dimARISTOCRATSThings have reached a pretty pass When someone pretty lower classGraceless and vulgar, uninspired Can be accepted and admired10. A NEW ARGENTINAPERON Dice are rolling, the knives are outWould be presidents are all around I don't say they mean harm, but they'd each give an arm To see us six feet under groundEVAIt doesn't matter what those morons say Our nation's leaders are a feeble crewThere's only twenty of them anyway What is twenty next to millions whoAre looking to you? All you have to do is sit and waitKeeping out of everybody's way We'll--you'll be handed power on a plateWhen the ones who matter have their say And with chaos installedYou can reluctantly agree to be calledPERON There again we could be foolishNot to quit while we're ahead For distance lends enchantmentAnd that is whyAll exiles are distinguished More important they're not deadI could find job satisfactionIn ParaguayEVA This is crazy defeatist talkWhy commit political suicide? There's no risk, there's no callFor any action at all When you have unions on your sideWORKERS' VOICESPeron! Peron!CHEA new Argentina! The chains of the masses untied!A new Argentina! The voice of the people cannot be denied!EVA There is only one man who can lead any workers' regime He lives for your problems, he shares your ideals and your dreams He supports you for he loves you, understands you, is one of you If not--how could he love me?MOBA new Argentina!The workers' battle song! A new Argentina!The voice of the people rings out loud and long!EVA Now I am a worker I've suffered the way that you do I've been unemployed and I've starved and I hated it too But I found my salvation in Peron--may the nation Let him save them as he saved meCHEA new Argentina!A new age about to begin! CHE and SECRET POLICEA new Argentina! We face the world together and no dissent within(The SECRET POLICE lay into CHE) INDIVIDUAL WORKERSNationalization of the industries that the foreigners control Participation in the profits that we makeShorter hoursHigher wages Votes for womenLarger doleMore public spendingA bigger slice of every cakePERON It's annoying that we have to fight elections for our cause The inconvenience--having to get a majority If normal methods of persuasion fail to win us applause There are other ways of establishing authoritySECRET POLICE We have ways of making you vote for us, or at least of making you abstainEVA Peron has resigned from the army and this we avow The descamisados are those he is marching with now! He supports you for he loves you, understands you, is one of you If not--how could he love me?ALLA new Argentina!The chains of the masses untied! A new Argentina!The voice of the people cannot be, and will not be, and must not be, denied!PERONThere again we could be foolish Not to quit while we're aheadI can see me many miles awayInactive Sipping cocktails on a terraceTaking breakfast in bed Sleeping easy, doing crosswordsIt's attractiveEVA Don't think I don't think like you, I often get those nightmares too They always take some swallowing Sometimes it's very difficult to keep momentum ifIt's you that you are following Don't close doorsKeep an escape clauseBecause we might loseThe Big Apple But--would I have done, what I didIf I hadn't thought, if I hadn't known We would take the country?ALLA new Argentina!The chains of the masses untied! A new Argentina!The voice of the people cannot be, and will not be, and must not be, denied!END OF ACT ONEACT TWO 11. ON THE BALCONY OF THE CASA ROSADA / DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA (PERON has just won a sweeping victory in the 1946 Presidential Election. This is the first public appearance by PERON and EVA since that triumph. Action takes place both inside and outside on the balcony of the Casa Rosada - the pink Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires.)CHE People of Argentina! Your newly elected President-- Juan Peron! (The CROWD begins to chant "Peron! Peron!")PERON Argentinos! Argentinos! We are all shirtless now! Fighting against our common enemies-- Poverty, social injustice, foreign domination of our industries! Reaching for our common goals--Our independence, our dignity, our pride! Let the world know that our great nation is awakening and that its heart beats in the humble bodies of Juan Peron--and his wife, the first lady of Argentina,Eva Duarte de Peron!CHE As a mere observer of this tasteless phenomenon, one has to admire the stage management--(HEAVIES move in on Che) There again--perhaps I'm more than a mere observer - listen to my enthusiasm, gentleman! Peron! Peron! Peron!--Look, if I take off my shirt, will you-(HEAVIES bundle CHE away) (The CROWD by now are beginning to chant"Evita! Evita!")EVA It won't be easy, you'll think it strangeWhen I try to explain how I feel That I still need your love after all that I've doneYou won't believe me All you will see is a girl you once knewAlthough she's dressed up to the nines At sixes and sevens with youI had to let it happen, I had to change Couldn't stay all my life down at heel Looking out of the window, staying out of the sunSo I chose freedom Running around trying everything newBut nothing impressed me at all I never expected it toDon't cry for me ArgentinaThe truth is I never left you All through my wild daysMy mad existenceI kept my promise Don't keep your distanceAnd as for fortune, and as for fame I never invited them inThough it seemed to the world they were all I desired They are illusionsThey are not the solutions they promised to be The answer was here all the timeI love you and hope you love me Don't cry for me Argentina...(EVA breaks down; the CROWD takes up her tune)EVA Don't cry for me ArgentinaThe truth is I never left youAll through my wild days My mad existenceI kept my promiseDon't keep your distance Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you But all you have to do is look at me to know that every word is true (The CROWD is ecstatically enthusiastic; EVA goesinside from the balcony) Just listen to that! The voice of Argentina! We are adored! We are loved!OFFICER Statesmanship is more than entertaining peasantsEVAWe shall see, little manCROWD Evita Peron! La Santa Peronista!(EVA goes back onto the balcony)EVA I am only a simple woman who lives to serve Peron in his noble crusade to rescue his people! I was once as you are now! I have taken these riches from the oligarchs only for you--for all of you! One day you will inherit these treasures! Descamisados! When they fire those cannons, when the crowds sing of glory, it is not just for Peron, but for all of us! All of us!AN ARISTOCRAT (mocking applause) Things have reached a pretty passWhen someone pretty lower class Can be accepted and admired-EVA But your despicable class is dead! Look who they are calling for now! 12. HIGH FLYING, ADOREDCHEHigh flying, adored, so young, the instant queen, a Rich beautiful thing of all the talents, a cross between a Fantasy of the bedroom and a saintAnd you were just a backstreet girl Hustling and fightingScratching and biting High flying, adored, did you believe in your wildest moments All this would be yours, that you'd become the lady of them all? Were there stars in your eyes when you crawled in at night From the bars, from the sidewalksFrom the gutter theatrical? Don't look down, it's a long long way to fall High flying, adored, what happens now, where do you go from here? For someone on top of the world, the view's not exactly clear A shame you did it all at twenty-sixThere are no mysteries now Nothing can thrill youNo-one fulfill you High flying, adored, I hope you come to terms with boredom So famous, so easily, so soon, is not the wisest thing to be You won't care if they love you, it's been done before You'll despair if they hate youYou'll be drained of all energy All the young who've made it would agreeEVA High flying, adored, I've been called names but they're the strangest My story's quite usual, local girl makes good, weds famous man I was slap in the right place at the perfect timeFilled a gap--I was lucky But one thing I'll say for meNo-one else can fill it like I can13. RAINBOW HIGH EVAI don't really think I needThe reasons why I won't succeedI haven't started! Let's get this show on the roadLet's make it obviousPeron is off and rolling EVA's DRESSERSEyes! Hair! Mouth! Figure! Dress! Voice! Style! Movement! Hands! Magic! Rings! Glamour! Face!Diamonds! Excitement! Image!EVA I came from the peopleThey need to adore meSo Christian Dior me From my head to my toesI need to be dazzlingI want to be Rainbow High! They must have excitementAnd so must IEVA's DRESSERS Eyes! Hair! Mouth! Figure! Dress! Voice! Style! Movement!EVA I'm their productIt's vital you sell meSo Machiavell-meMake an Argentine Rose! I need to be thrillingI shall be Rainbow High!They need their escapeAnd so do I EVA's DRESSERSEyes! Hair! Mouth! Figure! Dress! Voice! Style! Movement! Hands! Magic! Rings! Glamour! Face!Diamonds! Excitement! Image!EVA All my descamisados expect me to outshine the enemy-- the aristocracy I won't disappoint them!I'm their savior!That's what they call me So Lauren Bacall meAnything goesTo make me fantasticI have to be Rainbow High In magical colors--You're not decorating a girl for a night on the town! And I'm not a second-rate queen getting kicks with a crown! Next stop will be Europe!The Rainbow's gonna tourDressed up, somewhere to go We'll put on a show!Look out, mighty Europe! Because you oughta know what'cha gonna get in meJust a little touch of Just a little touch ofArgentina's brand ofStar quality!14. RAINBOW TOUR (PERON and some of his OFFICERS reflect on EVA's European progress. CHE takes over many of the OFFICERS' lines during this sequence and also addsvarious comments of his own.) PERONPeople of Europe! I send you the Rainbow of Argentina!CHE Spain has fallen to the charms of Evita She can do what she likes--it doesn't matter much She's the New World Madonna with the golden touch She filled a bull-ring--forty-five thousand seater But if you're prettier than General FrancoThat's not hard Franco's reign in Spain should see out the forties So you've just acquired an ally whoLooks as secure in his job as you More important, current political thought isYour wife's a phenomenal asset Your trump cardPERON and OFFICERSLet's hear it for the Rainbow Tour It's been an incredible successWe weren't quite sure, we had a few doubtsCHE Would Evita win through?PERON and OFFICERSBut the answer is yes!EVA (in Spain) There you are, I told you soMakes no difference where we go The whole world over--just the sameYou should have heard them call our name And who would underestimate the actress now?PERON I'm not underestimating you--just do the same thing in Italy pleaseCHE Now I don't like to spoil a wonderful storyBut the news from Rome is not so good She hasn't gone down like we thought she would Italy's unconvinced by Argentine gloryThey equate Peron with Mussolini Can't think whyEVA (in Italy)Did you here that?They called me a whore! They actually called me a whore!AN ITALIAN ADMIRAL (CHE)But Signora Peron-- It's an easy mistakeI'm still called an admiralyet I gave up the sea long ago CHE / OFFICERSThings aren't all that bad she met with the Pope She got a Papal decoration and a kindly word So even if the crowds gave our lady the bird The Argentine/Italy axis does have some hopeShe still made a fabulous impact Caught the eyePERON and OFFICERSLet's here it for the Rainbow Tour It's been an incredible successWe weren't quite sure, we had a few doubtsCHE Would Evita win through?PERON and OFFICERSBut the answer is--CHEA qualified-- PERON and OFFICERSYes!CHEEva started well, no question, in France Shining like the sun through the post-war haze A beautiful reminder of the carefree days She nearly captured the French, she sure had the chance But she suddenly seemed to lose interestShe looked tiredPERON and OFFICERS Tired? Eva tired?CHEFace the facts, the Rainbow's starting to fade I don't think she'll make it to England nowPERONIt wasn't on the schedule anyhow CHEYou'd better get out the flags and fix a parade Some kind of coming home triumphIs requiredPERON and OFFICERS Let's here it for the Rainbow TourIt's been an incredible success We weren't quite sure, we had a few doubtsWould Evita win through?CHE And the answer is--PERON and OFFICERSYesCHEAnd noPERON and OFFICERSAnd yesCHE And noPERON and OFFICERSAnd yes... and noLet's here it for the Rainbow Tour It's been an incredible success...EVA (back from Europe) Who the hell does the King of England think he is? Tea at some tinpot castle of his--what kind of invitation is that? Argentina's First Lady deserves Buckingham Palace!If England can do without me Then Argentina can do without England!15. THE ACTRESS HASN'T LEARNED (THE LINES YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR)ARISTOCRACYThus all fairy stories end Only an actress would pretendAffairs of state are her latest play Eight shows a week two matineesMy how the worm begins to turn When will the chorus girl ever learn?My how the worm begins to turn When will the chorus girl ever learn?EVA The chorus girl hasn't learned the lines you'd like to hear She won't be scrambling over the backs of the poor to be accepted By making donations--just large enough--to the correct charity She won't be president of your wonderful society of philanthropy Even if you asked her to beAs you should have asked her to be The actress hasn't learned the lines you'd like to hear She won't join your clubs, she won't dance in your halls She won't help the hungry once a month at your tombolas She'll simply take control as you disappearCHE Forgive my intrusion but fine as those sentiments sound Little has changed for us peasants down here on the ground I hate to seem churlish, ungrateful, I don't like to moan But do you now represent anyone's cause but your own?EVA Everything done will justified by my Foundation 16. AND THE MONEY KEPT ROLLING IN (AND OUT)CHE (and WORKERS on choruses) And the money kept rolling in from every side Eva's pretty hands reached out and they reached wide Now you may feel it should have been a voluntary cause But that's not the point my friends When the money keeps rolling in you don't ask how Think of all the people guaranteed a good time now Eva's called the hungry to her--open up the doors! Never been a fund like the Foundation Eva Peron!Rolling rolling rolling Rolling on inWould you like to try a college education? Own your landlord's house, take the family on vacation? Eva and her blessed Fund can make your dreams come true Here's all you have to do my friends Write your name and your dream on a card or a pad or a ticket Throw it high in the air and should our lady pick it She will change your way of life for a week or even two Name me anyone who cares as much as Eva Peron!Rolling rolling rolling Rolling on outAnd the money kept rolling out in all directions To the poor to the weak to the destitute of all complexions Now cynics claim a little of the cash has gone astray But that's not the point my friends When the money keeps rolling out you don't keep books You can tell you've done well by the happy grateful looks Accountants only slow things down, figures get in the way Never been a lady loved as much as Eva Peron!Rolling rolling rolling Rolling on outIf the money keeps rolling in what's a girl to do? Cream a little off the top for expenses--wouldn't you? But where on Earth can people hide their little piece of Heaven? Thank God for SwitzerlandWhere a girl and a guy with a little petty cash between themCan be sure when they deposit no-one's seen them Oh what bliss to sign your checks as three-o-one-two-seven Never been accounts in the name of Eva Peron!Rolling rolling rolling Rolling on in17. SANTA EVITACHILDREN Please, gentle Eva, will you bless a little child? For I love you--tell Heaven I'm doing my best I'm praying for you, even though you're already blessed Please, mother Eva, will you look upon me as your own? Make me special, be my angel, be my everything wonderful perfect and true And I'll try to be exactly like you Please, holy Eva, will you feed a hungry child? For I love you--tell Heaven I'm doing my best...CHE Get them while they're young, Evita, get them while they're young!CHILDREN ...I'm praying for you, even though you're already blessedWORKERS Santa Santa EvitaMadre de todos los ninosDe los tiranizadosDe los descamisados De los trabajadoresDe la ArgentinaCHE Why try to govern a country when you can become a saint? 18. WALTZ FOR EVA AND CHECHETell me before I waltz out of your life Before turning my back on the pastForgive my impertinent behavior But how long do you think this pantomime can last? Tell me before I ride off in the sunsetThere's one thing I never got clear How can you claim you're our saviorWhen those who oppose you Are stepped on, or cut up, or simply disappear?EVA Tell me before you get onto your busBefore joining the forgotten brigade How can one person like me, say,Alter the time-honored way the game is played? Tell me before you get onto your high horseJust what you expect me to do I don't care what the bourgeoisie say I'm not in business for them but to give all my descamisados A magical moment or twoCHE and EVAThere is evil, ever around, fundamental System of government quite incidentalEVASo what are my chances Of honest advances?I'd say lowBetter to winBy admitting my sin Than to lose with a haloCHETell me before seek worthier pastures And thereby restore self-esteemHow can you be so short-sighted To look never further than this week or next weekTo have no impossible dream?EVA Allow me to help you slink off to the sidelines I'll pay your fare, give three cheersBut first tell me who'd be delighted To witness me tackleThe world's greatest problemsFrom war to pollution? No hope of solutionEven if I lived for one hundred yearsCHE and EVA There is evil, ever around, fundamentalSystem of government quite incidentalEVA So go, if you're ableTo somewhere unstableAnd stay thereWhip up your hate In some tottering stateBut not here, dearIs that clear, dear? Oh what I'd give for a hundred years!But the physical interferes Every day more--O my Creator!What is the good of the strongest heart In a body that's falling apart?A serious flaw--I hope You know that 19. SHE IS A DIAMONDOFFICERSIt's all very well--to a certain extent For the lady at the side of the PresidentTo show an interest in affairs But let's not be blind to the drift of events She's eclipsing the strength of the governmentShe should return to below stairs She will never win our heartsShe's a woman for a startShe holds no elected post She's an ornament at mostCHE What's new Buenos Aires? Your nation, which a few years ago had the second largest gold reserves in the world, is bankrupt! A country which grew up and grew rich on beef is rationing it! La Prensa, one of the few newspapers which dares to oppose Peronism, has been silenced, and so have all other reasonable voices! I'll tell you what's new Buenos Aires!PERON (to OFFICERS; CHE has gone) But on the other hand--she's all they have She's a diamond in their dull gray lives--and that's the Hardest kind of stone--it usually survives And if you think about it, can you recallThe last time they loved anyone at all? She's not a bauble you can brush aside She's been out doing what we just talked about--example Gave us back our businesses, got the English out And when you think about it--well why not do One or two of the things we promised to?But on the other hand she's slowing down She's lost a little of that magic drive--but I would Not advise her critics present to deriveAny satisfaction from her fading star She's the one who's kept us where we areOFFICERS She's the one who's kept you where you are20. DICE ARE ROLLINGPERON Dice are rolling, the knives are outI see every bad sign in the book And as far as they can--overweight to a man!They have that lean and hungry look EVABut we still have the magic we've always had! The descamisados still worship me--we arrived thanks to them and no-one else; no thanks to your generals--aclutch of stuffed cuckoos! PERONIt's not a question of a big parade, proving we're big with the mobs on the street--EVAYou're wrong--the people, my people--PERON The people belong to no-one! They are fickle, can be manipulated, they don't matter! However much they love you now it matters more that as far as my stuffed cuckoos are concerned, you don't politically exist!EVA So I don't exist! So I count for nothing! Try saying that on the street when all over the world I am Argentina! (EVA breaks off for a second--in some pain) Most of your generals wouldn't be recognized by their own mothers! But they'll admit I exist when I becomevice-president!PERON That won't work... we've been through all of this before, they'd fight you tooth and nail--you'd never overcome them with a hundred rallies and even if you did--EVAYes?PERON Your little body's slowly breaking down You're losing speed, you're losing strength--not style-- that goes on Flourishing forever, but your eyes, your smile Do not have the sparkle of their fantastic past If you climb one more mountain it could be your lastEVA I'm not that ill--bad moments come but they go Some days are fine, some a little bit harderBut that doesn't mean I should change my routineHave you ever seenMe defeated? Don't you forget what I've been through and yetI'm still standing And if I am ill--that could even be to your advantage!PERON Advantage? I'm trying to point out that you are dying! This talk of death is chilling--of course you're not going to die!EVA Then I must now be vice-president!And I shall have my people come to choose Two Perons to wear their country's crownsIn thousands in my squares and avenues Emptying their villages and townsWhere every soul in home or shack or stall Knows me as Argentina--that is allOh I shall be a great vice-president! (But EVA collapses in great pain)PERONSo what happens now?So what happens now? EVAWhere am I going to?PERONDon't ask anymore21. EVA'S FINAL BROADCASTCHE Forgive my intrusion, Evita, I just have to see How you admit you have lost--a brand new experience We got it set up! We fixed you a broadcast--and you're so good on the air!EVA The actress hasn't learned the lines you'd like to hearShe's sad for her country Sad to be defeated by her own weak body (a microphone is switched on--she is now on the air) I want to tell the people of ArgentinaI've decided I should decline All the honors and titles you've pressed me to take For I'm contented--let me simply go on As the woman who brings her people to the heart of Peron! Don't cry for me ArgentinaThe truth is I shall not leave you Though it may get harderFor you to see meI'm ArgentinaAnd always will be Have I said too much? There's nothing more I can think of to say to you But all you have to do is look at me to know that every word is true22. MONTAGE (In her last hours, images, people and events from EVA's life flow through her mind, while the grief of the nationknows no bounds)CHE She had her moments--she had some styleThe best show in town was the crowd Outside the Casa Rosada crying, "Eva Peron"But that's all gone now--MAGALDI Eva beware your ambition--EVA Screw the middle classes! I will never accept them and they will never deny me anything again. My father's other family were middle class, and we were kept out ofsight, hidden from view-- It seems crazy but you must believeThere's nothing calculated, nothing planned Please forgive me if I seem naiveI would never want to force your hand But please understand--CROWDA new Argentina!The chains of the masses untied! A new Argentina!The voice of the people cannot be and will not be and must not be--PERONHigh flying, adored, so young, the instant queen, a Rich beautiful thing of all the talents, a cross between a Fantasy of the bedroom and a saint--CROWDSanta Santa Evita Madre de todos los ninos...CHESing you fools but you got it wrong Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long Your queen is dead, your king is throughShe's not coming back to you!CROWD ...de los tiranizadosDe los descamisadosDe los trabajadoresDe la Argentina 23. LAMENTEVAThe choice was mine and mine completely I could have any prize that I desired I could burn with the splendor of the brightest fire Or else--or else I could choose timeRemember I was very young then And a year was forever and a daySo what use could fifty, sixty, seventy be? I saw the lights and I was on my wayAnd how I lived! How they shone! But how soon the lights were gone!Oh my daughter! Oh my son! Understand what I have done!(The moment EVA dies, EMBALMERS move in to preserve her fragile body)EMBALMERSEyes, hair, face, imageAll must be preserved Still life displayed foreverNo less than she deservedCHE Money was raised to build a tomb, a monument to Evita. Only the pedestal was completed and Evita's body disappeared for seventeen years. THE END