Marti Pellow, one of music's most respected artists stars as Che in the 2013 UK tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita. In the musical, Che reflects the voice of the Argentine people; linked to Eva Peron by destiny he brings conflict to the story of Eva's rise to fame.
"It's great to be on tour again, we've just done Glasgow - my hometown and it was nice for them to be able to see me in this, Andrew and Tim's best... well, my favourite piece of theirs, by far. I'm looking forward to bringing the show to Wolverhampton, which is a fantastic theatre where I last did Witches Of Eastwick."
"Che is an interesting character... really he and Eva never met, he was just the catalyst and Tim and Andrew used him almost as a narrator for the musical and he's the voice of the Argentinian common man. It's funny because I just seem to get these types of roles, I just finished in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers as the Narrator and when they said do you fancy doing the role of Che in Evita it was a no brainer for me, I wanted to do that. I first came familiar with the score for Evita through David Essex's pop career and it was one of those musicals that crossed so many different genres and growing up I watched all the MG classics with my mummy on the couch but I was never really one for musical theatre and then I carved a career in pop music so I'm playing catch up here!"
"I've been doing musical theatre now for ten years, once that door was open from Kander & Ebb's Chicago I was like a kid in a candy store and this is one of the roles I'd always wanted to play. I think it's a great character and he's part of a great ensemble. I suppose most people with be familiar with the movie version with Antonio Banderas and Madonna which is a great version of it too, but for me the theatre is where it all happens - that's what it was written for after all."
"I don't really consider musical theatre a big departure really from what I've been used to in pop music with Wet Wet Wet and so on... When you're singing you're still telling a story. When you're singing any song people engage in the lyrics, hopefully, and listen to what you're trying to say and if it's beautifully written like Evita is - it's not rocket science. It's about engaging your imagination and putting a little piece of your heart into it so it's truthful and people are willing to go on that journey with you. So for me really, singing in theatre is no different, it's just another jacket you're putting on. Don't get me wrong though, it's like when you first experience Sondheim, you think whoah, where's this cat coming from! For me though, Sondheim as with all musical theatre really is like bringing a telescope into focus. At first you can't really see it and then suddenly it just goes 'click' and if you stay with it, you'll get there."
"I'm very blessed with some of the roles that I've been given, they're all big roles, Billy Flynn in Chicago - the dream, tick! Then I get to play recently Jekyll and Hyde for Leslie Bricusse, who I'd been a big fan of and he became a friend and I said to him I'd love to play Scrooge, that's what I had my eye on and then I ended up doing Jekyll and Hyde which I loved but I was a bit disappointed that I only got one wage... that's two characters right!? I love musical theatre though and I hope people come and see Evita, just don't expect me to dance... I don't do that. Actually one more thing, when I was in Chicago on Broadway and Ann Reinking came up to me whilst I was doing a wee dance routine and said 'Oh Marti, honey, your heart's in it... just a shame your feet aint!'"
"Che is an interesting character... really he and Eva never met, he was just the catalyst and Tim and Andrew used him almost as a narrator for the musical and he's the voice of the Argentinian common man. It's funny because I just seem to get these types of roles, I just finished in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers as the Narrator and when they said do you fancy doing the role of Che in Evita it was a no brainer for me, I wanted to do that. I first came familiar with the score for Evita through David Essex's pop career and it was one of those musicals that crossed so many different genres and growing up I watched all the MG classics with my mummy on the couch but I was never really one for musical theatre and then I carved a career in pop music so I'm playing catch up here!"
"I've been doing musical theatre now for ten years, once that door was open from Kander & Ebb's Chicago I was like a kid in a candy store and this is one of the roles I'd always wanted to play. I think it's a great character and he's part of a great ensemble. I suppose most people with be familiar with the movie version with Antonio Banderas and Madonna which is a great version of it too, but for me the theatre is where it all happens - that's what it was written for after all."
"I don't really consider musical theatre a big departure really from what I've been used to in pop music with Wet Wet Wet and so on... When you're singing you're still telling a story. When you're singing any song people engage in the lyrics, hopefully, and listen to what you're trying to say and if it's beautifully written like Evita is - it's not rocket science. It's about engaging your imagination and putting a little piece of your heart into it so it's truthful and people are willing to go on that journey with you. So for me really, singing in theatre is no different, it's just another jacket you're putting on. Don't get me wrong though, it's like when you first experience Sondheim, you think whoah, where's this cat coming from! For me though, Sondheim as with all musical theatre really is like bringing a telescope into focus. At first you can't really see it and then suddenly it just goes 'click' and if you stay with it, you'll get there."
"I'm very blessed with some of the roles that I've been given, they're all big roles, Billy Flynn in Chicago - the dream, tick! Then I get to play recently Jekyll and Hyde for Leslie Bricusse, who I'd been a big fan of and he became a friend and I said to him I'd love to play Scrooge, that's what I had my eye on and then I ended up doing Jekyll and Hyde which I loved but I was a bit disappointed that I only got one wage... that's two characters right!? I love musical theatre though and I hope people come and see Evita, just don't expect me to dance... I don't do that. Actually one more thing, when I was in Chicago on Broadway and Ann Reinking came up to me whilst I was doing a wee dance routine and said 'Oh Marti, honey, your heart's in it... just a shame your feet aint!'"
Listen to what Marti remembers about Wolverhampton Grand Theatre!
You can book to see Marti Pellow in EVITA at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre here. The show plays from 19 - 31 August 2013.
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