God, he was 28. Just a teeny baby, and so unfathomably talented. He played such HUGE roles at such a young age, and just continues to astound. *sits down, breathes into paper bag*

@glennfoster341

3 жыл бұрын

Well. Neither Fidel Castro nor The Gueverra were that much older at their times of Fame.

@austinragusin5533

2 жыл бұрын

“Sits down, breathes into a paper bag” at the end of all that killed me😂😂😂😂😂

@IlaughedIcried

2 жыл бұрын

@@austinragusin5533 aw, thanks! :)

@kskraus2262

Жыл бұрын

Spoiled. I saw the LA opening with Patinken and LuPone.

@aribencanaan26

Жыл бұрын

@@kskraus2262 me too. 79 or 80 and i have loved mandy since! No one has ever done a better job. Patti and mandy were evita.

Esparza is a Broadway treasure

The way he turns and drops the line "It's our funeral too" sends me the chills.

Wow....I've been a big Evita fan since I was in high school, and just discovering this version. Raul Esparza definitely fits this role of Che. Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!!!

OMG -- never realized he sang. Have watched and adored him for seasons on SVU as Rafael Barba...what an actor ... and now, what a singer!! Amazine!!!

@deniseazevedo4448

Ай бұрын

É por isso que acho que não voltará a Svu. Tem uma brilhante carreira paralela. Diferente dos outros status res da série,que vivem dela e pra ela.

He was 28 when he did this performance. My age now ♡ I am so in love with this guy.

Did anyone else see the Theatre Gone Wrong video on theatremania where Raul talks about how when his boots were re-soled befor a performance during the run and he slipped on the plexiglass around 7:00 when he would have turned upstage and COULD NOT GET UP because he kept sliding and needed to hoist himself up using the coffin and somehow managed to sing the whole time! THAT'S ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT at 6:26 when he sidesteps the floor, lol! it's in the choreography but in my mind all I can think is "nOPE"

@kellyalves756

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, absolutely.

@leefriedman3067

2 жыл бұрын

I loved every bit of him talking through it

What a fantastic performance! The little mirco-expressions, the emphasis on certain lyrics, the very clear characterisation, it's all so compelling. Oh, and of course, a superb voice for the role, and he sounds relaxed and in complete control.

[CHE] O what a circus! O what a show Argentina has gone to town Over the death of an actress called Eva Perón We've all gone crazy Mourning all day and mourning all night Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right O what an exit! That's how to go When they're ringing your curtain down Demand to be buried like Eva Perón It'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 style The best show in town was the crowd Outside the Casa Rosada crying "Eva Perón" But that's all gone now As soon as the smoke from the funeral clears We're all gonna see how she did nothing for years [CROWD] Salve regina mater misericordiae Vita dulcedo et spes nostra Salve, salve regina Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes O clemens O pia [CHE] You let down your people, Evita You were supposed to have been immortal That's all they wanted, not much to ask for But in the end you could not deliver Sing you fools! But you got it wrong Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long Your queen is dead, your king is through She's not coming back to you Show business kept us all alive Since 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 stage Instead of ideas a prima donna's rage Instead of help we were given a crowd She didn't say much but she said it loud And who am I who dares to keep His head held high while millions weep Why the exception to the rule Opportunist, traitor, fool Or just a man who grew and saw From 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 through She's not coming back to you [CROWD] Salve regina mater misericordiae Vita dulcedo et spes nostra Salve, salve regina Perón Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes O clemens O pia [THE VOICE OF EVA] Don't cry for me, Argentina For I am ordinary, unimportant And undeserving Of such attention Unless we all are- I think we all are Ride on my train O my people And when it's your turn to die, you'll remember They fired those cannons Sang lamentations Not just for Eva For Argentina Not just for Eva For everybody So share my glory So share my coffin So share my glory So share my coffin [CHE] It's our funeral, too

Currently obsessed with the way he sings "loud"

@cascharles3838

4 жыл бұрын

Also that last "you" ??? Goddamn

He is just so PERFECTLY cast here

I saw this tour back in 1999 with Natalie and Raul. It was freaking amazing as were the two of them. So happy I was able to see them!

Raul's the first actor who could perform Che with such rawness as David Essex used to in the original London cast. Nowadays those who play Che tend to portray this figure as a romantic, respectful, hell of a good looking fella to whom not even Eva Peron can resist. 🤦

@storyofcory

3 жыл бұрын

I love Mandy Patinkin just as much as the next guy, but for me, it's Essex, all the way, that is the "true" Che. That said, Esparza is an extremely close second. Esparza's vibrato is giving me chills here, for real.

@maryp6004

3 жыл бұрын

The late Patxi Andión of the original Spanish-language production in Madrid (opened in December, 1980) fits the bill. Raúl is very good, but Patxi will always be my favorite Che. He could express a world of sarcasm in a one-syllable snarl!

@samcruse9435

2 ай бұрын

​@@maryp6004I've just discovered the Patxi Andión spanish versión, he is amazing and definitely more similar in style to Raúl Esparza than the Antonio Banderas ideal.

A wonderful performance, he positively boils with rage.

Why is the original staging so satisfying? When all we had was this, we wanted to see something more (well, not me. This was perfect). Now that we've seen more, we go back to this. Why does that happen? I'm not alone in this either. Lots of people adore Prince's original staging and find it mesmerizing and completely satisfying. It evokes things in you and is theatrically thrilling to the max. Attempts at "updating" this musical have fallen flat to me. This is where it's at. I hope this version makes a comeback in the states like it recently did in its world tour which included lucky Singapore and Australia but not the U.S.! Grrr.

@auroraspiderwoman5886

4 жыл бұрын

One of Prince's greatest stagings.

@musicaltheatergeek79

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. The 2006 London revival (which later transferred to Broadway in 2012) was the worst staging/choreography imaginable.

@Johnnysw4

3 жыл бұрын

@@musicaltheatergeek79 If you think the 2006 London revival was dire (which it was) you should have seen the 2019 attempt. There were no ball gowns and diamonds. Evita sang 'Don't Cry For Me' in her underwear.

@Benjiesbeenbetter.

10 ай бұрын

​@

@Benjiesbeenbetter.

10 ай бұрын

​@Johnnysw4 I suppose the 2019 at least confirms that its an opera rather than a musical. Trendy directors and producers keep doing stupid things like that with operas to make them "relevant" and reflect the "Post (Insert latest scandal/crisis) World". Idiots.

Damn damn damn damn damn, Raul!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Wow, he is just amazing, fantastic talent this man have 🤩😍

I would kill to see him perform this again. Raul Esparza is incredible and I love him 😍😍

I could be very happy to see the original staging/choreography/ physical production and be very happy.

I'm in this. I was Raul's understudy.

@kellyalves756

5 жыл бұрын

Bill E D Is this the performance where they resoled his boots?

@danmccloskey6207

5 жыл бұрын

Is that a real cigar

@kellyalves756

5 жыл бұрын

Dan McCloskey I think the obvious answer to that is, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

@MrSanchito

4 жыл бұрын

I think I saw you, if you played Cupertino CA

@Michael-ii7bk

2 ай бұрын

@@danmccloskey6207YES!!! Raul would pass it discreetly to me and id drop it in a concealed cup that had a wet sponge on the bottom to help put it out! The burn holes in my pants I wore and the burn scars on my thigh were a dead giveaway!! But he was so enthralling and captivating, even to us on stage, it totally didn’t matter! I happily do it again in a heartbeat! It was a real shame Broadway was cheated out Raul, Ray, Anna Maria, Angela, Tom and of course, Natalie!!!!Angela was just 15/16 playing the mistress. Her VOICE!!! Anna was Alternate and so incredibly wonderful and different than Natalie it kept the show fresh!! RAY, sexiest Perron EVER! Tom’s Magaldi pe4fectly smarmy and oddly sexy!!

2:02, wow that look of grieving on point

Wonderful to see this performed as it should be.

@auroraspiderwoman5886

6 жыл бұрын

I fully agree.

What an amazing version. Every syllable enunciated, with real meaning. Fantastic

Excelente interpretación del Che, la mejor que he visto hasta el momento. Y he visto muchas.

I saw this in San Francisco. Raul was wonderful!

@flamingowen

8 жыл бұрын

sooo jealous.

@musicaltheatergeek79

7 жыл бұрын

I saw it in Boston at the Colonial on July 24, 1999. It was a Saturday matinée. I also believe it was the last stop of the tour, which had begun in Detroit the previous November. It was Broadway-bound, but for some reason never made it. (Yes, I remember shit like this.) Anyway, I was pissed that I got alternate Ana Maria Andricain. I did not like her at all. But Raúl more than made up for it. He was very excellent! That audience loved him. Even gave him the best reception at the end, which I thought was so wrong, since it should go to the title character. It was weird to see him get a wild applause, followed by Andricain who was received politely, to say the least. But you have to give credit where it's due, and Raúl was the best thing about that matinee performance that I saw, the ensemble notwithstanding. I only wish I'd seen the evening show with Natalie Tóro. She sounds exquisite here. *P.S.* I still have the big booklet I bought that features moments from the show and trivia about the Peróns, including the macabre journey concerning her preserved corpse. It's still in good condition albeit a little worn (i.e., it's been loved).

@rosiesummer2711

6 жыл бұрын

Musicaltheatergeek I went to see Phantom of the Opera the main actor playing Phantom could not perform and his replacement was announced a lot of people in the audience was so rude, they booed and carried on. However at the end of the night the replacement got a standing ovation. LOL. Audiences can be weird at times. Though it sounds great that you got to see Raul perform live. He sounds great in this.

@kellyalves756

3 жыл бұрын

@@rosiesummer2711 I saw Wicked in SF with the Elphaba understudy, and that girl knocked it out of the park.

Best Che performance there's been. Brilliant.

I saw the original cast twice...Patti was truly amazing...but I would have loved to have seen Raul in this role over Mandy. Truly one of the most mesmerizing musicals ever written.

I just saw my old friend Raul in Oliver at City Center, funny how this popped up in my KZread feed. I hope is he well, we met while he was touring in this show, and yes he was fantastic and continues to knock it out of the park every chance he gets.

i couldn't possibly thank you enough for uploading this, holy shit

@auroraspiderwoman5886

8 жыл бұрын

+Valeria Ricci Glad you liked it!

@potatogirl1340

4 жыл бұрын

aurora spiderwoman do you by any chance have the entire recording of this?

I love the original staging so much! I would do terrible things to see or perform it!

This staging was a beautiful attempt to market for more Latin audiences, as the Latin explosion recently occurred in American media. I believe this was one of the first major productions that cast Latino actors as Che and Eva. Would love to see this staging again!

He looks so rough and edgy and then his voice was softer than angel's kisses. I was so surprised.

His amazing talent goes far beyond that beautiful voice. This guy is special.

It would have to be a powerhouse like Esparza to match Patinkin when he debuted this role and one the Tony.

Raul has an amazing voice he is gifted with good looks and talents 💕

@Benjiesbeenbetter.

10 ай бұрын

As a giod Che should. The last time I saw the show, it was a with a Che who'd come second on some TV talent show. He was too busy trying to remember how to sing to actually act.

Raul just rocked my world...his interpretation and vocals are the absolute best rendition I've ever seen of this number...do you have any more of this production?

@auroraspiderwoman5886

7 жыл бұрын

Yes, more to come soon.

@loris8645

7 жыл бұрын

aurora spiderwoman YASSSS thank ya Jesus!

@laurajames723

2 жыл бұрын

Please do...this fellow is does one of the best Che's I've ever seen.

So am I the only one who think Esparza would make an amazing Hamilton?

@kellyalves756

5 жыл бұрын

Eduardo Flores Burr. The singing parts are better.

@danmccloskey6207

5 жыл бұрын

He's more of a rock singer than a rapper

@christychason78

4 жыл бұрын

I think he's versatile enough to be a fantastic Hamilton!

@vickyashable

3 жыл бұрын

Think he could sing anything

@glennfoster341

3 жыл бұрын

He would make an even better Aaron Burr.

He is the Che above all Ches, thank you!

@auroraspiderwoman5886

7 жыл бұрын

glad you enjoyed it!

@bugaloo2836

6 жыл бұрын

There is no Che above Mandy ..... but love Raul

Raul you are an amazing actor with an amazing voice…sooo handsome 😍

Raúl is unbelievable!!!!!! incredible!!!!

@flamingowen

8 жыл бұрын

I know. I've never seen the likes of him. sooo sexy

@mariarendon5950

4 жыл бұрын

I love you Raul Esparza ❤

this is awesome - love Raul and Evita is one of my favourite performances, didn't know he'd done this.

Raul was so gooood! Thank you aurora spiderwoman for posting such rare videos that I wouldn't be able to see!!

@auroraspiderwoman5886

6 жыл бұрын

Expressions of appreciation are very much appreciated.

If only i could sing like him.

Talented af! He SINGS & acts--- tells the story......his level of complexity is so good!!!!i wonder if he ever did it in Spanish?

🙏🏽🙏🏽 this is so much better than the broadway revival😍💗

Thoroughly entertained by this!!! I loved the over the top-ness! Lol! #VivaRaul!

GODDAMN. He's exquisite

Such a beautiful interpretation. Wish I could see it, but Iam from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ,so that we lacked the opportunity. I love Raul Esparza as an actor, singer. Also a handsome man.

Wow this is stunningly good ❤

Wow before he was on Law and Order SVU, what a talent.

Ugh those guitars during Requiem sound so epic!

#raulEsparza,,Bravo,,Met him @Broadway'sEvent in NYC dancing to Luis Miguel "Reloj",what a pleasure and kind #QueVivaCuba,,Lesley

Pleasee upload more of this show! 🙏

@auroraspiderwoman5886

3 жыл бұрын

Just in case you haven't seen this kzread.info/dash/bejne/eoyumKqleKa_gLA.html

Such a handsome man with extraordinary talent. 😍

Bravo Raúl Esparza, eres el mejor 😍

I like the three ladies at the end... they were good.

WOW! A ROCK 'N' ROLL CHE,! GO FOR RAUL! 🙂

Beautifully sung English as a second language! Extremely impressive, intensive as hell! Kudos to this Latino singer!

@kellyalves756

5 жыл бұрын

Eugenio Luis ? I thought he was raised completely bilingual.

@musicaltheatergeek79

4 жыл бұрын

Raúl Esparza was born in Delaware and raised in Miami.

Awesome

He was my favorite ADA after Casey Novak on Law and Order SVU. Go Raul!!!

Such and incredible staging of a musical. I always wondered how the film screen made it’s way upstage. You could never tell from older videos. Are those mirrors in the wings of the stage?

Wgen hecsyarted, I thoughtnhis vouce was too light, but I'm glad I watched the whole thing. That sheer fury was perfect.

He is telling a story.

incredible

he will always be amazing

Barba?...OBJECTION!

Fuck!!! Standing ovation!!!! Mind blown!!!

I saw this cast IN Sf. Do you have any other video of it besides the 2?

This is great, as is "The Money Kept Rolling In." Any chance you have more of Natalie Toro as Eva? I did a show with her back in the Pleistocene era; her talent is magnificent and under utilized. Anyway, Aurora, your videos are amazing. I have gained SUCH JOY in these last 4 ...largely scary, joyless months... visiting your page and enjoying the education. You rock! Thank you, Thank You, and once again, THANK YOU!

@auroraspiderwoman5886

7 жыл бұрын

How nice of you---so glad you are enjoying the site, and thanks for letting me know.

@tonycassidy777

6 жыл бұрын

I was fortunate to see Natalie Toro in the tour of In The Heights. I wept the entire time. How beautiful and talented she is!

Can I ask where you got this recording?

Raul is really good. He portrayed the role more like the original production than Antonio Banderas did in the as an Everyman observer. Still like Mandy better.

@kellyalves756

3 жыл бұрын

I would like to see Mandy . Raúl said he was pretty intimidated by the thought of stepping into his ( hopefully properly souled) boots. I find it aggravating that they bypassed all of Broadway and picked Banderas for the movie, but then wasn’t Madonna the executive producer?

Raul was the best, no doubt. Mandy beats him only vocally. Raul brought the flame to Che’s character.

Raul rocks!

the cuban cigar is so heavy handed i love it

Yasss ADA Barba!

❤

HAY POR DIOS ME DIO ESCALOFRIO....ESTE ACTOR...QUE PARECIDO ES AL CHE GUEVARA ...SIN DESPRESTIGIAR..A ANTONIO BANDERAS NI RICKY MARTIN... PERO ESTE ACTOR YO NO LO CONOZCO NO SE QUIENES ESTE ACTOR PERO LA VERDAD ¡QUE BIEN HIZO EL PAPEL DE CHE GUEVARA... FELICITACIONES . SR RAUL ESPARZA.

@rosadalessio9348

Жыл бұрын

¡DIOS MIO QUE ESCALOFRIO ME DIO ...CUANDO BUSQUE ¿QUIEN ERA EN ACTOR QUE HACIA DEL CHE ...?? ¿QUIEN ERA EN REALIDAD RAUL ESPARZA.?? Y HAY ESTABA RAUL ESPARZA EN LA LEY Y EL ORDEN ...YO ME DIJE QUE TONTA VEO TODOS LOS DIAS LA LEY Y EL ORDEN Y NO ME DI CUENTA QUE ERA EL MISMITO...CON RAZON LE SALIO TAN BIEN... ¡FELICITACIONES SR RAUL ESPERZA ..!!!!NO LO SOLO YO ME ASOMBRARE SOBRE ESTE SEŃOR,, LOS QUE SE ENTERAN AHORA TAMBIEN. SALUDOS..A TODOS

WOW he's much better than Ricky Martin!

@optipus9019

6 жыл бұрын

Personally Ricky Martin, to me, is the worst Che. He's so unexpressive and innocent sounding, and the lyrics are so strong and rage filled he just didn't fit the role. But Raul Esparza perfectly captured Chè's anger and rage, and his vibrato was wayyy stronger than Ricky's.

@SnapeArgento

4 жыл бұрын

I mean, anyone

@SnapeArgento

4 жыл бұрын

I mean, anyone

@mediterraneanworld

3 жыл бұрын

who isn't?

@speemerboy06

Жыл бұрын

Tbh, I think anyone would be better than Ricky Martin.

Oh what a circus, oh what a show Argentina has gone to town Over the death of an actress called Eva Peron We've all gone crazy Mourning 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 Peron It'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 style The 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 gonna see and how, she did nothing for years Salve regina mater misericordiae Vita dulcedo et spes nostra Salve salve regina Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes O clemens o pia Hail, oh queen, mother of mercy Our life, sweetness, and hope Hail, hail, oh queen To you we cry, exiled sons of Eve To you we sigh, mourning and weeping Oh clement, oh loving one You let down your people Evita You were supposed to have been immortal That's all they wanted, not much to ask for But in the end you could not deliver Sing you fools, but you got it wrong Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long Your queen is dead, your king is through And she's not coming back to you Show business kept us all alive Since seventeen 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 stage Instead of ideas, a prima donna's rage Instead of help we were given a crowd She didn't say much, but she said it loud Sing you fools, but you got it wrong Enjoy your prayers because you haven't got long Your queen is dead, your king is through She's not coming back to you Salve regina mater misericordiae Vita dulcedo et spes nostra Salve salve regina Peron Ad te clamamus exules filii Eva Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes O clemens o pia Don't cry for me Argentina For I am ordinary, unimportant And undeserving of such attention Unless we all are, I think we all are So share my glory, so share my coffin So share my glory, so share my coffin It's our funeral too

This CHE reminds me the Adam Family

Do you have high flying adored?

Raul and Mandy are my 2 favorite Ches

@jenniferz5028

Жыл бұрын

I think I now have a new favorite

Here's a question for the Evita fans out there. I am trying to identify the film footage used at the beginning of this clip. The main part is from Circus Cavalcade, However, it looks like the section where the soundtrack disintegrates might be from a different film (the scene with the ho9rses galloping down the hill). Can anyone identify where this film comes from?

Is that really the actress playing Eva in the coffin or is it a dummy? I feel embarrassed, but I can't tell!

@stephanielatorre4164

7 жыл бұрын

Julie Sánchez it's a dummy. ;) That's the actress playing Eva at the end with the solo.

@GiftSparks

4 жыл бұрын

I was wondering the exact same thing!

BARBA??????

@mariarendon5950

4 жыл бұрын

Gran fiscal en UV y excelente cantante y muy guapo ❤

@MadameChristie

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah. He was mostly a Broadway guy before SVU XD

I saw an interview with him where he said his mother told him he wasn’t ALLOWED to play Che because his parents knew the man and he was a horrible, evil person! Glad he didn’t listen to her.

He would make an awesome Judas

Che, Che, ..

Mandy Patinkin was a great Che but Raul Esparza gives an equally impassioned performance with more of a latin feeling but Mandy beats him vocally, however.

Che Gueverra?

ADA Barba is that you?

Raul always had that half-dead look 😅😆

Always like this particular song--more for Its 'social-philosophical' Hypocrisy, as Its counter-point. Che--the Communist Revolutionary--whose OWN Hands were far more 'dirtier and blooded' in Reality's Fact, than Evita's--the Woman whom he 'mocks'. Slick--male vs female 'equality'?

barba from law and order

Hermosa actuación pero... Eva Duarte y el Dr. Guevara nunca se conocieron.

@musicaltheatergeek79

4 жыл бұрын

¡Estás siendo demasiado literal! Tampoco se conocen en el musical. Ché en *Evita* es simplemente el narrador/crítico de su vida/acciones. Sin embargo, Ché era un joven bajo el régimen peronista. Su familia era de clase media y fueron críticos de cómo gobernaban los Perón.

Raúl has a beautiful voice; however, Antonio Banderas brought a passion and sarcasm to the role as his voice delivered a tone of incredulously beautiful mockery for the revered 'Santa Evita"❗

ook

I loved him in company, but this is Mandy's role.

@bbofun

6 жыл бұрын

So there should never be another production of EVITA ever?

@jordoncarnegie1206

5 жыл бұрын

@@bbofun amen!! Hahah!

@brendadrumm9708

4 жыл бұрын

@@jordoncarnegie1206 glad he don't live next door to me when he's had a bad day at the office all jokes aside I love him xx

Antonio Banderas forever Esparza is sexy but i do not like his performance

No! no! no!