NENAproductions Theater Project presents "Evita"

Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 10/12/2026

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- NENAproductions Theater Project presents Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita across two weekends from October 16-25, 2026. Performances take place at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Evita brings to life the rags-to-riches rise of Eva Peron, the First Lady of Argentina.

Evita charts the young and ambitious Eva Peron’s meteoric rise to sainthood. Set in Argentina between 1934-1952, the Tony-winning musical follows Eva Duarte on her journey from poor illegitimate child to ambitious actress to, as wife of military leader-turned-president Juan Peron, the most powerful woman in Latin America, before her death from cancer at age 33.

The events in Evita’s life are presented in song and commented on by the show’s narrator, Che. Well-known numbers from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece include “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Oh What a Circus,” “Buenos Aires” and “Another Suitcase in Another Hall.”

Performances take place Friday, October 16 at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 17 at 7:30pm; Friday, October 23 at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 24 at 7:30pm; and Sunday, October 25 at 3:00pm. Tickets are $31.60 and available for purchase online. The Jersey Shore Arts Center is located at 66 S Main Street in Ocean Grove, New Jersey.

As with Jesus Christ Superstar, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber first released a concept album of the sung-through musical in 1976. Julie Covington’s version of Evita's anthem “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” became a number one hit.

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The Hal Prince-helmed stage production opened on June 21, 1978 at London’s Prince Edward Theatre, starring pop singer David Essex in the “narrator” role of Che and Elaine Paige in the title role. Evita picked up Oliviers for Best New Musical and Best Performance in a Musical for Paige and ran for 3,176 performances.

Evita premiered at the Broadway Theatre on September 25, 1979, where it ran for 1,567 performances. Headlined by Patti LuPone as Eva and Mandy Patinkin as Che, the production collected seven Tony Awards, including Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical of the year. In 1981, the Evita cast recording received a Grammy Award.

Productions of Evita have been performed all over the world, including Austria, Spain, Mexico and South Africa. A revival of the show opened at London’s Adelphi Theatre in 2006, with Argentine actress Elena Roger as Eva. She later reprised the role in the musical’s first Broadway revival, which began performances at the Marquis Theatre in March 2012, co-starring Ricky Martin as Che. Evita returned to the West End once again in 2014, with Madalena Alberto as Eva and Marti Pellow as Che. 2019 productions included Jamie Lloyd’s acclaimed mounting at London's Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and Sammi Cannold’s for New York City Center.

The mission of NENAproductions Theater Project is to enrich, educate and entertain their community by providing a superior live theater experience. They shall encourage the imaginative and societal importance of theater through plays, musicals, children’s theater, youth educational programs and community outreach efforts.

NENAproductions Theater Project strives to produce classic and seldom seen theatrical pieces that provoke meaningful discussions about the human condition while bringing a sense of pride to the community.