The recent Welcome Back Party of Asolo Repertory Theatre, the premier professional theater from Florida, was held at Nathan Benderson Park last October 24. The venue, with its priceless sunsets and wonderful lake views, provided the perfect location for these activities that promote Florida arts. Patrons and actors alike enjoyed the welcoming ambience as they were treated to a sneak peek of the company’s newest production, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber is a leading musical composer responsible for many international hits and sensations like “Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and “Cats.” His work on Evita was a product of collaboration with the award-winning lyricist Tim Rice. Rice recounted that the idea came to him while listening to a radio programme about Eva Perón, the controversial First Lady of Argentina who was married to the repressive but popular Argentinian president Juan Perón.
When they released the song “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” as part of the concept album, everyone got interested and so they decided to begin the musical. The work reflects a lot of the groundbreaking style of Webber as a composer, mixing the dramatic qualities of classical music with the edgy popular appeal of rock. The combination was successful in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and worked admirably for “Evita.” Some of the songs like “Buenos Aires” and “On This Night of a Thousand Stars” are also evocative of Latin rhythms
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Ana Isabelle, who is going to play the titular role in Asolo Rep’s new production of the musical, performed “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” during the party and was later joined by the cast to sing “A New Argentina,” the last number in Act I. Those particular songs reflect the eclectic musical style of Webber, effectively blending an inventive harmonic language and evocative Latin and rock beats.
Randy Benderson is the president of Benderson Development, a venture his father Nathan Benderson established in New York over 60 years ago. Now carrying the torch of his late father’s legacy, Randy continues to oversee over 8,000 employees. The Bendersons believe that success can be attributed to excellent work ethic and passion for growth. To learn more about the company’s work, follow this Twitter account.
Randy Benderson 
