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Elena Roger
Born
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Occupation(s)actress, singer
Years active1997–present

Elena Silvia Roger (born October 27, 1974) is an Argentine actress who won the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Édith Piaf in Piaf.[1] She has also appeared in the West End in Evita, Boeing-Boeing, and Passion.[2]

Argentine career

Prior to being cast as Eva Perón in the West End revival of Evita, Roger was already a performer in her native Buenos Aires.[3] In 1997, she was nominated for the Trinidad Guevara Award as Best Breakthrough Female for her work in Yo Que Tu Me Enamoraba.[4] She went on to appear in several productions including Nine, Houdini, Beauty and the Beast, and Fiddler on the Roof, as well as starring in Les Misérables as Fantine, and Saturday Night Fever as Annette.[4] For the 2002/2003 season, she was nominated for an ACE Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Jazz, Swing, Tap.[5] The following season, she starred in the show, Mina...che cosa sei?, which she co-authored with the show's director, Valeria Ambrosio.[6] Roger won the ACE Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this performance.[7] She has also appeared on several Argentine television programs, including Hombres de Honor, Pensionados, and El sodero de mi vida.[8] Internationally, she briefly toured Europe with Tango por Dos.[9]

West End career

While doing research in Buenos Aires for the 2006 West End revival of Evita, an employee of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group saw Roger perform and suggested her for the title role of the show.[2] After several rounds of auditions, Roger was cast as Eva Perón and performed the role to critical acclaim.[3][10][11]

The Times of London called Roger a "revelation" in the title role of Evita.[12] The Daily Telegraph's praise of Roger's "star performance"[13] was echoed by most other newspapers, including the Evening Standard, which reported that Roger's performance was "ripe for superlatives",[14] and the Sunday Express, which noted her "transfixing presence with more than just a touch of the star quality that she proudly sings of possessing".[15] The Guardian added that Roger "captures all of Eva's iron-willed determination".[16] American reviewers also praised Roger's turn. The Hollywood Reporter opined that Roger "knocks the Argentine socks off the title role"[17] and Variety declared Roger "a triple-threat dynamo".[18]

Roger was nominated for a 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance at the Adelphi Theatre but lost the award to Jenna Russell for her performance in Sunday in the Park with George.[19] Roger next appeared on the London stage as Gabriella in the production of Boeing-Boeing, directed by Matthew Warchus at the Comedy Theatre.[20] In 2008, Roger played the title role in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Piaf and received rave reviews.[21] The show eventually transferred to the larger Vaudeville Theatre,[22] and Roger won the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[1] She subsequently toured internationally with Piaf including a stop in her hometown of Buenos Aires.[3] During her time back in Buenos Aires, she revived her performance in Mina...che cosa sei? for a brief run.[3] From September 10 through November 21, 2010, Roger starred as Fosca in a revival of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical Passion for a limited engagement at the Donmar Warehouse.[23] On February 7, 2011, it was announced that Roger was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award as Best Actress in a Musical for the third time for her work in this role.[24]

Recordings

Roger can be heard on the cast albums of Mina...che cosa sei? [25] and Evita. (2006 London revival and 2012 Broadway revival).[26][27] She has also recorded two solo albums: Vientos Del Sur and a live album recorded in Buenos Aires entitled Recorriendo el Rock Nacional (Nueva Edi). [28]

Broadway career

On the strength of her reception in London,[29] Roger returned to the role of Eva Perón in a new Broadway revival of Evita with previews beginning in March 2012 and an opening night in April at the Marquis Theatre. The production, based on the 2006 West End revival, was again directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford. It also starred Ricky Martin as Che and Broadway veteran Michael Cerveris as Juan Perón. In contrast to the London, New York reviews were mixed.[30]

Stage roles

Argentina

Duration Production Role
1995 El jorobado de París II
1998 Nine
1998 Beauty and the Beast Chica boba
2000 Les Misérables Fantine
2001 Saturday Night Fever Annette
2002 Fiddler on the Roof
2004 Mina... Che Cosa Sei?!?
2005 Houdini, una ilusión musical Bess
2009/10 Piaf Edith Piaf
2015 ¡Ay, Carmela! Carmela
2016 LoveMusik Lotte Lenya

West End

Duration Production Role Theatre Awards
2006 Evita Eva Perón
2007–2008 Boeing-Boeing Gabriella
2008–2010 Piaf Édith Piaf
2010 Passion Fosca

Broadway

Duration Production Role Theatre Awards
2012–2013 Evita Eva Perón

References

  1. ^ a b Brown, Mark (March 9, 2009), "From Drill Hall to Olivier glory: Acclaimed War Play Black Watch Takes Four Awards", The Guardian, retrieved February 10, 2011
  2. ^ a b Elena Roger: 'I don't play normal women', Telegraph Media Group Limited, August 31, 2010, retrieved February 10, 2011
  3. ^ a b c d "Elena Roger: Questa mina è pazza", Buenos Aires Herald, December 11, 2010, retrieved February 14, 2011
  4. ^ a b Elena Roger, alternativateatral, archived from the original on July 7, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011
  5. ^ ACE Awards 2002/2003, ACE Awards, archived from the original on July 6, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011
  6. ^ Mina... che cosa sei?!?, alternativateatral, archived from the original on July 7, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011
  7. ^ ACE Awards 2003/2004, ACE Awards, archived from the original on July 6, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011
  8. ^ What's New Buenos Aires?: Evita Revival Opens in London June 21, Playbill Inc, June 21, 2006, archived from the original on June 29, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011
  9. ^ Groskop, Viv (May 29, 2006), "I Felt the Song Was Mine", The Guardian, retrieved February 14, 2011
  10. ^ "Critics hail Evita stage revival". June 22, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  11. ^ "'Evita' Star Wows Critics". CBS News. June 22, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  12. ^ WC2, Benedict Nightingale at Adelphi (June 22, 2006). "Evita". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved December 27, 2019.((cite news)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Spence, Charles (June 21, 2006). "Evita stages a grand revival". Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  14. ^ "Evita, superstar". London Evening Standard. June 22, 2006. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  15. ^ Shenton, Mark (June 25, 2006). "Evita's Star". The Sunday Express.
  16. ^ Billington, Michael (June 22, 2006). "Evita, Adelphi, London". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  17. ^ Bennett, Ray (July 18, 2006). "Evita". The Hollywood Reporter.
  18. ^ Benedict, David (June 22, 2006). "Evita". Variety. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  19. ^ Oliviers:Olivier Winners 2007, officiallondontheatre.co.uk, April 23, 2008, archived from the original on December 21, 2010, retrieved February 14, 2011
  20. ^ Photo Flash: Rhea Perlman and Elena Roger in Boeing-Boeing, broadwayworld.com, June 14, 2007, archived from the original on November 5, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011
  21. ^ Elena Roger Wins Rave Reviews for Edith Piaf Musical, First Post Newsgroup IPR Limited, August 14, 2008, retrieved February 14, 2011
  22. ^ Piaf at Vaudeville Theatre: Review, Telegraph Media Group Limited, October 23, 2008, retrieved February 8, 2011
  23. ^ Sondheim's Passion Opens at London's Donmar Warehouse Sept. 21, Playbill Inc, September 21, 2010, archived from the original on January 31, 2013, retrieved February 8, 2011
  24. ^ Olivier Awards: Nominations: Best Actress in a Musical, The Society of London Theatre, February 7, 2011, retrieved February 8, 2011[permanent dead link]
  25. ^ "Mina...che cosa sei?!? Elena Roger (2006)", Billboard, retrieved February 14, 2011
  26. ^ Evita (2006 London Cast Recording), Decca Broadway, retrieved February 14, 2011
  27. ^ Evita (2012 New Broadway Cast Recording), Masterworks Broadway, archived from the original on June 28, 2012, retrieved July 7, 2012
  28. ^ Resutados de búsqueda de ELENA ROGER, Tematika.com, retrieved February 14, 2011
  29. ^ Healy, Patrick (February 24, 2010). "'Evita' Revival Planned for Broadway". ArtsBeat. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  30. ^ EVITA w/ Martin & Roger Begins Previews Mar. 2012; Opens Apr. 2012, broadwayworld.com, January 21, 2011, retrieved February 14, 2011

External links

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical
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