Ricky Martin livin' Evita loca on Broadway in '12

[June 10, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Ricky Martin is heading to Argentina by way of "Evita" on Broadway.

In the first new Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning musical since its 1979 New York debut, Martin will play the character Che.

"I've been blessed with the opportunity to perform on many of the world's largest concert stages, but I've never lost my love for the intimacy of the theater," Martin said in a statement Wednesday.

The show's producers also announced that Argentine actress Elena Roger will star as Evita, a role she played on the London stage in 2006 to critical acclaim. The Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber musical dramatizes the life of Eva Peron, Argentina's glamorous and controversial first lady.

The revival of "Evita" is scheduled to open in spring 2012. Michael Grandage will direct, with choreography by Rob Ashford.

[Associated Press]

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