THEATER REVIEWS : ‘Evita’ Has Energy but a Few Flaws : The Irvine Civic Light Opera production of the Broadway smash was underpowered on its first night but had its moments.

The Irvine Civic Light Opera has inaugurated its first season with “Evita,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway smash about the dime-store vixen who rose to the top of Argentine power.

A good choice for any company starting out, this crowd pleaser, despite its obvious commercial bloodlines, can be a rousing combination of melodramatic storytelling with historic cachet and sexy humor, all against a backdrop of South American agitprop.

The tale of poor, illegitimate Eva Peron’s rise on the back of her husband, Juan Peron, and her deification by the masses is an intriguing one, simply and brightly told, with a tuneful score big on soap-opera titillations. Webber and Tim Rice (who wrote the lyrics) broke ground with “Evita,” partly because of the political subject matter, and won the Tony Award for best musical in 1980.

At its best, “Evita” can rev like a hot sports car, but the production at the Irvine Barclay Theatre was underpowered and cool during its first performance last week. Director Daniel R. Trevino’s show does have a kind of dense energy, but it never got fully unleashed--Peter R. Fournier’s orchestra seemed to drag and so did most of the numbers. There were exceptions--”The Art of the Possible” had wry savvy and “On This Night of a Thousand Stars” was comical--but that’s what they were, exceptions.

Many of the actors were affected, which gave everything a vaguely stilted feel. Ellen Prince’s simple choreography at times was executed awkwardly and overall lacked the verve needed to raise the heat.

This problem with tempo may be remedied later in the production’s brief run (it closes Saturday), but the effort fails on another level as well. Trevino is respectful of the musical, which brings the reward of purity minus directorial indulgences. But he errs by honoring it too much. The production misses invention, a crucial component in any revival.

There were a few strong performances Thursday, but Catherine Fries’ portrayal of Eva Peron was disappointing. The actress does have a powerful voice (her rendition of the signature “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” was potent) but she didn’t give Peron the stature or charisma so necessary to carry the story and this musical. And her acting during the final scenes, in which Peron takes a very long time to die, looked like silent-movie poses.

On the other hand, Doug Carfrae was imperiously Machiavellian as Juan Peron, and Kurt Andrew Hansen, although a little boyish, provided the revolutionary Che, and the show, with bursts of passion. Both have limber voices. Samuel Bernstein was amusing as Magaldi, Eva’s first steppingstone lover, turning this silly Casanova into sort of an Argentine Tom Jones.

The look of this “Evita” is satisfying, even if Ken Holamon’s sets are a bit spare. His detailing is an asset, down to the pro-labor placards carried by the ensemble. Robert W. Sternberg’s finely calibrated lighting is well conceived, and Thomas G. Marquez’s costumes are colorful but not garish.

Although flawed, this is not the type of production that has you fretting too much about the company’s ability to tackle big projects. The Irvine Civic Light Opera (previously known as the South Coast Musical Theatre) showed it has the ambition and sense of scale to mount a major musical. Future efforts are sure to be watched closely.

‘EVITA’

An Irvine Civic Light Opera production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical. Directed by Daniel R. Trevino. With Catherine Fries, Doug Carfrae, Kurt Andrew Hansen, Samuel Bernstein and Karen Gedissman. Choreography by Ellen Prince. Sets by Ken Holamon. Costumes by Thomas G. Marquez. Lighting by Robert W. Sternberg. Orchestra directed by Peter P. Fournier. Plays Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. Tickets: $15 to $23. (714) 263-1900.