You can't hear the name "Argentina" without evoking thoughts of the best steaks in the world, sexy hyper-masculine gouchos, excellent wines, sizzling tangos, political intrigue, a history of rampant inflation, and the larger than life paradox of Evita Peron.
In Buenos Aires, there is no middle ground when it comes to Evita; she is loved or hated, depending on the person asked. I must admit that I am an Evita groupie and have been one since I saw a billboard in New York advertising a new Broadway Play called "Evita." I was floored. What an insane idea to turn Evita Peron's life into a musical. History and Patty LuPone (the star of the Broadway musical) proved me wrong many times over. I saw the musical many times and began plowing through Evita biographies. This is a long way of saying my Buenos Aires trip was very focused on getting closer to the legend, especially in this town where it was shaped.
A personal opinion - the Broadway musical was far superior to the movie "Evita" with Madonna in the starring role (although the movie does have the truly gorgeous Antonio Banderas). Madonna's voice could not compete with Patty LuPone. If there is any way to hear a recording of the original Broadway cast - DO IT as a gift to yourself.
Interestingly, everywhere I went in Buenos Aires, the locals hated the Evita movie. The only explanation I could get was that they dislike the portrayal of her personal suffering during her terminal illness. I'm guessing it has to do with a cultural need to protect her privacy during her personal ordeal.
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