London Evita Star Emma Hatton on What Eva Peron Would Do If She Met Wicked's Elphaba & More

Emma Hatton has staked out a formidable name for herself playing two iconic roles, Elphaba in Wicked and Eva Peron in Evita. The second part has this summer earned her rave reviews for the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical’s latest revival, this time at the Phoenix Theatre. Hatton took time prior to a recent evening performance to talk about roles that test the voice, not least when they both begin with E and end with A.

So, has playing Elphaba assisted you in playing Eva?
It certainly made it possible! I think the feeling is that if you can sing Elphaba, then you can sing anything. In fact, this is a much more classical legit sound, so that was a challenge for me to get to explore that side of my voice; I’m naturally more of an alto or a contralto.

Do they need comparable amounts of stamina?
Absolutely. You need to be ready vocally and physically to do roles like these, but there’s also the pressure that goes with taking on a role that is well-loved in a show that is known worldwide and has a big fan base; there’s a big responsibility attached to that. 

Which of the roles is more vocally challenging?
I would say that Wicked is tougher on the voice purely because a lot of the songs are up there so consistently, and the expectation is the contemporary musical theater belt. Of course, in Evita there are big notes in “Rainbow High” and “Buenos Aires,” but they are few and far between and it’s not just the money notes over and over again. They’re both phenomenal roles, don’t get me wrong, but this one isn’t perhaps so much about the impressiveness of the sound. 

Does it feel like a natural progression, moving from Elphaba to Eva?
Wicked gave me my first leading role in my own right, so getting Elphaba was a bit of a baptism of fire, after which I thought, “Where do you go from here?” Eva seems like a natural sidestep: the two [roles] are on a par and are deemed to be very similar in terms of caliber and the size of the show. One difference is that Evita is shorter: two hours as opposed to almost three for Wicked.

How is that you are among the few Eva Perons ever to do both matinees and evenings? [Hatton’s scheduled night off is Monday, whereas most top-billed Evas have forsaken the matinees.]
Are you saying I should stamp my fist a little bit harder [laughs]? Is that what I need to do? I did eight shows as Elphaba for much longer than this, and we’re only here [at the Phoenix] for 12 weeks, so I want to wake the most of the opportunity. 

Are you having to live like a nun during these 12 weeks?
In fact, vocal rest for me is very rare, and while obviously the job is my priority, I do feel that maintaining mental health in these roles is a major part of doing your best. I remember saying to my producer at Wicked—and this felt very brave at the time—that I wasn’t sure how other women had done it but that I couldn’t give up my coffee or wine and cheese: I’m very proactive and I love to socialize, though obviously at the same time you have to listen to your body. 

Have you thought about marketing that “can-do” attitude, which runs counter to the lifestyle changes normally required of women who take on these parts?
I have thought of that—that’s to say, of imparting the limited knowledge that I have. I’m not saying my way is the right way, but having successfully completed a run in Wicked and come out of it sane and with my vocal cords healthy and then gone into another role that is also brutal on your voice, I must be doing something right!

Are you happy not having to paint yourself green?
The funny thing is I still find flashes of paint here and there, which is a lovely reminder of a show on which I spent 18 months as standby and 18 months in the principal position; I left [Wicked] three weeks before the tenth anniversary performance, which meant that I was able to watch my wonderful friend Rachel Tucker do that show without any pressure myself.

What do you have to do to get ready each show as Eva?
Well, Eva Peron was a political figure who was also very glamorous, so image to her was everything really. The wigs and the makeup team here are extremely good at making sure that every hair is in place and that the buns look as sleek as they need to!

How are you negotiating the rending final sequence of Evita?
That’s another difference with Wicked: Evita has a really emotional ending, which means that you’ve got to portray the strength of this woman who is starting to crack and then her demise. You end up going to a dark place which can be very difficult. That’s why it is so important for me to have light and joy and fun within my life. If all I was doing was going home every night and not speaking during the day, I think I’d have a breakdown!

Did you devour YouTube footage of Patti LuPone, or from the film, as part of your prep?
I didn’t, you know. I think if you get too caught up in previous impersonations of a part, then you end up trying to imitate them and that’s never going to be the best version you can offer. At the end of the day, the thread that runs through Evita is that it’s a true story, so it’s up to me to research it and make it the freshest approach that I can.

And one has to ask: what do you think Eva and Elphaba would do were they ever to meet?
I think they’d high five each other. These are women who stand up for what they believe in, and however much some of the things Eva Peron did were brutal, I still think they’d give one another the high five.