VIENNA, AUSTRIA (1981) Shortly after directing the show in Adelaide, Hal Prince opened the third American company in Chicago, then jetted to Vienna for the first German-language production. Evita opened at the Theatre an der Wein on 20 January, 1981. Alexander Goebel, who played Che, said he enjoyed taunting the Viennese audiences, who were very uncomfortable with a slogan-spouting revolutionary. He thought it reminded them of a lot of things they'd rather forget, like Hitler. He felt Eva didn't seen to be such a threat because she was a woman, but they also didn't respond to her for that reason. That same week, Viennese television showed a program where they asked school children who Adolf Hitler was and none of them knew, pointing up the ostrich mentality there. It was a momentous week--the Iran hostages were released just before opening night. Goebel also explained why nobody laughed at the jokes, "Our translator didn't speak English very well. You've got to admit a line like 'her nights on the tiles,' when literally translated, is weird, but not very funny." Having played with an English rock band for some years, Goebel re-translated his part for more clarity. The show did well in both Austria and Germany. A bizarre event happened a year later, as the company came back to Vienna from touring Germany. Two days before opening night, Isabel Weicken, starring as Eva, was attacked outside her home after a preview. Her nose was broken and her face cut up badly. Authorities later arrested two men who said they were paid $1,700 to injure the star so her alternate, Vera Gutman, could play Eva on opening night. The men claimed they had been paid by Gutman's boyfriend. Public outrage forced Gutman out of the show. This commentary is actually continuous, though relevant parts have been placed under each production's section. To read the entire commentary straight through, use the buttons below: This material is strictly the opinion of the author of this website. © 2000