The lead producers of the Broadway revival of “Evita†considered casting Antonio Banderas, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Raul Esparza and several other actors in the role of Che to replace the outgoing Ricky Martin but could not reach any deals, leading to Tuesday's announcement that the show would close on Jan. 26, according to three theater executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because the casting deliberations were meant to be confidential.
At least one well-known actress, Lea Michele (“Glee,†the Broadway musical “Spring Awakeningâ€), was discussed for the title role of Eva Peron, the three executives said. It was unclear if Ms. Michele ever developed into a serious possibility, however; the lead producers, Hal Luftig and Scott Sanders, declined to comment. The three executives who spoke on condition of anonymity are not involved with “Evita†but said they learned their information directly from the lead producers.
The producers also discussed casting two well-regarded stage actors â€" Ramin Karimloo as Che and Sierra Boggess as Eva Peron â€" in hopes that theater-goers would care more about seeing the show than about seeing a star name like Mr. Martin, according to the three executives.
Among those supporting Mr. Karimloo and Ms. Boggess was the composer of “Evita,†Andrew Lloyd Webber, who cast the actors as the leads in the 2010 London production of his last major musical, “Love Never Dies.†But the “Evita†producers concluded that casting actors who were not star names would put the revival at risk of losing money. (A spokesman for Mr. Lloyd Webber said that the composer had no comment.)
Ms. Boggess is set to play Christine in the Broadway run of “The Phantom of the Opera†starting in January. Representatives for Ms. Boggess and Mr. Karimloo did not return phone messages this week.
A spokeswoman for the producers also declined to discuss which actors were under consideration for the show, which will have played a far shorter run than the celebrated original production, which made stars of Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.
“The process of recasting is complicated and done in confidence between producers and stars and their representatives,†the spokeswoman, Leslie Papa, said in a statement. “Public disclosure of private conversations or negotiations would be inappropriate.â€
The producers had said they would re-cast the show this winter and continue running past Jan. 26, hopeful that potential ticket-buyers would share their view that the “Evita†was more than just a star vehicle for Mr. Martin. The production received mixed reviews, but box office grosses remained at more than $1 million a week for several months except when Mr. Martin has been on vacation. (Ticket sales have begun to fall off recently, however.) In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Luftig said of the re-casting idea, “the planets have simply not aligned for us to engage the right talent at the right time.â€
The “Evita†revival cost approximately $13 million to stage on Broadway, and has yet to recoup that investment and turn a profit. The producers said through the spokeswoman that they were optimistic that the show would recoup by Jan. 26. Had the producers re-cast the show, they would have likely spent an additional $1 million or so on rehearsals, advertising, and other costs associated with the new actors. Without a major star in the cast, the producers would have risked flat or even declining ticket sales, raising the possibility that the show would have lost money rather than return profit to investors.
