Artist Spotlight: Meet Katerina McCrimmon of ‘Evita’

Katerina McCrimmon may be making her Muny debut, but she’s no stranger to commanding the stage. Fresh off a star-making turn as Fanny Brice in the national tour of Funny Girl, the Cuban American performer brings soaring vocals and fierce ambition to the role of Eva Perón in Evita. 

We caught up with McCrimmon on one of her first whirlwind days in Forest Park to talk about tackling this iconic character, finding personal connections to Eva’s story and what it means to bring her to life under the stars.

Q • This is your first time working at The Muny. What did you know about the process here before you arrived? 

A • I’ve heard that it’s very much like a family — that once you do one show here, you never want to leave, and you want to come back every summer. I’ve been here a few days, and I can see why. Everyone is very warm. And even though the process is fast and furious, it feels doable, and it feels like there’s a lot of support for me in this incredibly challenging beast of a role. 

Q • What are you looking forward to with this production of Evita?

A • I think what I’m most excited for — besides performing for 11,000 people, because I’ve never done that before — is seeing it come together in real time, because it’ll happen so quickly. I think that’ll be the most magical part of it for me — the process. And then being on the stage and remembering how quickly we all came together to make it happen. 

Q • What attracted you to this role? 

A • I saw the revival on Broadway in 2012 on a middle school field trip. But I remember watching the show and thinking, “Oh, I could do that.” I kind of knew. I was like, one day I will play this role — just not now, not at 13. And lo and behold, here I am. I feel like Eva and I have some things in common. Our ambition — sometimes it’s hard for me to stay present in the thing that I have achieved without wanting the next thing. So I feel like we have that in common. And it’s exciting to also figure out what her flaws were and how to actualize that. And also the music is iconic. 

Q • Does taking on this iconic Latina role have added significance for you? 

A • It’s exciting to be a Latina and get to play a Latina. I think a big part of the role and the story is about the Icarus story — about her rise to fame and how she chased after the light and, you know, got too close to the sun and fell. Her body failed her. And I think that’s really exciting to play. And my husband’s family is actually from Argentina and Uruguay, so it is fun to get to play this iconic Argentinian person when so many people close to me are very close to the culture. 

Q • What was your first reaction when you learned you got the role? 

A • I was in rehearsal for a workshop of a new musical, and we were deep in scene work. I saw the text on my phone, and I couldn’t react because they were rehearsing. So eventually I stepped out and I called my mom and I was like: “I got it! I got it!” It was wild.

Q • How have you been preparing to play Eva?

A • Basically, I’ve had Evita in my ears every day. I’ll be on the train in New York and listening to the soundtrack or going over it on my own time. And just watching videos — whatever videos I can find of her is really cool — just to get her physicality and her energy. It’s important to do homework beforehand because we’ll be working on such bold strokes.

Q • Do you have a favorite song or moment? 

A • I love a lot of moments. I do love “Rainbow High.” Obviously it’s one of the most intense, more powerful songs in the show. And then, of course, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” is just such an iconic song that I know will be exciting to sing onstage and know that the audience knows the song, too. 

Q • How do you prepare before a performance? 

A • I like to warm up my voice and, you know, just take a second to ground myself. 

Q • What do you want the audience to take away from this production? 

A • I hope they see the significance of the cautionary tale that we’re trying to tell, which is the story of a woman who ultimately was chasing her dreams, but so much so that she burnt out because of it. And there are so many things to really admire about her and so many things to learn from her and what not to do. She’s a really complex character, and it’s hard to know whether you want to love her or hate her. And I think that’s what makes the musical so cool. I don’t think anybody really knows what we’re supposed to walk away with. And I think we’re all still discovering it in the room. But I do hope that the audience walks away feeling moved and impressed by the work we’ve done.