Alamy
Evita
The tragic life of Argentina’s beloved former First Lady, Eva Perón, provided ample material for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice when they were dreaming up their rock opera, Evita. The story of the ultimate social climber, it begins with a 15-year-old Eva Duerte convincing a tango dancer to take her to Buenos Aires, before she ditches him and ascends the city’s ranks further, eventually marrying the future president. Yet tragedy strikes, as at the height of her powers – and the nation’s love of her – she dies of cancer aged just 33. With songs as memorable as ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’, not to mention Madonna’s standout performance in the 1996 film (for which she won the Best Actress Golden Globe), it remains a favourite amongst die-hard musical aficionados.
