Elena Roger made Evita shine. Now it’s time for Charly García’s songs

Singer and actress Elena Roger’s almost 30-year career is a testament to many things. Talent and hard work, for one, but also an ability to avoid being pigeonholed. From small parts on TV to major movie roles and groundbreaking performances in musicals like Evita, Piaf, and Passion, Roger’s incredible range has dazzled audiences from Buenos Aires and Madrid to New York and London. It is perhaps fitting that her new project is once again taking her in a new direction.  On Saturday, Roger’s will premiere the musical Invasiones I: No bombardeen Buenos Aires (Invasion I: Don’t bomb Buenos Aires) at the Sala Martín Coronado of Teatro San Martín in Buenos Aires. Not only is it based on a singular episode of Argentine history, it will also feature songs from Argentine rock icon Charly García.  “I dearly love and respect him; he is one of the major musical references in Argentina, with incredible lyrics. Fortunately, he gave us permission to use and even modify some verses,” Roger told the Herald, summing up her emotions at the prospect of singing the songs she grew up listening to in the 1970s and 80s in a single word.  “Thrilled.” A British invasion and rock songs The rock opera, described as a “superproduction” with a live band and more than 30 actors on stage, is based on a famous event in Argentine history: the 1806 British military invasion of Buenos Aires.  It was the first of two unsuccessful attempts to seize control of the Spanish colony that only a few years later declared its independence and became Argentina. It only lasted 46 days and took place during the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of France.  Roger says that one of the main challenges of Invasiones was “to tell a complex story in 90 minutes.” She describes the cast as “marvelous” and admits to getting goosebumps whenever she recalls “the titanic effort of producing a new play from scratch in barely two months.” “Many musicals are proven formulas that enjoy local productions in many countries, but this play is truly a premiere that has not been tested anywhere, and we had to perfect each line. Even some lyrics were modified to explain the story better,” she adds. The idea, script, and direction belong to Ricardo Hornos, who has produced shows in the U.S. during the last three decades and has won five Tony Awards. Elena and Hornos met in 2012 and quickly became friends. Two years ago, he pitched the idea of creating a musical about the British invasion using Charly’s songs. She immediately accepted. “We have a motto that we repeat before each rehearsal,” she says. “We say ‘With respect, love, humility, and gratitude,’ because we should thank everybody who made Argentina’s history and brought us here.” The historical aspects of the play will of course be closer to the heart of local audiences, as the British invasions are a historical episode taught to Argentine students since primary school, emphasizing that the heroic resistance with little help from Spain fostered the desire for self-determination. Charly García’s songs, on the other hand, are sure to resonate with all audiences, since they are the soundtrack of a generation and a pivotal element in Argentine culture. Titles include his 1982 hit No bombardeen Buenos Aires, composed during the Malvinas War with the UK. The cast includes rising actors Alan Madanes (El día que Sinatra conoció a Carlitos), Luis Rodríguez Echeverría (El Principito), and Federico Salles (Kinky Boots). Historian Felipe Pigna worked as an advisor for the script. An artist with many hats Roger’s range has been clear since she began her career in the entertainment industry in 1997.  She started out with small parts on shows like El sodero de mi vida, Floricienta, and Entrelazados. Elena went on to movie roles (Un amor, Nadie nos mira, Wakolda, and Amapola) and even toured throughout Argentina with concerts centered on the Piazzolla songbook and Argentine rock, folklore, and tango standards. Her discography includes tributes to María Elena Walsh, show soundtracks, and collaborations with the tango sextet Escalandrum. Elena has fond memories of her year-long stints on Broadway and in the West End.  “Both Evita and Piaf were very important steps in my career that gave me the opportunity to do a lot of other things. They brought me a lot of exposure and responsibility because I had the leading role. It was like suddenly becoming a football player in the First Division or a high-performance athlete.” She is aware that people respect her for those successful and hailed musicals, and that brings added responsibility. “I am an artist with many hats. I don’t do a musical each year, and I like to make films and perform concerts. I love expressing myself in many genres, not only tango, rock, or musical theater,” she says. “I don’t feel there are limits, and I am thankful for being clear-minded enough to stay in Argentina and keep investing effort in Argentine culture. I am really proud of this project that talks about the people that defended the city in 1806 and began to think about making a nation,” Elena concludes. Invasiones I: No bombardeen Buenos Aires opens on April 18, with performances Wednesday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. running until mid-June. Tickets can be bought here. Editorial disclaimer: Although the UK refers to the territory as the “Falklands Islands,” Argentina strongly contests this name. The Buenos Aires Herald uses “Malvinas” to refer to the islands.