One Texas State theater student is following in the footsteps of Patti LuPone and Madonna.
Michaela Boissonneault, musical theater junior, is living her dream role by playing Argentinian first lady Eva Perón in the Department of Theatre and Dance’s upcoming production of Evita.
While jumping between four different shows this past summer, Boissonneault said any free time was spent perfecting her audition for Evita.
“When I was not working on a show or on the stage, I was drilling Evita music,” Boissonneault said. “There were fifteen sides for the callbacks. I was working on it all summer.”
Robert Moore, Evita director and theater graduate student, said he was looking for somebody to fill the strength behind the character during the casting process.
“For her, we needed someone who could not only sing the role, but also have an intensity,” Moore said. “I think (Boissonneault) has a lot of passion in her and we ended up seeing that on stage, and that’s what we needed.”
Boissonneault said seeing her name next to Evita Perón on the cast list posting was an emotional experience.
“I gasped and I started crying,” Boissonneault said. “I looked at it for two seconds, saw that I made it and immediately called my mom.”
Boissonneault said she has been passionate about theater since she began taking dance lessons when she was 4.
She said she began taking voice lessons at the age of 6 and experienced her first time on stage when she was 11.
“In fifth grade, I knew musical theater was something that I wanted to do,” Boissonneault said. “I immediately asked when I could go to theater school.”
Although he saw multiple great auditions, Moore said Boissonneault best performed the role.
“There were a lot of girls who could have played the role, in honesty,” Moore said. “I was hoping that Michaela would be the one who would battle it out and come out on top, and she did.”
Boissonneault said she was a part of an Evita production as a freshman in high school.
At the time, she was playing the role of the mistress. However, Boissonneault said her classmates predicated a larger role in the future.
“My classmates back then used to say, ‘You’ll play Evita Perón one day,” Boissonneault said. “Back then, I didn’t really think about it, but now I have this opportunity and it is a dream come true.”
Michael Burrell, musical theater junior who plays Juan Perón, said he was equally excited for Boissonneault and himself upon seeing the cast list.
Burrell said the acting duo has been friends for more than five years.
“We’re very good friends—almost like brother and sister,” Burrell said. “I was almost happier for her than I was for me because I knew how hard she had worked for it.”
Boissonneault said the role is very demanding, and as the premiere approaches, nerves have started to set in.
“It’s a huge undertaking,” Boissonneault said. “It’s probably the biggest role of my life.”
Boissonneault said playing such a strong and powerful woman is extremely rewarding.
“It’s challenging, but so great,” Boissonneault said. “My cast and family are very supportive of everything I’m doing so far.”
She said the musical will take place Nov. 17-22 in the Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre.
Boissonneault said she can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I can’t do anything else and I don’t want to do anything else,” Boissonneault said. “I’ve been told my eyes sparkle on stage.”