"Evita" : Song Or Wrong? Trivia Quiz

Answer: "You let down your people, Evita, you were supposed to have lived forever"

The correct line here is:

"You let down your people, Evita, you were supposed to have been immortal"

The musical begins with the announcement of Evita's death. Ché then sings this cynical song about the country's hysterical grieving.

Ché has the role of narrator in the show. According to the show's program he was originally an "everyman character who could represent the voice of the people and of opposition", but his character grew considerably over time and he became a representation of the revolutionary Ché Guevara.

Answer: "I already know what cooks, how the dirty city feels and looks - I was part of it last night, wasn't I?"

The correct line here is:

"I already know what cooks, how the dirty city feels and looks - I tasted it last night, didn't I?"

We've now traveled backwards in time to 1936, where we meet the 15 year old Eva Duarte. She has her first love affair with Agustin Magaldi, a tango singer who visits Junin, and she then blackmails him into taking her back to Buenos Aires with him.

Answer: "All I want is a lifetime of success -- tell the singer this is where I'm playing"

The correct line here is a combination of these two lines:

"All I want is a whole lot of excess, tell the singer this is where I'm playing"
"Put me down for a lifetime of success, give me credit -- I'll find ways of paying"

In her autobiography, Eva explains that everyone she knew in Junin talked of the big cities as "marvelous places, where nothing was given but wealth", so she believed that Buenos Aires was the place for her hopes and ambitions to come true.

In reality she had no formal education or connections and the city was overcrowded in the aftermath of the great depression.

Answer: "Please sign the book on your way out the door - that will be it, unless we need a new hit but I don't think that's likely somehow"

The correct line here is:

"Please sign the book on your way out the door - that will be all, If we need you we'll call but I don't think that's likely somehow"

Ché now sings of how she leaves Magaldi and 'sleeps' her way further and further up the ladder, becoming first a model, then a radio star and finally, an actress.

We then meet Colonel Juan Perón and learn of his attempts to rise to the top of his political party.

Answer: "I don't always rush in like this - thirty seconds after saying hello, telling strangers I'm the one for them"

The correct line here is:

"I don't always rush in like this twenty seconds after saying hello, telling strangers I'm too good to miss"

In January 1944 an earthquake occurred in the town of San Juan, killing six thousand people. Perón, who was then the Secretary of Labour, organised a charity concert to raise funds for the town. This was followed by a gala and it was here, on the 22nd of January 1944, that Eva Duarte first met Juan Perón.

Answer: "Call in six months' time and I'll be fine -- I know, well, maybe not that fine, but alive anyway"

The correct line here is:

"Call in three months' time and I'll be fine -- I know, well, maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow"

Eva and Perón spend the night together after the concert and then Eva gets rid of Perón's young mistress.

In the movie this song has been changed to be sung by Eva after her arrival in Buenos Aires, and Perón's mistress only sings a refrain at this point.

Answer: "But once they allow a bit on the side to get to the front and be mollified"

The correct line here is:

"But once they allow a bit on the side to move to the center where she's not qualified"

Eva moves in with Perón, and Ché sings of the reactions of both the scandalised upper classes and the chauvinistic Argentine army.

Answer: "There's only thirty of them anyhow - what is thirty next to thousands who keep looking at you"

The correct line here is:

"There's only twenty of them anyway - what is twenty next to millions who are looking to you?"

On 9th October 1945 Juan Perón was arrested by the government, who were worried about his popularity among the working classes and the possibility that the support from these groups might even make him more popular than the president.

The unions organised a massive rally in front of the Casa Rosada demanding Perón's release. Their demand was heard and Perón was released.

Answer: "I had to let it happen, I had to change, couldn't live all my life down a hill. Looking out of my window, staying away from the sun"

"I had to let it happen, I had to change, couldn't stay all my life down at heel. Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun"

After his release from prison, Perón decided to run for president. He and Eva were married and she campaigned heavily for him.

Her appearance with him continued to offend the wealthy and the military but the public loved her. It was at this time that she became "Evita", a Spanish nickname meaning 'Little Eva'.

In the show, Perón has an easy victory and appears on the balcony of the Casa Rosada -- but the crowd calls for Evita and this is the setting of the song.

Answer: "Were there stars in your eyes when you came home at night, from the pubs and the nightclubs"

The correct line here is:

"Were there stars in your eyes when you crawled in at night, from the bars, from the sidewalks ..."

Ché sings of the price of fame as Eva dances at the Inaugural Ball with Perón. Eva responds to him in the last verse.

Answer: "I want to be magic, I will be Rainbow High! They need all their dreams and so do I"

The correct line here is:

"I need to be thrilling, I shall be Rainbow High! They need their escape and so do I"

Eva insists on presenting a glamourous image in order to impress 'her' people of Argentina and promote Peronism.

She then went on a much publicised tour of Europe in 1947, which became known as "The Rainbow Tour".

She appeared on the cover of "Time" magazine during this tour - the first and last time that a South American first lady would appear alone on its cover. It was also the first publication that mentioned her illegitimacy and was thus banned in Argentina.

Answer: "Books only complicate things, accountants get in the way. No one lady is as loved as Eva Peron!"

"Accountants only slow things down, figures get in the way. Never been a lady loved as much as Eva Peron!"

Prior to the election of Perón the major charity in Buenos Aires was The Sociedad de Beneficencia which was comprised of 87 society ladies but was primarily funded by the government.

The charity's tradition was to elect Argentina's first lady as its president but Eva was never given this honour. It is of note that that the government funding was discontinued at this time.

This money then went into supporting Eva's own charity - 'Fundación María Eva Duarte de Perón' which was formed in July 1948. There was much rumour and speculation over the fact that no official accounts were kept for the foundation, and there were also questions as to whether some of the money was being diverted for the Peróns' personal use.

Answer: "Allow me to help you slink out of the country, I'll pay for the tickets, stand by and cheer"

The correct line here is:

"Allow me to help you slink off to the sidelines, I'll pay your fare, give three cheers"

Here we have Evita and Ché debating Eva's actions: Ché berates Eva's self-serving behavior while Eva cynically replies that there is no point or glory in trying to solve the world's problems.

Answer: "She's not some bimbo you can just ignore, she's been out doing what we said we would"

The correct line here is:

"She's not a bauble you can brush aside, she's been out doing what we just talked about"

In the 1951 election Eva had hopes of getting on the ballot as a candidate for the vice-presidency. This created much anger and fear in the military leaders, who still despised Eva and had increasing concerns over her power within the government. The idea of her becoming President, should Juan Perón die while president, was unacceptable.

She had, however, just been diagnosed with advanced cancer and a bid for the vice-presidency was not practical in light of her condition.

In an official ceremony, a few days after Juan Perón's second inauguration, Eva was given the official title of "Spiritual Leader of the Nation".

Answer: "Will my daughter and my son remember the things I have done?"

The correct line here is:

"Oh my daughter! Oh my son! Understand what I have done!"

Eva died, at the age of 33, at 8:25 pm. on the 26th of July 1952. The public outpouring of grief was so extreme that, although she never held an official political office, she was eventually given a state funeral.

Plans for an extravagant memorial were made but before they were completed Perón was overthrown by a military coup and Eva's body went missing for 16 years. It was finally revealed to have been buried in a crypt in Milan, Italy under the name of 'Maria Maggi'.

The body was exhumed in 1971 and flown to Spain where Juan Perón was living with his third wife, Isabel. Perón came out of exile in 1973, returned home to Argentina and again became president. This time his wife DID become vice president and DID succeed him. Upon his death in 1974 she become the first female president in the world.

It was Isabel who had Evita's body returned to Argentina and displayed beside Juan Perón's. She is now buried in the Duarte family tomb in La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires.