Evita Cast Spotlight

Ron Turner Diaz (Juan Perón), Melissa Lozada (Eva Perón) and Neifert Enrique (Che) in Evita at DCP June 17 - 28, 2026. Photo by Sydney Schertz Photography

The Metrolina Theatre Association recently spoke with the cast at the heart of Evita. Read what Melissa Lozada (Eva Perón), Neifert Enrique (Che), and Ron Turner Diaz (Juan Perón) had to say.

Since its founding in 1984, the Metrolina Theatre Association (MTA) has served as the unifying voice for theatre across Charlotte-Mecklenburg and the surrounding region, and being recognized by this all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit means a great deal to us. We're thrilled that MTA chose to spotlight our production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, featuring Melissa Lozada as Eva Perón, Neifert Enrique as Che, and Ron Turner Diaz as Juan Perón.

Here is what they had to say. 

Melissa Lozada (Eva Perón)

Melissa Lozada (Eva Perón) in EVITA June 17 - 28

Hey Melissa! So tell us about yourself!  I am a Venezuelan-American actress that has worked professionally for the past three years. I was proudly born and raised right here in Charlotte! (a unicorn if you will). My parents immigrated to the US from Venezuela in 2001, and moved to Charlotte a couple months before I was born. I am a UNC Greensboro graduate.

Any favorite roles you have performed? So many. Eva Perón is definitely up there as a favorite. I’d also say Electricidad in Electricidad (Three Bone Theater), Patty Ferrell in Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Children’s Theater of Charlotte), and Sister Mary Robert in Sister Act (Matthews Playhouse).

Any funny or memorable moments onstage or backstage you would like to share? During Diary of a Wimpy Kid, there were so many funny backstage moments. One day, we were having issues with our track during a show. Everyone tried to keep dancing despite the track skipping until we heard our SM on the god mic say “Actors, please leave the stage.” So we left, and everyone was stunned. We restarted the number like nothing happened. It’s still a running joke to this day with my friends from the show.

Anything on that bucket list of roles you would like to do? Vanessa in In the Heights, Mimi in Rent, Eurydice in Hadestown, Esmeralda in Hunchback, Amelie in Amelie (a very underrated show in my opinion), and Elphaba in Wicked. I’d also love to originate a role at some point in my career.

This musical has been around nearly 50 and has become quite iconic. And it is based on so much history of Argentina during a specific time. Your character is central to this story and to this history. Do you have a particular way to approach that? Absolutely. What was happening in Argentina politically at that time was different but unique in comparison to other countries in that timeframe. This post WWII era included a lot of revolution and call to action, causing rapid change worldwide. Eva Perón historically contributed that, whether she meant to or not. Women were slowly gaining independence, becoming more active in the workforce. As a character, I view her as a businesswoman who seized an opportunity to make something of herself. Letting nothing: no man, government, or illness, stand in her way. She was determined to succeed on her own terms. I try to approach her character as fighting an uphill battle, not only with outside forces underestimating her, but also proving to herself that she is destined for more.

Do you have a favorite part of the rehearsal process? So far, it’s choreo days. Personally, a show comes together when music meets movement, and seeing the whole company dance to this music is incredibly exciting. The show gets on its feet when the actors do!

What do you hope people will take away from this production? I would hope that the audience is compelled to ask more questions and inquire more about Eva Perón and the people in her life. She was complex, and some of her story is mythologized or changed historical and in this musical particularly. I hope people can see both sides of her legacy: to hold her accountable for her wrongdoings and controversy but also appreciate her advocacy and determination. After all, she was human just like everyone else.

Anything about you that most people would not know? I am really good at finding four leaf clovers! I have over 200 that I’ve collected over the years.

Let's say you have a karaoke night. Along with your closest friends and family members, you can invite five to six additional people....famous, not so famous....still with us, or not still with us. Who would you invite and why? And what are your top karaoke songs? I do love karaoke! I’d have to invite Whitney Houston, Shoshana Bean, Rachel Ziegler, Celia Cruz, and Eva Noblezada. These are all women I’ve looked up to, both as people and as performers. It would be a SHOW with all these ladies singing around me. My top karaoke songs change depending on who I’m with and where I sing, but I say lately it’s Only Exception by Paramore and Viente Años by Buena Vista Social Club.

Anything else you would like to share with your theatre family? Thank you for everything. My theater family has always been incredibly supportive of me and my career, and their encouragement and positivity means the world to me. I’m blessed to have such great friends, mentors, and peers from doing what I love most.

Neifert Enrique (Che)

Neifert Enrique (Che)

Neifert, tell us about you! I was actually born here in Charlotte but lived in Nicaragua for a few years as a little kid before returning to the States. For the longest time as a kid, I wanted to go into astronomy or astrophysics, but then they told me I'd be doing advanced mathematics for the rest of my life and decided to look for something else to do. I stumbled into music and theatre my sophomore year in high school and found that I loved performing on a stage and singing in choirs, even though I had no clue what I was actually doing. I also started teaching myself to play piano to plunk out my harmonies for any shows or choral pieces we were working on.

I went to Winthrop University to study vocal performance but then switched to musical theatre when I found out that you could actually study techniques on how to act and create full three-dimensional characters through song. I stayed involved in all the Winthrop choirs and as many theatre productions as I could, whether on stage or backstage. Technical theatre gave me more paid opportunities in the Charlotte area so I love working backstage and performing onstage whenever I’m blessed enough to be cast in something.

Any favorite roles you have performed?I have so many roles I've loved but the most challenging and rewarding one emotionally was Moses in The Prince of Egypt. The emotional breadth that he goes through throughout the entire show is nuanced and so fun to work with as an actor. But I've also loved more of my sillier, fun roles like Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls, Dr. Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, and Rooster in Annie where I can crank up the presentational farcical comedy up to 11.

Any funny or memorable moments onstage or backstage you would like to share? I feel like all the funniest moments involving me have always been wardrobe malfunctions. One time in college while playing Margaret Mead in Hair, the straps to the fake breasts that I had to throw on during a quick change just would not stay on my shoulders during my entire scene on stage. So I had to keep adjusting the fake breasts during my song where I was singing in a fake soprano falsetto. Or another time when I was an ensemble member in Evita at CPCC and my military uniform ripped in the back during a dance number and I had to continue dancing onstage for another 2-3 minutes with my undergarment athletic shorts exposed. But at least there was a nice breeze to cool me down.

Anything on that bucket list for roles you would like to do? I've got a long bucket list of dream roles but a few of them are Usnavi in In The Heights, Quasimodo in Hunchback, Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jesus or Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. Also any character in any Stephen Sondheim shows because I LOVE Sondheim so much! Sweeney Todd, The Baker, Bobby, Franklin Shephard, all the Sondheim please. Che has been on the top of my bucket list for a while and I'm so excited to sink my teeth into this awesome score.

This musical has been around nearly 50 years and has become quite iconic. And it is based on so much history of Argentina during a specific time. Your character of Che has been approached many times as being Che Guevara, an actual revolutionary of the time. What are your thoughts on that?

I know that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice originally created Che to be an everyman who represented the working class Argentines during the Peron regime but it was director Hal Prince who brought the idea of having Che be approached as the historical Che Guevara. As a Latino who's very familiar with Che Guevara's personal history and politics, I think having Che be wholly based on this historical Guevara is a strange choice considering that Che and Evita shared many social policies that helped the working class: food distribution, universal healthcare, free universal education, indigenous rights, strong labor unions, women's suffrage and gender equality.

For this production, I've approached Che as a wholly fictional character whose backstory I created to directly intersect with the historical events and people depicted in the musical and gave him more personal reasons for his cynicism towards Eva and Juan Peron out of a sense of personal and political betrayal. For example, once Juan Peron gained power, he installed his own puppet officials into the labor unions that had helped him get elected; union leaders like Cipriano Reyes called Peron out on this and were subsequently falsely accused of terrorism, arrested, and tortured without trial. In the story of this everyman Che, leaders like Reyes were personal friends and mentors of his, whose false arrests and torture would have soured the once profound adoration Che had towards the Perons.

Another fictional detail I created is that this Che actually worked with Evita at the Eva Peron Foundation and had a personal friendship and mentorship with her. And due to his working at the Foundation, he would be witness to the embezzling that is mentioned in the lyrics of the show, even though there is no historical evidence for such events; but since this fictional Che “witnessed” those events, he can confidently relay them to the audience as fact. Details like this are obviously not mentioned in the text of the musical at all, but creating that fictional backstory in detail gives the character more specificity and nuance that I can use as an actor when approaching scenes and lyrics, even if that is something none of the other actors are aware of and is only in my headspace as Che onstage.

Do you have a favorite part of the rehearsal process? If so, what is it and why?In general, I love rehearsing ensemble numbers with a full cast. Everyone working together and finally getting a dance sequence or the rhythm of a certain scene just right always feels amazing. Now if it’s a musical where we have a live orchestra, the sitzprobe is the most exciting day in my opinion. The energy of the full cast and the musicians coming together and making the music together is electric. And feeling the loud music in your body as you’re performing is magical.

What do you hope people will take away from this production? This show is a cautionary tale about the dangers of power and celebrity, both for a person and for a society. Evita was seen as both a saint and scapegoat while she was alive and even now decades after her death. Her charisma and generosity were so powerful that many people forgot about the fact that Juan Peron’s government was going after political enemies in ways that are unfortunately similar to what we see today in the United States.

On a more personal note, I hope that we show that these Latin American characters were not pure good but they also weren’t pure evil. In the limited theatre pieces dealing with Latin American characters, we’re rarely depicted as anything beyond one-dimensional stereotypes of either the naive genteel servants or the evil criminal that must be destroyed. These were complicated real life people with differing goals, dreams, beliefs, loves, and convictions that influenced their actions in ways that helped multitudes of people, but also hurt countless others, whether on purpose or not. Especially in our current political climate where Latinos are being dehumanized as “thugs,” “illegals,” “aliens” and so forth, having audiences see our people as fully complicated human beings is desperately necessary.

Anything about you that most people would not know?I have ADHD which means I have a bunch of random hobbies that I’ve picked up and dropped over my entire life. I picked up knitting just enough to knit a scarf and then forgot that to learn how to solve Rubik’s cubes (my best time is 1 minute 13.9 seconds). I collect books, playing cards, and LOTS of movies on Blu-ray, to the point that I’m running out of room for all of them (the last count on my movie spreadsheet was 950 movies).

Let's say you have the ability to have the production of your dreams. What show would it be and what role would you play? And let's say you can cast anyone you want: famous, not so famous...still with us, or not still with us. Who would you cast and why? Director? Creative team? Ooh that’s a tough choice! Either A Little Night Music or Into The Woods and I’d want to be Henrik and The Baker respectively. Give me a cast of Raul Julia, Meryl Streep, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Anthony Quinn, Jose Ferrer, Jean Smart, Sally Field, Oscar Isaac, Pedro Pascal, Diego Luna, Javier Bardem, ALL the Latin and Hispanic superstar actors from throughout history who can sing and make me sob. George C Wolfe directing, Stephen Sondheim obviously, Alex Lacamoire music directing, Sergio Trujillo or Susan Stroman choreographing, my amazing partner Jessie Hull stage managing. Why? So I can learn from all of them and ask them all my pesky acting, music, and creative questions about their work.

Anything else you would like to share with your theatre family? I love all the amazing talented people I get to see performing throughout the Charlotte area! Whether I’m in the audience or in a rehearsal room, I’m always thinking “How the f*** do they do that?” and “How can I become that great?” Hopefully I get to work with more of the awesome talent we have in town in the future.

Ron Turner Diaz as Juan Peron

Ron Turner Diaz (Juan Perón)

So tell us about Ron! I'm originally from Robeson County NC (Lumbee Proud) and studied at UNC Wilmington where I earned by BSBA (Major Finance; Minor Voice Performance). I also hold a Master of Health Administration. I came to Charlotte full-time around 2001 and fell in love with the city. By day, I lead the Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for Advocate Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country. But my heart has always had a stage in it. Theatre is where I recharge, connect, and get to explore parts of myself that a boardroom just doesn't allow. I'm also a proud husband to my "Angel", a dog dad to two fantastic humans who happen to be in dogs' fur, a foodie, a wine lover, and someone who believes deeply in community.

How does your day job in healthcare connect to your life in theatre? More than people might think. Both require empathy, storytelling and the ability to meet people where they are. In my CSR work, I'm always thinking about how to serve communities and amplify voices that need to be heard. Theatre does the same thing just with a spotlight and a score. They feed each other in ways I'll forever be grateful for.

Any favorite roles you have performed?That's a tough one! Radames in Aida at Theatre Charlotte will always hold a special place because it was my first leading role in the Charlotte theatre scene, but it meant a lot to me because Radames let me explore what it means to be a good man inside a broken system and what it costs to finally stand up. My favorite roles to date are tied - Che in Evita at CPCC (2018), because Che lets you be the smartest, most dangerous person on stage. You know the one who sees everything and holds nothing back. And Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard with Queen City Concerts, because I was able to play a man who sold his soul one comfortable day at a time and found it again in the moment it was too late. Honorable Mention: Samson: The Last Judge with NarroWay Productions, because I was the inaugural Samson and it taught me so much. Samson lets you explore what happens when a man chosen for greatness almost destroys himself and finds redemption in his final breath. There's something incredible about stepping into characters who are larger than life but still deeply human. Every role teaches you something about yourself.

Any funny or memorable moments onstage or backstage you would like to share?Oh where do I start? This one isn't so much funny as it is a blood-rushing moment. Once upon a time, I was playing the role of Samson. We had rotating casts, and on this particular show I was off and my sing had gone on. Since the role was incredibly taxing on the body due to all the stage combat, I welcomed the downtime and was relaxing on the sofa at home. The my phone rang. It was the music director. The gentleman playing the Angel of the Lord had been in a major accident between shows during a sold-out run. She needed someone who could sing the lines and fit the costume, and she called me, only because she'd heard me "playing around" with the music during rehearsals. She told me straight: if I couldn't make it, they'd have to cancel the show because the character was vital to the storyline. They couldn't just cut that magical moment. I had never rehearsed a single line, blocking cue, or entrance for that role. But I jumped right in and through sheer nerves and adrenaline, was able to flawlessly execute a part I only knew because the actor who played it interacted with me in every single show. I was nerve-wracked and honestly hoped I'd never have to be in that position again. But that's the beauty of live theatre. No two performances are ever the same, and the things that go "wrong" often become the moments you remember most. The trust you build with your cast to just roll with and that's magic.

Anything on that bucket list for roles you would like to do?I would love to tackle Jean Valjean in Les Miserables someday. There's a depth and complexity to that character that truly speaks to me. He's a man defined not by his worst moments but by his relentless pursuit of redemption. That journey resonates on a deep personal level. I've also been drawn to Jekyll & Hyde, and honestly, I can relate to split personalities when my temper changes on a dime. Just ask my husband. Ha! But in all seriousness, I'm at a place in my career where I want roles that challenge me vocally, emotionally and intellectually. I'm not chasing easy wins anymore. I want heavy stuff. The characters that demand everything you've got and leave you different on the other side. That's where real artistry lives, and I'm not afraid of it.

This musical has been around nearly 50 years and has become quite iconic. And it is based on so much history of Argentina during a specific time. Your character of Juan Peron is central to this story and to this history. Do you have a particular way to approach that? Juan Peron is one of those roles where you can't just memorize lines and hit your marks. You must understand the man. I've spent time studying the real Peron: his political rise, his relationship with Eva, the complicated way he wielded populism and power in Argentina. What fascinates me is that Peron isn't a villain and he isn't a hero. He's both, depending on who's telling the story. That moral ambiguity is what makes him compelling to play. My approach has been to find humanity underneath politics. He was charismatic, calculating, deeply strategic, but also genuinely captivated by Eva. I want the audience to feel that tension and to understand how a man can love his country and his wife while simultaneously consolidating power in ways that are ethically murky. I also think it's important to honor the real history and the real people of Argentina who lived through this era. This isn't just a musical. It's also someone's history.

Do you have a favorite part of the rehearsal process? I love the discovery phase. Those early table reads and blocking rehearsals where you're still figuring out who this character is. There's freedom in not having it all figured out yet. You try something, it doesn't work. You try something else, and then suddenly a moment clicks and you think that's who he is. I also love watching my castmates find those same moments. There's electricity in the room when the whole ensemble starts to gel and you can feel the show coming to life. That's the part that keeps me coming back.

What do you hope people will take away from this production? I hope people leave the theatre thinking. Really thinking. Evita isn't a comfortable show. It asks hard questions about power, celebrity, devotion, and manipulation and it doesn't give you easy answers. I want the audience to feel the passion and the spectacle, absolutely, but I also want them to sit with complexity. Who do we elevate and why? What's the cost of charisma? Those questions are just as relevant today as they were in 1940s Argentina. If we do our jobs right, this show will stay with people long after the curtain comes down.

Anything about you that most people would not know? Most people don't know that my voice performance minor wasn't the plan. That finance was the "responsible" choice, and voice was supposed to be the thing I did on the side just for me. But I couldn't stay away from it. I'd be in the business school by day running numbers and in the music building by night running scales. What started as something I did for joy quietly became something that shaped how I show up in every room - the discipline, the vulnerability, and ability to read an audience. People see the executive or the theatre credits, but they rarely know that the Lumbee kid from Robeson County almost didn't pursue either one. I grew up in a place where you were taught to work hard, stay humble, and take care of your people. Everything I do, from the boardroom to the stage, still comes back to that.

Let's say you have a swanky dinner party with your closest friends and relative. You can also invite five to six others...famous, not so famous...still with us, or not still with us. Who would you invite and why? And describe your menu and anything else! Well, if you know me, you know I don't do anything halfway when it comes to food and ambiance. My guest list: Josephine Baker. Entertainer, activist, spy, icon. She lived a thousand lives, and I'd like to hear every story. 

James Baldwin. His words changed how I see the world. I'd want to sit across from that brilliance and just listen.

Eartha Kitt. Unapologetically herself in every room she entered. The dinner conversation would be legendary.

Freddie Mercury. Because no dinner party is complete without someone who can command a room and probably end the night at the piano.

Michelle Obama. Grace, intellect, warmth, and she'd keep the whole table laughing.

Prince. Because he shattered every box anyone tried to put him in: genre, gender, convention. The man played 27 instruments, wrote thousands of songs, and did it all on his own terms. Between him and Freddie, the after-dinner entertainment would be legendary.

On the menu? A multi-course affair: Good wine is already poured when you walk in, a smooth Malbec, a crisp white, and something sparkling for whoever's feeling fancy. There's a gorgeous grazing table set out with prosciutto, cheeses, honeycomb, marinated olives, warm nuts, and a couple of dips you can't stop going back to. No rush. Just vibe. Once everyone settles in, a few things come out: shrimp cocktail, cocktail meatballs, and some chicken skewers with plum sauce. Nothing complicated, just done well (I probably went to Costco to buy it all, so yeah). For dinner, we're keeping it real: a beautifully roasted chicken, baked mac and cheese with crust, some type of green veggie, and cornbread. My GMama always said a balanced plate has color. Comfort food but plated like it belongs somewhere nice. Because it does. Dessert is simple with cheesecake, fresh berries and good coffee. The playlist is low and smooth: R&B, a little jazz, some throwbacks when the night gets going. The lights are dim. The clothes are sharp. The food is honest. And the company makes it unforgettable.

Anything else you would like to share with your theater family? Just gratitude. This community has given me a creative home, and I don't take that lightly. Theatre is one of the few spaces where you can fully yourself - messy, bold, vulnerable, and celebrated for it. To everyone in the theatre community, thank you for making space for stories and for each other. Let's keep showing our area what community theatre can be.

Evita is running June 17 - 28, 2026 at Duke Family Performance Hall. Tickets can be purchased by going to www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org/shows/evita