I met a Evelyn Botto Several years ago, in one of those cloned and impersonal events where programming and series are presented. In general, one knows people with whom he talks at the time, the adult equivalent of instant friends who do children when they play in the square. That day there was a small crowd, but some of her caught her attention, not because she made a character or threw ampulous gestures, but by the force of her presence and of her voice. Different to all, he had what Moria Casán calls “scenic stop.” It was in 2018 and while we returned in an suffocating car of line D I thought that at the first chance that girl was going to break her. You didn’t have to be Pythoness to predict it.
Seven years later, Evelyn Botto, broadcaster, driver, dubbing actress, singer and new great lady of the musical was already the voice of street dogs, protagonist of “Sex”, sang with Fito Páez, is part of “Laburo covered” and “My cousin is like that”, two of the main programs of the streaming channel Olgaand is the iconic villana Úrsula in “The Little Mermaid”. He shares the theatrical phenomenon of the year with Albana Fuentes, José María Listorti, Osvaldo Laport, Pablo Turturiello and a cast that is the royalty of musicals. He takes all the applause in the final greeting with his wig, his charm and his tentacles. No doubt, nothing more irresistible than a good bad or someone who prepares a lifetime to achieve what he always wanted and gets it.
News: From one to ten, how many would like to be Úrsula?
Evelyn Botto: It happened to me that I received a call to ask me if I wanted to be part of the casting and the truth is that I had not even dream of such an opportunity. Only once they offered it to me and prepared for that I began to fantasize about being Úrsula, the desire was 10 of 10 and the decision to also happen, so everything occurred. While practicing the dialogue, he said: “You forgot that I am Úrsula” (he remarks the name in the character of the character) then every time he repeated it he looked at me and said convinced: “Yes, I am Úrsula!” And in the end it happened.
News: Úrsula is very recognizable in the popular imaginary. The creators of “Choose your own adventure” would surely ask him what traits he used to build his own villain. We also want to know.
Botto: (Laughs) Obviously the most difficult thing is that, building your personal villain. I looked many times “La Sernita” in Spanish and in English, I saw the live action in both languages, I did not miss one of the ursulas that were made in all the shows in the world and they crossed me, I saw versions in Portuguese, in English … and even in Polish! But above all I looked a lot at Divine, which is the dredge in which Úrsula’s original sketch is inspired. I toured his films, those of John Waters and then at one point I made the decision to leave all that in my head and focus on discovering what happened to the character passing the text. What I tried to keep was the modulation in speech, she who hammer between the tones, comes and comes between power and softness, laughter and hate. I tried to respect his cycloimia, but seeing what happened to me with that.
News: He mentioned the theme of the voice and in “The Little Mermaid” there is no more important issue. We know that Úrsula’s goal is to steal Ariel’s voice forever, but how did he work for his? Did you help be a dubbing actress?
Botto: I would tell you that it helped me more to be a announcer. The dubbing a bit also because in reality it is not neutral what I do, it is Argentine, but there is something of the structure of the neutral I try to have. Thanks to the speech I worked the diction, breathing and support to find nuances to the voice. All that helped me a lot with the variants that Úrsula has when speaking.
News: You come from “Sex” with a giant cast and now you are in “La Sernita” which is a blockbuster. For someone who started finishing it on the small table from an FM radio, what is it like to work with a mass team?
Botto: “Sex” and “The Little Mermaid” have capital and wonderful teams! Lipsticking with people is a large containment because sometimes you will lock yourself in the micromundo of what happens to you or me and then you understand that you are part of a team. That is not a small thing, within the team it is beautiful to know that you meet a party and that everyone else do their own. It causes me a lot of admiration to look around and see how spectacular people who work with me, inspire me, make me want to be better. And you also run from the mental thread that one sometimes does with their insecurities, you realize that they chose you for something, you have to trust one.
News: From the previous one the fury was already throbbing, but it seems to me that the “Sirenitamanía” exceeded the calculations. Help having so many functions exhausted when gaining the confidence it mentions?
Botto: Yes, because you feel that the public accompanies and banks the show. I tell readers to come to the Great Rex, I assure that they will see an incredible team and setting. I shot all the data (laughs): production of MP, Ozone and the Rottemberg that put on the shirt leaving a fixed price of tickets from 200,000 pesos until the end of the season. And I highlight it because I know that 20,000 pesos is a lot of money for a lot of people, but with the level of the show they will be stiff. There are more expensive locations, obviously, but in this theater you look good everywhere, it is a real gift. They do not know what the assembly is, everyone dance, sing and act, it is something unforgettable to live as a family, they will have fun. I passed the full warning but everything is true! (laughs)
News: This year he decided to make a job rearrangement that included leaving a program as successful as “street dogs.” Didn’t they give him the times or did he need to fly in his career?
Botto: I really decided to change because I wanted to have time to do other things and as soon as I made the decision … those things appeared! I did not give up because I was already around something, I had nothing, just the desire. I checked it a lot of times, every time you stop investing the energy in a place that does not give and leave it free to flow what you want, what you thought begins to happen.
News: There are people who do the same for decades and never try something else, you are sent, you are bold. Do you have any fear in the profession or is it as reckless as it seems?
Botto: What a beautiful reckless word. Not so, I do everything in fear! (laughs) Then I enjoy it, usually not so much at the time. With “La Sernita” I have the chance of doing many functions so I hope to live in another way, because so far I came doing a day like Olga’s “Days” and that is like throwing yourself in the void. You have no rehearsal and it’s a single shot, so I’m afraid, but I do the same. Do you know why? Because then one day I’m going to die and it was already. Total, if I’m wrong, who cares? (laughs). It is not an open heart operation, it is art, I send me the same.
News: Speaking of sending, you made a lightning trip to Rio de Janeiro to see the epic show that Lady Gaga gave on May 3 on Copacabana Beach. What does it feel like to be part of that collective party so impressive?
Botto: It was amazing. I knew that the recital was going to be on that date for a while, but as we rehearsed from Monday to Saturday I said: “I do not arrive, I will not go mad to leave the theater, take a plane“… and here we are never say. They told me a Monday that on Saturday I did not rehearse, on Tuesday a friend mentioned the recital and my brain immediately said: “You do not rehearse and have savings” (laughs) so in an instant I decided to go, for me it was Ursula that pushed me! And he was not wrong, it was a purely theatrical, performative show, of those in which the brain makes you new neuronal connections. That happened to me, I cried, I lived an indescribable experience. It was a madman, there were two million and peak people.
News: Question of a person who once pushed, put a patadita to the ankle and code to be ahead. How did you achieve a dignified location with such a human tide?
Botto: I talked to Daniel Grinbank! I said: “I took the plane and stay, but I need to be closer. Can you help me with that?” And it helped me. It was very exciting, the best show of my life, I swear. I am very proud to have given me that experience, I returned transformed, empowered!
News: Gaga calls his fandom the small monsters and Úrsula has his little miserable. Coincidence or destination?
Botto: Give it to think about it, right? At this time, doing Úrsula, it seemed very valuable to be able to see something like that, with the class of an artist that is Gaga and with that wonderful setting. I want that, to say that I am an artist with pride.
