Ricky Martin playing Che in Evita on Broadway

NEW YORK –  Latin superstar Ricky Martin recently baffled all his fans with his coming out of the closet. The rumors that have been circling for months about him playing an important role in the musical “Evita” are finally confirmed by Ricky himself. The real question is if he has the “body” to fill in the shoes of the great actors who preceded him in this role.

Martin will play the character of Che in the first new Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning musical debut since its debut in 1979. According to the New York Post, Ricky Martin has reportedly been offered the important role of Che in a Broadway revival of Evita. The Pop star singer and single father of twin boys said in a statement Wednesday, "I've been blessed with the opportunity to perform on many of the world's largest concert stages, but I've never lost my love for the intimacy of the theater,"

Michael Riedel, the theater columnist of the New York Post, already had reported on the deal being finalized to bring the Andrew Lloyd Webber–Tim Rice musical about the life of the controversial and glamorous First Lady of Argentina, Eva Peron, back to Broadway for the first time since the original production closed in 1983. The role of Evita was first played by British stage legend Elaine Paige in the 1978 London stage production of the musical, and  Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone played Eva Perron that same year in the Broadway production with Mandy Patinkin portraying her tormentor Che. In 1996, the musical was made into a film starring Pop icon Madonna and Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, who is internationally known for his role in “the Mask of Zorro”.

The producers of the musical's newest version also announced that Argentine actress Elena Roger will star as Evita, the same role she played in 1996 and got her critical acclaim for her excellent play on the  London stage. The role of Che in the new Evita marks a return on the stage for Ricky Martin, who previously appeared on Broadway in 1995 as Marius in the musical 'Les Miserables'. Martin has had quite a ride starting as a teenage superstar in Menudo, a Latin Pop boy band from Puerto Rico, then embarking on a successful solo career, and recently announcing his homosexuality to the world.

The following videoclip is of Ricky Martin singing the song “A Little Fall of Rain” from Les Miserables in a duet with Frances Ruffelle.

This last action of Martin has many doubting if he can play the character of the Argentine Marxist revolutionary and popular T-shirt logo convincingly. Time will tell, as the revival of “Evita” - directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Rob Ashford -  is scheduled to open in spring 2012.