<P> The song reached number - one on the UK Singles Chart and earned a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), with over a million copies sold . It also reached the top of the charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand and the Netherlands . "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was critically appreciated, with Rice and Lloyd Webber winning the 1977 Ivor Novello award in the category of Best Song Musically and Lyrically . When Evita moved to a London theatre, Covington--who had become disenchanted with the whole project--refused to reprise the part of Eva and the role went to Elaine Paige . "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" has been covered by multiple artists, including The Carpenters, Olivia Newton - John, and Sinéad O'Connor as well as actors Lea Michele and Chris Colfer from the TV series Glee‍ . </P> <P> In 1996, American singer Madonna starred in the film adaptation of the musical in the title role . Her version of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was released as the second single from the film soundtrack on 4 February 1997 . It received positive reviews from music crtics who praised her vocal performance . A separate version called the "Miami Mix", which included re-recorded vocals in English and Spanish and an Argentinean bandoneon in the song's intro, was promoted to radio . The song reached number one in France, Spain, and the European Hot 100 Singles, while the remix topped the US Dance Club Songs chart . The song also reached the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 and several other nations, and received gold certifications from five different countries . </P> <P> "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice while they were developing Evita for Broadway in 1976 . Both were extremely intrigued by the stories surrounding the life of Eva Perón while researching about her during the mid-1970s . Evita was initially produced as an album, before being adapted for the stage, following a formula that Lloyd Webber and Rice had employed during the production of Jesus Christ Superstar, their previous musical . The duo had written the songs for a female singer with good vocals . </P> <P> Rice and Webber's research showed that Eva had not in reality delivered any major oration on the day of her husband Juan Perón's inauguration ceremony, but not long after becoming Argentina's new First Lady she started making highly emotional speeches, the intensity of which they wanted to capture with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". The song was composed to appear at the opening and near the end of the show, initially as the spirit of the dead Eva exhorting the people of Argentina not to mourn her, and finally during Eva's speech from the balcony of Casa Rosada . Its melody is similar to the opening song of the musical, "Oh What a Circus", and puts emphasis on Eva's funeral . As "Oh What a Circus" ended with the character Che's sarcastic questioning of the mourning behind Eva's death, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" started with only few lines being sung, while the rest of the song was reserved for the finale . </P>

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