Man of La Mancha is currently playing at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre. I recently had the opportunity to catch the show.
Full disclosure: Before watching this play, I had no idea what this musical was about — or so I thought. Turns out, I sang one of the songs from the play “The Impossible Dream” in elementary school choir. Now, I understand the song!
Man of La Mancha is based on “Don Quixote,” a novel by Miguel de Cervantes from the 17th century and won five Tony Awards. It’s actually a play within a play about the author, Cervantes. Set in a dungeon in 1594 during the Spanish Inquisition in Seville, Spain, Cervantes is on trial by his fellow prisoners, and he must impress them if he wants to keep his possessions. So he spins a tale to his fellow prisoners about Don Quixote, a man on a quest to become a noble knight, who, along the way, finds a beautiful maiden.
Richard White, a Broadway performer and Disney voiceover artist, portrayed Cervantes/Quixote. White was the voice of Gaston in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” which was released in 1991.
Although Man of La Mancha was written in 1965, the themes it addressed felt very relevant and contemporary. For instance, Quixote’s love interest Aldonza was physically and sexually assaulted by men. The harshest criticism of Aldonza, a prostitute, came from other women.
Man of La Mancha also dealt with mental illness. Don Quixote wants to be a knight during a time when that tradition is long gone. However, Quixote’s desire is what keeps him alive and happy. It’s those around him who have a problem with his life, speak ill of him behind his back and try to “help” him in ways that actually cause him harm. In fact, as soon as they make Quixote realize reality from fiction, his spirit is crushed so much as that he becomes catatonic and seemingly near death. It’s only when Aldonza encourages him to dream the impossible dream does he spring back to life.
My evening watching Man of La Mancha was time well spent. I came out of the theater talking about different aspects of the play — the singing, acting and storyline.
Contact Editor Oseye Boyd at 217-762-7850. Follow her on Twitter @oseye_boyd.
