Australian Star Anthony Warlow Leads Shakespeare Theatre Company's MAN OF LA MANCHA, Beginning Tonight

The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) welcomes Australian actor Anthony Warlow in the role of 'Don Quixote' in the company's production of Man of La Mancha, under the direction of STC Associate Artistic Director Alan Paul. Man of La Mancha will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from tonight, March 17-April 26, 2015.

"It is a great pleasure to announce that Anthony Warlow will be joining us and sharing his incredible talent with D.C. audiences," says Alan Paul. "His musical theatre and operatic background is exceptional and he brings tremendous power to the iconic role of Don Quixote. Anthony has one of the richest, most expressive voices in modern musical theatre. I look forward to working with Anthony at the heart of this production and hearing him put his stamp on 'The Impossible Dream.'" In other lead roles, Amber Iman will play Aldonza and Nehal Joshi will play Sancho.

Anthony Warlow is one of the leading stage actors in Australia, with an extensive body of work that includes originating roles in Australian productions of Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Secret Garden, Doctor Zhivago and Jekyll & Hyde, as well as revivals of My Fair Lady, Guys & Dolls and Man of La Mancha. In 1988, he garnered international recognition as the preeminent performer of Enjolras in Les Miserables, and performed the role on the Complete Symphonic Recording. Warlow first portrayed the lead in The Phantom of the Opera in the original Australian production, and returned to the role for Melbourne's 2007 revival and a two-year tour of Australia and New Zealand. He also appeared as a guest at the 25th Anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His extensive opera credits include The Magic Flute, La Boheme, Tosca, Otello, Tales of Hoffman, La Fanciulla del West and Don Giovanni, as well as significant Gilbert and Sullivan roles with Opera Australia including The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore. He has recorded numerous solo albums, and in 2012 he made his Broadway debut as Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks in James Lapine's revival of Annie.

Amber Iman, who appeared as Nina Simone in the Broadway debut of Soul Doctor, will take on the role of Aldonza in the production. A graduate of Howard University, she has also appeared Off-Broadway in Rent and A Civil War Christmas. Nehal Joshi, who appeared in STC's Bard's Broadway concert staging of The Boys from Syracuse, will play Sancho. He recently appeared as Jean Valjean in the Dallas Theater Center's reimagining of Les Miserables, and has performed in mulitple Broadway productions. Additional casting will be announced soon.

Alan Paul helms Man of La Mancha, one of the most acclaimed adaptations -- musical or otherwise -- of classic literature. Paul won the 2014 Helen Hayes Award for Best Resident Director of a Musical for STC's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. His work spans theatre and opera, and he was a 2013 finalist for the European Opera Directing Prize in Vienna, Austria. In January 2015 he will direct the world premiere of Penny, part of the Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative. His production of Man of La Mancha continues to pave the way for classically inspired musicals at STC.

A story of hope and idealism rises from the darkness and despair of a prison cell in Man of La Mancha, carried aloft by some of the most familiar and moving songs of the American theatre. As Miguel de Cervantes presents his tale of knight errant Don Quixote, his journey comes alive in a play-within-the-play, featuring loyal friends, troubled maidens, giant monsters and brave knights. Don Quixote's quest -- filled with humor and poignancy in equal measure -- dares everyone to dream "The Impossible Dream."

Man of La Mancha, book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and composed by Mitch Leigh, will play Sidney Harman Hall, tonight, March 17-April 26, 2015. Press Night will be Monday, March 23. To purchase tickets or to learn more, patrons can call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit ShakespeareTheatre.org. *Artists and dates are subject to change.

ABOUT THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY - Recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) has become one of the nation's leading theatre companies. Today, STC is synonymous with artistic excellence and making classical theatre more accessible.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Kahn and Managing Director Chris Jennings, STC's innovative approach to Shakespeare and other classic playwrights has earned it the reputation as the nation's premier classical theatre company. By focusing on works with profound themes, complex characters and poetic language written by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and the playwrights he influenced, the Company's artistic mission is unique among theatre companies: to present theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights' language and intentions while viewing their work through a 21st-century lens.

A leader in arts education, STC has a stable of initiatives that teach and excite learners of all ages, from school programs and acting classes to discussion series as well as accessible programs like the annual Free For All, one of STC's most beloved annual traditions, allowing audiences to experience Shakespeare at no charge.

Located in our nation's capital, STC performs in two theatres, the Lansburgh Theatre and Sidney Harman Hall in downtown Washington, D.C., creating a dynamic, cultural hub of activity that showcases STC as well as outstanding local performing arts groups and nationally renowned organizations. STC moved into the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre in March 1992, after six years in residency in the Folger Library's Elizabethan theatre. At that time the Penn Quarter neighborhood was not considered desirable by many; since then, STC has helped drive its revitalization. The 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall opened in October 2007.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride