Review: MAN OF LA MANCHA at Music Theater Heritage

Playing now at Music Theater Heritage through October 23 at Crown Center is an imaginative new production of 1965's Tony award-winning Best Musical "Man of La Mancha" offered by Music Theater Heritage.

This "Man of LaMancha" is reinvented like no other production of the show you ever have seen. It is driven by Kansas City's "Ensemble Iberica" string musical treatment of the Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion original score to what you might have heard in the style of sixteenth century Spain.

The cast is trimmed from the original twenty-five actors to a more manageable nine actors on the more intimate MTH main stage.

Originating as a 1959 non-musical television play by Dale Wasserman , "Man of La Mancha" tells the story of a minor Spanish noble, soldier, and civil servant Miquel De Cervantes, a contemporary of William Shakespeare. Cervantes was also a playwright, actor, and the creator of Don Quixote, recognized as the first modern novel when first published in1605.

Although filled with a score full of memorable music, "Man of La Mancha" is best remembered for its now standard theme song "The Impossible Dream." The penultimate character of Don Miquel de Cervantes/Don Quixote/Alanzo Quijana is recast this time with classical guitarist and Carnegie Hall veteran Nilko Andreas as Cervantes. Although different from the usual treatment of "Man of La Mancha" simply hearing Andreas and his guitar is worth the price of a ticket.

I must admit to a soft spot for flamenco and classical guitar. My college roommate was the first classical guitar major at our university. Our small apartment reverberated with the sounds of flamenco, Bach Lute pieces, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, Spaniard Andres Segovia, Australian John Williams, and Brit Julian Bream.

The device that makes the show run is the almost true story of Cervantes being jailed by the Spanish Inquisition when, as a tax collector for the Crown, he makes the grievous error of foreclosing on church property.

Cervantes is marched into a dungeon, occupied by the dregs of society with all his worldly goods in a single trunk. It is made clear to him that in addition to charges pending by the Court of Inquisition, he is about to be tried by a Kangaroo Court operated by his fellow inmates. The already pre-determined fine is likely to be the contents of his property trunk and his guitar. But Cervantes only has two possessions about which he truly cares. They are the unfinished manuscript of Don Quixote and his guitar.

Cervantes begs to present his story as an entertainment enlisting his fellow prisoners as characters in the tale. If it is well received, Don Miquel might get to keep his manuscript and his instrument. The other inmates agree. The story will be (at worst) a diversion from the tedium of the dungeon.

Don Miquel relates the story of Alonzo Quijano, an elderly gentleman on the fringe of madness. He believes himself to be living three hundred years in the past -- in the age of chivalry-- as a knight errant named Don Quixote de La Mancha in search of adventure. Cervantes is accompanied by his servant and friend Sancho played here by Tony Pulford.

MezzoSoprano Stephanie Zuluago-Kneeman is fine as Aldonza/ Dulcinea. The Governor/

Innkeeper is Bradley J. Thomas. The vocal find of this cast is Simon Schupp as the Padre. We hear him in at least three songs, the ironic "I'm only thinking of him," "The Psalm," and the first act closer "To Each His Dulcinea."

As a matter of fact, my biggest complaint about this production is that a pretty big slice of the first act closer is cut in favor of an extended classical guitar rendition of the same tune. ("Man of La Mancha" was originally performed in one act without intermission.)

"Man of La Mancha" is directed by Tim Scott. Musical director is Beau Bledsoe. Vocal director is Ty Tuttle. Scenic designer is Sandra Lopez. Lighting is by Danny Lawrence. Sound Design is by Gianna Agostino although the sense an audience member gets is generally acoustic.

"Man of La Mancha" is touching, full of borsch belt style humor with an Hispanic tinge, excellent music, and limited violence. The humor style is not terribly surprising because the playwright and composers were all Jewish. It is speculated that Cervantes himself was "Converso" or "New Christian" forced to convert by the Spanish Inquisition.

"Man of La Mancha " was one of the first sung-through "concept" musicals. It is absolutely worth seeing. Tickets are available at www.musictheaterheritage.com.

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