Photo Flash: First Look at MAN OF LA MANCHA at Hampton Theatre Company

"Man of La Mancha," the first fully-staged musical in the 34-year history of the Hampton Theatre Company, will be the third play of the HTC's 2018-2019 season, opening on March 21 at the Quogue Community Hall and running through April 7.

Inspired by the 17th century novel "Don Quixote," the classic Broadway show-with book by Dale Wasserman, music by Joe Darion and lyrics by Mitch Leigh-is widely considered one of the most enduring pieces of musical theatre, having enjoyed four revivals in New York and the source of one of the best known songs in the Great American Songbook, "The Impossible Dream."

Framed as a play within a play, "Man of La Mancha" presents Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes performing a play based on his novel "Don Quixote" to a group of prisoners awaiting a hearing. Its score includes the standard "The Impossible Dream," as well as "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)" and "A Little Gossip," to name only a few.

The cast of "Man of La Mancha" features two HTC veterans: Matthew Conlon in the role of Cervantes/Quixote; James M. Lotito Jr. as Carrasco; and Jessica Howard doubling as the Housekeeper and the Innkeeper's Wife. Playing Sancho, Rick Grossman is making his debut on the Quogue stage reprising the role he played in the recent Broadway national tour of "Man of La Mancha." Other actors taking their first roles with the Hampton Theatre Company are: Anthony Arpino (Innkeeper); Kyle Breitenbach (Muleteer); Andrew Gasparini (Barber/Muleteer); Michael Sean Jones (Muleteer); Joe Mankowski (Padre); Alyssa Marino (Fermina); Nora Moutrane (Antonia); and Elora Von Rosch (Aldonza).

Hampton Theatre Company Vice President Edward A. Brennan and HTC Artistic Director Diana Marbury are the directors. Musical direction is by Amy Federico McGrath. Set design is by Sean Marbury; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; costumes by Teresa Lebrun.

"Man of La Mancha" runs at the Quogue Community Hall from March 21 to April 7, with shows on Thursdays and Fridays at 7, Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered during the final weekend of the production, on Saturday, April 6, prior to the regular 8 p.m. performance that evening.

To reserve tickets, visit www.hamptontheatre.org, or call OvationTix at 1-866-811-4111.

Photo Credit: Tom Kochie Photo

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