Davis Gaines to Fight Windmills in MAN OF LA MANCHA at La Mirada Theatre This June

La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fifth show of its 2016-2017 season, Davis Gaines starring in his Ovation award-winning role as Don Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA, with book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, music by Mitch Leigh, musical direction by Jeff Rizzo, choreography by Patti Colombo and directed by Glenn Casale.

MAN OF LA MANCHA will preview on Friday, June 2, 2017 (with a press opening on Saturday, June 3) and run through Sunday, June 25, 2017 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

Celebrating life - not as it is, but as it should be - is at the heart of this inspiring and unforgettable musical! Chivalrous knight Don Quixote embarks on an unpredictable adventure that takes him into battles with an imaginary foe and into romance with the beautiful Dulcinea. The Spanish-influenced score is a musical delight, containing the magnificent and uplifting anthem to all that is best in us: THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM. Remember what it is to believe in all that is noble, heroic and romantic with this rousing classic and reach the unreachable star!

ABOUT Davis Gaines and the CAST of "MAN OF LA MANCHA"

Davis Gaines (Don Quixote) performed the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera more than 2,000 times during his run on Broadway, in Los Angeles (L.A.'s longest-running Phantom) and in San Francisco (Bay Area Critics' Award for Best Actor). Other Broadway and National Tour credits include the world premiere of Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind, Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! (with Carol Channing), Camelot (with Richard Burton) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (with Alexis Smith). Gaines' Off-Broadway appearances include Des McAnuff's The Death of Von Richthofen as Witnessed from Earth, the Maury Yeston/Larry Gelbart musical One Two Three Four Five, Stephen Sondheim's Assassins, She Loves Me and Forbidden Broadway. He made his New York City Opera debut in The New Moon and appeared in the concert versions of Parade, Sitting Pretty, The Cat and the Fiddle, Pippin and the Encores production of The Boys from Syracuse. In Southern California, he has appeared as Tito Merelli in Lend Me a Tenor (McCoy/Rigby), at Musical Theatre West as Juan Peron in Evita, Lawrence Jameson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha (Ovation Award and Broadway World Award, Best Lead Actor in a Musical), King Arthur in Spamalot, Javert in Les Miserables, Harold Hill in The Music Man, Richard Henry Lee in 1776 and Mack Sennett in Mack and Mabel. He also portrayed Hannibal Lecter in SILENCE! The Musical (LA Weekly Award, Best Male Musical Performance), appeared as Fred/Petruchio in Kiss Me, Kate (Cabrillo Music Theatre/Ovation Nomination, Best Lead Actor in a Musical), in I Do! I Do! (with Vicki Lewis/Laguna Playhouse), Parade (with T.R. Knight/Mark Taper Forum), Side by Side by Sondheim (Rubicon Theatre/Pasadena Playhouse) and made his Los Angeles-area directing debut at Musical Theatre West with Oklahoma! In addition to his stage credits, Gaines has sung for five U.S. Presidents and performed with nearly every major symphony in the U.S. and at VPAC's Opening Gala in 2011.

The cast of MAN OF LA MANCHA will also feature: Nikki Crawford as Aldonza (Immediate Family at Mark Taper Forum, Show Boat at Sacramento Music Circus, Stormy Weather at The Pasadena Playhouse); Roland Rusinek as Sancho (Broadway: Phantom of the Opera, U.S. tour of The Addams Family, Sweeney Todd at New York City Opera); Rich Hebert as Padre (Broadway: The Last Ship, The Life, Sunset Blvd.); Michaelia Leigh as Antonia (The King and I at Welks Resort Theatre, The Marvelous Wonderettes at The Moonlight Ampitheatre); Jenny McGlinchey as Housekeeper (The Imagination Machine, various productions at South Coast Repertory); Jeff Skowron as The Barber (Broadway: Enron, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Lion King); and Shannon Stoeke as Dr. Carrasco/Duke (U.S. Tours of Peter Pan and Camelot); Joseph Abrego as Juan/The Donkey; Greg Butler as Governor/Innkeeper; Joe Komara as Tenario; Kailyn Leilani as Fermina; Rachel McLaughlan as Maria; Eric Stretch as Pedro, Head Muleteer/The Horse; Michael Stumpfig as Jose; Michael Thomas-Visgar as Captain of the Inquisition; John B. Williford as Paco; and Jenna Wright as Moorish Dancer.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Glenn Casale (Director) Broadway: Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (Tony Award nomination Best Revival) which was filmed by A&E and garnered two Emmy Awards. Off-Broadway: The Property Known as Garland starring Adrienne Barbeau, and Dragapella at Studio 54 (Drama Desk Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Best Production). International: Disney's The Little Mermaid; Beauty and the Beast (Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Russia) The Wiz, Regional: Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid, Ballroom; Camelot with Rachel York and Lou Diamond Phillips. Wrestlers starring Mark Harmon and George Clooney; Bingo! M, From the Top starring Carol Burnett. Los Angeles Ovation Award-winning Best Musical Anything Goes starring Rachel York, Brent Barrett, Sally Struthers and Fred Willard. Camelot starring Michael York, The Prisoner of Second Avenue with Jason Alexander; Television: ABC TV's "The Faculty" starring Meredith Baxter and "The Wayans Brothers".

Jeff Rizzo (Musical Director/Conductor) is pleased to be making his debut for McCoy Rigby Entertainment. He has conducted countless musicals in many US cities, Japan, and China. Most recently: White Christmas at the Ordway Center in Saint Paul, H2$ and Mary Poppins at Theatre Under The Stars in Houston, and Cabaret at the Sacramento Music Circus. Jeff experienced the 2011 Tokyo earthquake and the nuclear meltdown doing Joseph...Dreamcoat.

He toured China in 2007 with 42nd Street, as well as the two-year run of the 2002 US National Tour, which played Segerstrom Hall and the Ahmanson. Jeff was the audition accompanist for the film of Dreamgirls. He musically directed Madison Square Garden's The Wizard of Oz starring Roseanne, the subsequent national tour, and the Grammy nominated cast recording starring Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt. He was associate conductor of the US premiere of Sunset Boulevard starring Glenn Close at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. Jeff toured three years with Annie, as associate conductor of the 2nd National Tour and conductor of the 4th National Tour. He has served on the faculty of the American Music and Dramatic Academy (LA campus) for thirteen years. As a composer his work includes the scores for Jailbirds on Broadway, Wanna Play?! (published by Baker's Plays) and a new musical version of A Christmas Carol. With partner Eric Andrist, he co-founded the Musical Theatre Guild. Born in Utica, New York, raised in Sacramento, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California, Jeff makes his home in Valley Village.

Patti Colombo (Choreographer) Broadway: Peter Pan w/ Cathy Rigby (Tony nominated Best Revival). Emmy nominated choreography for A & E television production. National Tours: Dr. Doolittle starring Tommy Tune, Seussical, the Musical starring Cathy Rigby, 7 Brides (Elliot Norton Award [Boston]), Guys and Dolls. International Tours: UK Tour: 7 Brides Director/Choreographer. China & Europe: China Goes Pop Director/Choreographer. Regional: Paper Mill: Kiss Me Kate, 7 Brides, On the Town (N.J. Critics Choice Award). The Pasadena Playhouse: Mask, Can-Can (Ovation nominated) Radio Gals (Ovation Award). Denver Center: White Christmas (Denver Critic's Choice Award). Goodspeed: 7 Brides (Connecticut Critic's Circle Award); Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Animal Crackers.

The Design Team for MAN OF LA MANCHA is as follows: Scenic Design by Stephen Gifford; Lighting Design by Steven Young; Sound Design by Julie Ferrin; Wardrobe Design by Leon Wiebers; Hair/Make-Up/Wig Design by Katie McCoy; and Props Design by Terry Hanrahan. John B. Williford serves as Fight Choreographer, Casting is by Julia Flores, and the Production Stage Manager is Alan Coats.

MAN OF LA MANCHA will preview on Friday, June 2, 2017 (with a press opening on Saturday, June 3) and run through Sunday, June 25, 2017 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

Performances are 7:30pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays; 8pm on Fridays; 2pm and 8pm on Saturdays; and 2pm on Sundays. There will be no performance on Saturday, June 3 at 2pm.

There will be an Open Captioned performance on Saturday, June 17 at 2pm and an ASL interpreted performance on Saturday, June 24 at 2pm. Talkbacks with the cast and creative team will be on Wednesday, June 7 and Wednesday, June 21.

Tickets range from $20 - $70 and can be purchased at La Mirada Theatre's website, www.lamiradatheatre.com or by calling the La Mirada Theatre Box Office at (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. Student, Senior and group discounts are available. $15 Student Tickets available for the first 15 performances of the production.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue where the 91 and 5 freeways meet. Parking is free.

Man of La Mancha will also perform at the Valley Performing Arts Center May 5 to 7. Tickets can be purchased by visiting ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org or calling (818) 677-3000. Valley Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8448, at the corner of Nordhoff and Lindley.

Winner of the L.A. Stage Alliance OVATION AWARD for 2012-2013 "Best Season of the Year," LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, now in its fourth decade, has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the best Broadway-style houses in Southern California." This beautiful state-of-the-Art Theatre has been producing quality productions for its Southern California audiences since 1977. The theatre has produced several national tours and is the recipient of many accolades including Ovation and Emmy Awards and Tony Award nominations. The theatre is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada, California, near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue. Parking is theatre-adjacent and free. For further information call 562-944-9801 or visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.

Celebrating its 23rd Anniversary season at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, McCoy Rigby Entertainment (MRE), is one of the world's premier theatrical production companies. Headed by Executive Producers Tom McCoy and Cathy Rigby, MRE has produced over one hundred musicals, plays, and concerts featuring some of the biggest stars in the industry today.

In addition, MRE has launched several Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Broadway, international, and national touring productions including: Peter Pan, Seussical the Musical, and Annie Get Your Gun, all starring Cathy Rigby; Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll and Hyde starring American Idol contender and Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis along with Grammy Award nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox; Jesus Christ Superstar starring Carl Anderson and Sebastian Bach; Camelot starring Michael York and Lou Diamond Phillips and Happy Days written by Gary Marshall and Paul Williams. Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby has made four stops on Broadway and received four Tony Award nominations including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical. The A&E TV network premiere of "Peter Pan," starring Cathy Rigby, received one Emmy Award and four Emmy Award nominations. MRE's other credits include numerous award-winning documentaries and stadium events.

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