Mention Man of La Mancha, and the first thing that comes to mind is the image of a crazy old man astride a donkey charging at a windmill with his jousting lance, but Dale Wasserman’s classic tale, based on the life and works of the great novelist Miguel de Cervantes, is much more than that.
CenterStage invites you to journey with them to 16th Century Seville as they present Man of La Mancha January 13-30 at the Jewish Community Center.
We meet Cervantes in prison awaiting his trial by the Spanish Inquisition for an offense against the church. His fellow prisoners don’t wait. They attack him and hold a mock trial. If found guilty, Cervantes must hand over all his possessions.
All? Cevantes agrees, with the exception of a manuscript, which the prisoners want to burn. He pleads with them, offering as his defense a play with him and his fellow prisoners as the cast. Then we meet Don Quixote as he jousts with windmills, tries to win the heart of his Dulcinea and sings of his “Impossible Dream.”
Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Composer, Best Lyricist and Best Director, Man of La Mancha boasts many CenterStage favorites, with Jason Cooper and Collete Delaney as Manservant (Sancho Panza) and Aldon-za (Dulcinea), respectively. New to Center-Stage this season is Russ Dunlap as the infamous Miguel De Cervantes (Don Qui-xote and Alonso Quijana). Directed by John R. Leffert, choreographed by Megan Bliss and musical direction by Chris Bry-ant; Man of La Mancha features such songs as “Dulcinea,” “I’m Only Thinking of Him” and the classic “The Impossible Dream.”
Performances will be held on Thursdays and Saturdays, January 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 and 29 at 7:30 p.m., Sundays, January 16 and 30, at 2 p.m., Sunday, January 23, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Monday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for Man of La Mancha are available at the JCC, or by calling 459-0660. Single tickets are $18. If not sold out, discounted rush tickets will be available for evening performances on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.
You can still purchase season tickets for the remaining CenterStage 2010-2011 productions: Man of La Mancha, The Music Man and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. For show and season ticket information, click here or call 459-0660.