Man of La Mancha

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For the 1972 film, see Man of La Mancha (film).

Man of La Mancha is a 1965 Broadway musical in one act which tells the story of the classic novel Don Quixote as a play within a play, performed by Miguel de Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. It is performed on a single set, arranged to suggest, vaguely, a dungeon. All changes in location are suggested by alterations in the lighting and by the creative use of props supposedly lying around the floor of the dungeon; there are no detailed stage sets. This was done to encourage the participation of the audience's imagination in the enjoyment of the show. (More recent productions, however, have added more scenery.)

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[edit] History of the Play

The book was by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, and music by Mitch Leigh: one song, "The Impossible Dream," was particularly popular.

Man of La Mancha started its life as a non-musical teleplay written by Dale Wasserman for CBS's Dupont Show of the Month program. This original staging starred Lee J. Cobb. The Dupont Corporation disliked the title Man of La Mancha, thinking that its viewing audience would not know what La Mancha actually meant, so a new title, I, Don Quixote, was chosen. Upon its telecast, the play won much critical acclaim.

Years after this television broadcast, and after the original teleplay had been unsuccessfully optioned as a non-musical Broadway play, director Albert Marre called Wasserman and suggested that he turn his play into a musical. Mitch Leigh was selected as composer. The original lyricist of the musical was world-renowned poet W. H. Auden, but his lyrics were discarded, some of them overtly satiric and biting, attacking the bourgeois audience at times.

The musical first opened at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut in 1964. Rex Harrison was to be the original star of this production, but soon lost interest when he discovered the songs must actually be sung. Michael Redgrave was also considered for the role.

The play finally opened on Broadway on November 22, 1965. Richard Kiley won a Tony Award for his performance as Cervantes/Quixote in the original production, and it made Kiley a bona fide Broadway star, but the role went to Peter O'Toole in the less-successful 1972 film. O'Toole, however, did not really sing his own songs; they were dubbed by tenor Simon Gilbert. All other actors in the film, however, from non-singers such as Sophia Loren, Brian Blessed, Harry Andrews, and Rosalie Crutchley, to Broadway musical stars such as Julie Gregg and Gino Conforti, did do their own singing. The only member of the original cast to reprise his role in the film was Conforti, repeating his hilarious portrayal of the amazed barber, whose shaving basin is mistaken by Don Quixote for the Golden Helmet of Mambrino. Although the bulk of the film was made on two enormous sound stages, the use of locations was much more explicit - Don Quixote is actually shown fighting the windmill, while onstage this had been merely suggested by having Quixote run offstage to agitated music, and then crawl back onstage a few seconds later, with his lance broken and his sword twisted. The film was produced and directed by Arthur Hiller, and photographed by Federico Fellini's frequent cinematographer, Giuseppe Rotunno.

The play has been run on Broadway five times:

[edit] Plot, with songs indicated

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

It is the late sixteenth century. Failed author-soldier-actor and tax collector Miguel de Cervantes has been thrown into a dungeon by the Spanish Inquisition, along with his manservant. They have been charged with foreclosing on a monastery. The two have brought all their possessions with them into the dungeon. There, they are attacked by their fellow prisoners, who instantly set up a mock trial. If Cervantes is found guilty, he will have to hand over all his possessions. Cervantes agrees to do so, except for a precious manuscript which the prisoners are all too eager to burn. He asks to be allowed to offer a defense, and the defense will be a play, acted out by him and all the prisoners. A big, burly, but good-humored criminal called "The Governor" agrees.

Cervantes takes out a makeup kit from his trunk, and the manservant helps him get into a costume. In a few short moments, Cervantes has transformed himself into Alonso Quijana, an old gentleman who has read so many books of chivalry and thought so much about injustice that he has lost his mind and now believes that he should go forth as a knight-errant. Quijana renames himself Don Quixote de La Mancha, and sets out to find adventures with his "squire", Sancho Panza. They both sing the title song "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)".

The first adventure he has is with a windmill. Don Quixote mistakes it for a four-armed giant, attacks it, and receives a beating from the encounter. He thinks he knows why he has been defeated - it is because he has not been properly dubbed a knight. Looking off, he imagines he sees a castle (it is really a rundown roadside inn). He orders Sancho to announce their arrival by blowing his bugle, and the two proceed to the inn.

In the inn's courtyard, the local wench Aldonza is being propositioned by a group of horny muleteers. Fending them off sarcastically, ("It's All The Same") she eventually chooses Pedro, who pays in advance.

Don Quixote enters with Sancho, upset at not having been "announced" by a "dwarf". The Innkeeper (played by The Governor) treats them sympathetically and humors Don Quixote, but when Quixote catches sight of Aldonza, he believes her to be the lady Dulcinea, to whom he swears eternal loyalty. He sings "Dulcinea". Aldonza, used to being roughly handled, is furious at Quixote's strange and kind treatment of her.

Meanwhile, Antonia (Don Quixote's niece) has gone with Quixote's housekeeper to seek advice from the local priest. But the priest wisely realizes that the two women are more concerned with the embarrassment the knight's madness may bring than with his welfare. The three sing "I'm Only Thinking of Him".

One of the prisoners, a cynic called "The Duke", is chosen by Cervantes to play Dr. Sanson Carrasco, Antonia's fianceé, a man just as cynical and self-centered as the prisoner who is playing him. Carrasco is upset at the idea of welcoming a madman into the family, so he and the priest set out to cure Don Quixote and bring him back home.

Back at the inn, Sancho delivers a missive from Don Quixote to Aldonza courting her favor and asking for a token. Aldonza gives Sancho an old dishrag, but to Don Quixote the dishrag is a silken scarf. When Aldonza asks Sancho why he follows Quixote, he sings "I Really Like Him". Alone, later, Aldonza sings "What Does He Want of Me?" In the courtyard, the muleteers once again taunt her with the suggestive song "Little Bird, Little Bird".

The priest and Dr. Carrasco arrive, but cannot reason with Don Quixote, who suddenly spots a barber wearing his shaving basin on his head to ward off the sun's heat.("The Barber's Song") Quixote immediately snatches the basin from the barber at sword's point, believing it to be the miraculous "Golden Helmet of Mambrino", which will make him invulnerable. Dr. Carrasco and the priest leave, with the priest impressed by Don Quixote's view of life and wondering if curing him is really worth it. ("To Each His Dulcinea")

Meanwhile, Quixote asks the Innkeeper to dub him knight. The innkeeper agrees, but first Quixote must stand vigil all night over his armor. Quixote decides to do so in the courtyard, because the "chapel" is "being repaired". As he stands guard, Aldonza, on her way to her rendezvous with Pedro, finally confronts him, but Quixote gently explains why he behaves the way he does (at this point, he sings "The Impossible Dream"). Pedro enters, furious, and slaps Aldonza. Enraged, Don Quixote takes him and all the other muleteers on in a huge fight. With the help of Aldonza (who now sympathizes with Quixote) and Sancho, the muleteers are all knocked unconscious, as the orchestra plays "The Combat". But the noise has awakened the Innkeeper, who enters and kindly tells Quixote that he must leave. However, before he does, the Innkeeper dubs him knight ("Knight of the Woeful Countenance").

Quixote then announces he must try to help the muleteers. Aldonza, whom Quixote still calls Dulcinea, is shocked, but after the knight explains that the laws of chivalry demand that he do so, Aldonza agrees to help them. For her efforts, she is beaten, raped, and carried off by the muleteers, who leave the inn. ("The Abduction") Quixote, in his small room, is blissfully unaware of what has just happened to her ("The Impossible Dream" - first reprise)

At this point, the Don Quixote play is brutally interrupted when the Inquisition enters the dungeon and drags off an unwilling prisoner to be tried. The Duke taunts Cervantes for his look of fear, and accuses him of not facing reality. This prompts a passionate defense of idealism by Cervantes.

The Don Quixote play resumes ("Man of La Mancha" - first reprise). He and Sancho have left the inn and encounter a band of gypsies ("Moorish Dance") who take advantage of Quixote's naivete and proceed to steal everything they own, including Quixote's horse Rocinante and Sancho's donkey Dapple. The two are forced to return to the inn, where the Innkeeper tries to keep them out, but finally cannot resist letting them back in out of pity. Aldonza shows up with several bruises. Quixote swears to avenge her, but she angrily tells him off, begging him to leave her alone ("Aldonza"). Suddenly, another knight enters. He announces himself as the "Knight of the Mirrors", insults Aldonza, and is promptly challenged to combat by Don Quixote. The Knight of the Mirrors and his attendants bear huge shields with mirrors on them, and as they swing them at Quixote, the glare from the sunlight blinds him. The Knight of the Mirrors taunts him, forcing him to see himself as the world sees him - a fool and a madman. Don Quixote collapses in a faint. The Knight of the Mirrors removes his helmet - he is really Dr. Carrasco, returned with his latest plan to cure Quixote.

Cervantes announces that the story is finished, but the prisoners are dissatisfied with the ending. They prepare to burn his manuscript, when he asks for the chance to present one last scene.

The Governor agrees, and we are now in Don Quixote's bedroom, where he has fallen into a coma. Antonia, Sancho, the Housekeeper, the priest, and Carrasco are all there. Sancho tries to cheer up Quixote ("A Little Gossip"). Don Quixote eventually awakens, and when questioned, reveals that he is now sane, remembering his life as Quixote as a vague dream. He realizes that he is now dying, and asks the priest to help him make out his will. As Quixote begins to dictate, Aldonza forces her way in. She has come to visit Quixote because she has found that she can no longer bear to be anyone but Dulcinea. When he does not recognize her, she sings "Dulcinea" (reprise) to him and tries to help him remember the words of "The Impossible Dream". Suddenly, he remembers everything and rises from his bed, calling for his armor and sword so that he may set out again. ("Man of La Mancha" -second reprise) But it is too late. He collapses and dies. The priest sings "The Psalm" for the dead. However, Aldonza now believes in him so fiercely that, to her, Don Quixote will always live. When Sancho calls her by name, she asks him to call her Dulcinea.

The Inquisition enters to take Cervantes to his trial, and the prisoners, finding him not guilty, return his manuscript. It is, of course, the unfinished manuscript of Don Quixote. As Cervantes and his servant mount the drawbridge-like staircase to go to their impending trial, the prisoners (except for the Duke) sing "The Impossible Dream" in chorus.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

A French adaptation, which featured the Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel in the lead role, was recorded and issued in 1968 as the album L'Homme de la Mancha.

Another French version was produced in Liège in 1998 and 1999 with José van Dam in the lead role.

Tenor Plácido Domingo has also played Quixote on a stage set and made a recording together with Julia Migenes as Dulcinea and Mandy Patinkin as Sancho.

Singer Jack Jones has played Quixote in 2000. Jones was responsible for numerous chart-topping singles including "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)".

Mitch Leigh did not play any instrument while writing the score to Man of La Mancha. He submitted songs for the production on cassette tapes, already fully orchestrated and performed by professional musicians (it is a custom on Broadway for professional orchestrators other than the composer to arrange instrumental parts for musicals. Mitch Leigh's work, which won him the Tony Award for Best Original Score, was therefore notable because the company that Leigh founded, Music Makers, Inc., orchestrated the work under his very direct supervision). Leigh scored the piece for a flute (which alternates on piccolo), an oboe, a clarinet, a bassoon (which alternates as the second clarinet), 2 B-flat trumpets, 2 horns, two trombones (one tenor and one bass), one timpanist (playing either two or three timpani), two percussionists playing 14 instruments, 2 Spanish guitars and one string bass. In addition, in two scenes on-stage guitars accompany singers. Leigh's ensemble, in contrast to the traditional Broadway orchestra, had only one bowed string instrument and was virtually a wind and brass band with guitars. The film version of the show, orchestrated and conducted by Laurence Rosenthal, did add strings to the orchestration, although very discreetly.

The musical is also featured in the sci-fi TV series Quantum Leap. The episode "Catch A Falling Star", has Dr Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula, who himself has considerable experience in Broadway musicals) leaping into the body of an understudy who falls in love with the girl playing Dulcinea, saves the life of the drunk Luvvie to whom he is an understudy and, of course, eventually plays the lead role.

Several productions, including the so-called "complete play" recording made in 1968, as well as the 1972 film, omit the scene with the Moorish gypsies.

While the musical is technically one act, there is usually an intermission between "To Each His Dulcinea" and "The Impossible Dream" in modern productions.

[edit] Songs

  • "Overture"
  • "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)"
  • "It's All the Same"
  • "Dulcinea"
  • "I'm Only Thinking of Him"
  • "I Really Like Him"
  • "What Does He Want of Me?" (changed to "What Do You Want of Me?" on the original cast album)
  • "Little Bird, Little Bird"
  • "The Barber's Song"
  • "Golden Helmet of Mambrino"
  • "To Each His Dulcinea (To Every Man His Dream)"
  • "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)"
  • "The Combat" (instrumental)
  • "The Dubbing (Knight of the Woeful Countenance)"
  • "The Abduction" (mostly instrumental)
  • "The Impossible Dream" (first reprise)
  • "Man of La Mancha" (first reprise)
  • "Moorish Dance" (instrumental)
  • "Aldonza"
  • "The Knight of the Mirrors" (instrumental)
  • "A Little Gossip"
  • "Dulcinea" (reprise)
  • "The Impossible Dream" (second reprise)
  • "Man of La Mancha" (second reprise)
  • "The Psalm"
  • "Finale" (The Impossible Dream)
  • "Bows"
  • "Exit Music"

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Man of La Mancha (film)

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