By Matt Adams
Celebrating their 20th season, SimonFest in Cedar City presents a polished production of Man of La Mancha at Heritage Center Theater. The musical, written by Dale Wasserman and featuring music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, is based on the epic novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, written by Miguel de Cervantes in the 1600s. The story of Don Quixote is likely a familiar one: Alonso Quijano is a minor gentleman who, in his old age, believes himself to be Don Quixote, a noble knight-errant of a century long gone. He and his willing—but sometimes befuddled—squire Sancho Panza embark on misadventures. Where Sancho sees a windmill, Quixote sees a four-armed giant in need of vanquishing. Where Sancho sees a humble inn, Quixote sees a grand castle.
The musical opens with Miguel de Cervantes (Richard Bugg) being escorted into a dungeon prison to await the Spanish Inquisition for crimes against the Church. The fellow prisoners meet him with hostility and commence their customary mock trial of new prisoners. To their surprise, he willingly pleads guilty to the charge of being “an idealist and a bad poet.” However, under the threat of having his possessions confiscated as punishment, he insists on presenting his defense, in the hope that the “jury” will be more lenient. The object he values most is a written manuscript. The other prisoners do not understand this—what good is fantasy and poetry?—and threaten to burn the manuscript. To convince them not to destroy his precious manuscript, he asks that they allow him to plead his case in the way he knows best: through storytelling. So, he begins to unfold the grand tale of Don Quixote de la Mancha, portraying the knight-errant himself and inviting the other prisoners to take part in the fantasy.
SimonFest founder and theater veteran Bugg portrays Cervantes and Don Quixote. Bugg perfectly embodies both roles. His delivery and diction do justice to Quixote’s many poetic and lyrical lines. He provides confident vocals in the opening “Man of La Mancha” and moving renditions of “Dulcinea” and the mainstay “The Impossible Dream.” Bugg plays the part with all the nobility that Quixote imagines for himself.
Quixote’s faithful squire Sancho Panza is played by Brandon Bruce, who provides the comedy and loyalty fitting the role. His bright vocals in the opening number and “I Really Like Him” are especially enjoyable.
Upon meeting the lowly kitchen maid Aldonza (Tamera Merkley), Quixote imagines her to be the fair lady Dulcinea and devotes himself to being worthy of her affection. Aldonza is dismayed by this attention, since she is far from pure or noble. Merkley superbly portrays this complex character, displaying Aldonza’s resistance to believing that she is as wonderful as Quixote attests and her struggle to allow herself to become Dulcinea. Merkley has a beautiful voice that is featured in her musical numbers.
This production of La Mancha features a cast of only eleven actors, and under the direction of Brandon Burk, they each give exceptional performances. As the Padre, Christopher Whiteside sings a lovely “To Each His Dulcinea,” and he, along with Tamara Reber and Sadie Stone, provide a fun counterpoint in “I’m Only Thinking of Him.” Dance numbers and fight scenes are well-executed, thanks to choreography by Merkley and fight choreography by Bruce.
Because Man of La Mancha features a story within a story (within a story), the production designers have the task of helping the audience distinguish between the reality of the prison and the world of Cervantes’ imagination. Rebekah Bugg’s lighting design features shifts in lighting that do just this. The scenic design by Brad Shelton and costumes designed by Jaimee Markham also effectively establish the setting. Dr. Lawrence Johnson wonderfully coordinates the talent of the cast as Musical Director.
As a content advisory, this production portrays and refers to instances of sexual violence. This may be disturbing to some viewers or inappropriate for children.
SimonFest’s Man of La Mancha is inspirational and thought-provoking. Cervantes invites his fellow prisoners to imagine and interact with a story; some of them are willing, but others are resistant. Don Quixote challenges his companions to join him in a fantastical world: Sancho does this gleefully while others worry about his madness. Similarly, this production of Man of La Mancha invites the audience to join them in a world of song and story, of knights and castles. I encourage you to do so and allow yourself a short break from reality. In Don Quixote’s words, “Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams—this may be madness… Too much sanity may be madness! And maddest of all: to see life as it is and not as it should be!”
SimonFest Theatre Company presents Man of La Mancha, Written by Dale Wasserman, Music by Mitch Leigh, and Lyrics by Joe Darion
Heritage Center Theater, 105 N 100 E, Cedar City, UT 84720
Jul 8-29, 2022 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM (Select dates)
Contact: 435-267-0194
Tickets: $18-30
www.simonfest.org
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