The Alfred State College Drama Club will present Man of La Mancha as its fall musical. Performances are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m., in the Orvis Auditorium on the Alfred campus. Ticket prices are $5 for general admission and $2 for ASC/AU college students.
Man of La Mancha is based on Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, written in the early 1600s and considered by some to be one of the greatest works of fiction of all time. The musical tells the story of a tax collector/writer/actor and his manservant who are imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition. In an attempt to save his belongings from being divided among the other prisoners, the writer, Miguel de Cervantes, offers to present a play.
As he begins the story, he transforms himself into Alonso Quijana. This country gentleman spent so much time thinking about the injustices of the world and reading of the knights of old that his mind cracks and he comes to believe he is a knight errant called Don Quixote de la Mancha. The aging gentleman takes his manservant as his squire and goes traveling to “right all wrongs.” One of his most famous quests is fighting a windmill he believes to be an evil ogre. All of the other prisoners become characters in the play-within-a-play, playing the muleteers that ridicule the old knight, an innkeeper and his wife the knight believes to be the lord of a castle, the family members embarrassed by Quixote’s actions, and a serving maid and prostitute that Quixote sees as his lady. As both stories progress, prisoners are drawn into the story and demand a different ending from what the author had originally planned. In reworking his own story, Cervantes finds courage and strength to face the horror of the Spanish Inquisition and passes on the hope of the “impossible dream” to his fellow prisoners.
Man of La Mancha was written by Dale Wasserman, with lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. The original Broadway production won five Tony Awards in 1965 and 1966, including Best Musical and Best Composer and Lyricist, and it returned to Broadway four times since its original opening. The latest Broadway production opened in 2003. The musical was also turned into a movie, featuring Peter O’Toole as Cervantes and Quixote and Sophia Lauren as the serving maid and Quixote’s lady, Aldonza. Many viewers will likely recognize its most popular song, “The Impossible Dream,” as a solo standard of many recordings and commercials.
Alfred State’s production is directed by Janna Buckwalter, with Sean Dolan, Geneva, liberal arts and science: adolescent education/English, as assistant director. Linda Staiger, director of the vocal music at Alfred State, is music director for the show. Jerry Ives, director of instrumental music groups, will direct the pit. Kristyn Cranna, Clifton Park, forensic science technology, is stage manager, and Jeremy Mieczkowski, Durhamville, marketing, is assistant stage manager.