About Man of La Mancha
In Man of La Mancha, Dale Wasserman puts Miguel De Cervantes, soldier,
playwright, actor, tax-collector, frequent jailbird and also author of
the famous literary masterpiece Don Quixote, under the revealing glare
of the spotlight. There, awaiting trial before the Spanish
Inquisition, Cervantes must defend himself before a kangaroo court of
prisoners in order to save his precious manuscript. His defense takes
the form of an "entertainment" ... an exercise in self revelation that
has great implication for the human spirit. In his defense he
presents the tale of Don Quixote, a windmill tilting, glory seeking
would be knight errant, Sancho Panza, his warm hearted gentle,
frequenly puzzled squire and friend: and Aldonza, in whom Quiote sees
beauty, purity, and nobility where all others, including Aldonza
herself, see only a common tavern tramp. This masterpiece of the
musical theatre repertoire is a tribute to "illusion" as the most
meaningful function of the imagination.
It is a triumph of creative imagination and stagecraft and was the
winner of the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Musical (1966).
On of the best loved musicals of all time, Man of La Mancha is about
"the impossble dream" of truth, honesty, justice, honor, respect, and
pure love -- and how belief in such a dream can transform a life.
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