Man of La Mancha June 15, 2007

Romantic Epic MAN OF LA MANCHA opens at Performance Riverside

The epic story of the mad knight Don Quixote, his devoted manservant Sancho Panza, and the woman of his dreams, the fiery yet tender Aldonza, provide the finale for Performance Riverside’s 2006-2007 season, Man of La Mancha. Based on The Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Man of La Mancha is the classic tragic-comedy of man’s struggle against all odds to dream impossible dreams. The production is directed by Gary Krinke, choreographed by Orlando Alexander, and musically directed by Don Le Master. Man of La Mancha will open at Landis Performing Arts Center on June 8th.



“I am so delighted to be presenting Man of La Mancha as the finale for my first season at Performance Riverside,” says Producing Artistic Director Rey O’Day. “I was one of the lucky ones to see Man of La Mancha in its original Off-Broadway run…I was entranced by its inventive staging, its poignant story, and what I think is one of the best musical theatre scores ever. It’s a show I draw inspiration from to this very day. It changed my life!”

Man of La Mancha tells the story of the "mad" knight Don Quixote as a play within a play. Seventeenth century poet Miguel de Cervantes is brought to prison to await a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. The prisoners decide to hold a mock trial in order to find him guilty and steal what seems to be a valuable package. Cervantes presents a play as his defense, with his actors as the jury in the play. Cervantes plays Alhonso Quiana, a man who has set his own reality aside and become the heroic Don Quixote de la Mancha. This classic features “The Impossible Dream,” the unforgettable “Dulcinea,” “Little Bird, Little Bird,” and “Knight of the Woeful Countenance.”

Man of La Mancha opened on Broadway on 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. The original production ran 2,328 performances, with John Cullum, José Ferrer, Hal Holbrook, and Lloyd Bridges also playing the role during this run. It has enjoyed four successful Broadway revivals, and the 1972 film teamed legendary movie actors Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren. This timeless romance also holds special meaning to the thousands of couples who found new tenderness in their marriages through the story of Man of La Mancha as part of “Marriage Encounter” weekends.

Performance Riverside powerhouse John LaLonde will be performing the role of Cervantes/Don Quixote. John has been a mainstay at Performance Riverside for 10 years, appearing this season in the cast of Sensational Showtunes, as Benny Van Buren in Damn Yankees, and as Harold Hill in 2006’s The Music Man. He also directed Candlelight Pavilion’s recent production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and has just finished directing Big River at Victoria Gardens Cultural Center’s Lewis Family Playhouse. Also appearing are Anne Fraser Thomas as Aldonza/Dulcinea, Adrian Rodarte Jr. as Sancho Panza, Brian Middleton as Dr. Carrasco, Tom Patrick as Pedro, Mike Kelly as the Padre, Heather Lundstedt as Antonia, Bill Odien as the Innkeeper, Claire Reinschmidt as the Housekeeper, Diana Salvati as the Innkeepers Wife and Drew J. Cloud, Josh Michael-Jacob LeVesque, Juan M. Guillen, Radames Montes, Vince Ortiz, Len Shliz, and Chris Wade as the Muleteers.

The Landis Performing Arts Center is located on the Riverside City College campus at 4800 Magnolia Avenue. Performances for Man of La Mancha are June 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 8pm, and June 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 2pm. Tickets are $42, $36, $29, and $24. A specially priced “Discovery Theatre” performance for school and senior groups is also available on June 8 at 10 am. For more information, contact the Landis Box Office at 951-222-8100, or visit www.performanceriverside.org.

Official Website: http://www.performanceriverside.org