Man of La Mancha: thoughts?

[EganFan2]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 8:14pm

What is the general consensus on this show? I just saw it done at a theater this weekend. The music's really good, the story...meh. I thought it could be better. I was bored before intermission. Although the song "I, Don Quixote" and "Impossible Dream" were worth the price of admission. I know it's a "classic". More so for the score?

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 8:17pm

The latest revival showed how much of a clunker this show really is. Its appeal has not withstood the test of time.

[corsairstw]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 8:17pm

About this. I believe that it actually is a pretty good. The "see what I want to see" attitude of Don Quixote makes for a very interesting story, but some of the songs just don't speak to me as well as other stuff.

"The Impossible Dream" however is incredible. I'd like to sing this sometime myself.

[justthefacts2]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 8:34pm

By the way, I think that "The Impossible Dream" is impossible for a woman to sing - it just doesn't match the female voice, somehow. It just doesn't sound good. What do you guys think?

[Plum]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 8:45pm

Maybe if the woman were a really good high belter, it would sound okay, but in my mind "The Impossible Dream" is always sung by a baritone.

Anyway, all I can judge by is the revival recording, but most of the score seems overly repetitive, with similar-sounding kinda-Spanish themes running through over and over and over and...yeah. Boring. And I really like the Cervantes novel, too.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 8:47pm

Linda Eder hits "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)" out of the park. I love when she sings that.

I like Quixote's attitude, too. I just thought it would probably lend itself more to film than stage. I might check out the film at some point. Updated On: 11/21/05 at 08:47 PM

[Billboard Girl]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 9:08pm

I saw the revival a couple of weeks before it closed, and I really enjoyed it. The theme of embracing idealism in a hostile environment is one that seems pretty timeless to me, and I thought the music was beautiful.

[Horton]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 9:12pm

This is my most favorite show of all time, i saw it on broadway in the front row 3 times, and then on the third time at the stage door BSM said to me- wow, what this is the third time. it was the moment when i relized how much i loved theater I AMO THEATRE

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 10:18pm

Fantastic score...boring show.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/21/05 at 10:30pm

Forget the film - it's beyond awful.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 12:06pm

Love the show. Love the film for Ms Loren's Aldonza hated the revival. You have to have amazing actor's in those roles.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 12:20pm

I adore this show. I saw a superb production a few years ago in Seattle and fell in love with the show. It's a fragile piece, but when in the right hands, it can be an amazing experience.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:04pm

I agree Bubby. The show is amazing when in the proper hands. I fell in love with it when I saw the original cast, Kiley and Diener back in the day. I became instanly one of my favorites.
The recent revival missed the mark in many ways. It was miscast,the set was too grand, the costumes way off mark (Don Quixote shouldn't have worn a Conquistadore helmet, they were still in use at the time the play takes place, they are still in use today at the Vatican!) Brian Stokes Mitchell's take on Quixote was too much of a caraciture, I could never stop seeing him as a young make playing an old man (though he did hit The Impossible Dream out of the theatre!). Done properly with the right amount of grit and passion the show is a gem.

[SamIAm]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 1:53pm

I saw this a number of years ago with Raul Julia before he passed and with Richard Kiley before that. I have always loved the music and the theme of the show. If the production is a good one, you will enjoy it. Loved Sabella in the most recent version but I could have lived without Brian Stokes-Mitchell's take on Don Quixote. I thought it was way too slick and one dimensional.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 2:08pm

I am the minority. I enjoyed Marin and Brian, I thought they were fab. I also loved Jacoby and Don Mayo.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 11/22/05 at 3:24pm

I had loved the OBC for years and finally got to see the show performed when Brian Stokes Mitchell did the revival. I have to say that I was pretty disappointed--the play really is quite dated and rather cheesy, although the score is still first-rate.

As a side note, the revival was terribly directed, by one of those pretentious English directors (what was up with the set?). Also, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was completely miscast, as was Stephen Bogardus as Dr. Carruso. Mitchell proved once again that he is an incredible singer, if not a very realistic actor.