[NEohioPAL] Berko review: MAN OF LA MANCHA (Cleveland Play House) 9/19

[Roy Berko]

Is the Play House “different take” on ‘MAN OF
LAMANCHA’ for better or worse?

Roy Berko

(Member, Dance Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times

--COOLCLEVELAND.COM--


While visiting New York in 1965, a friend said he had
tickets for a new show being staged at the ANTA
Theatre that had opened several days before.  He knew
nothing about the play, but asked whether I was
willing to attend.  Always the theatre adventurer I
said, “Sure.”  The show?  ‘MAN OF LA MANCHA.’ My
reaction?  I sat transfixed as Richard Kiley and
Clevelander Joan Diener rolled out what has since been
dubbed the “right the unrightable wrongs” musical.  It
was one of the greatest nights I have ever spent in
the theatre.  So great, that for many years, I refused
to go to see any other production of the show.  I
didn’t want to ruin the “perfect” experience. 

‘MAN OF LAMANCHA’ centers on Miguel de Cervantes, an
aging failure in his varied careers as playwright,
poet and tax collector, who has been thrown into a
dungeon to await trial by the Inquisition for the
offense of collecting taxes from the Catholic Church. 
Fellow prisoners attempt to steal his possessions,
including an uncompleted novel entitled "Don Quixote."
 Seeking to save the manuscript, he proposes to tell
the tale as a play to entertain his self-appointed
convict jury.

Through such songs as "The Impossible Dream," "I
Really Like Him," and "Man of La Mancha (I, Don
Quixote),"  the play celebrates the human spirit.  In
this present age of depletion of personal freedoms, a
misguided march into another country for “their own
good,” of certain religious groups attempting to set
their agenda for all, the concept of individual human
sprit is as relevant today as when it was originally
story was written.  

"MAN OF LA MANCHA" was originally a non-musical
teleplay.  Writer Dale Wasserman did not do an
adaptation of the famous novel, but focused on a major
theme, "Only he who attempts the ridiculous may
achieve the impossible." 
  
Years later Wasserman was requested to turn the idea
into a musical.  With lyrics by Joe Darion and music
by Mitch Leigh, it opened in 1964 at the Goodspeed
Opera House in Connecticut starring Rex Harrison.  The
musical challenges soon dissuaded Harrison from
continuing in the role when the play went to New York.
 Enter Richard Kiley, whose career soared after
portraying the dual roles of Cervantes and Don
Quixote. 

The 1966 production won five Tony Awards, including
Best Musical and best actor for Kiley.  It was revived
on Broadway in 1972, 1977, 1992 and 2002.

It was with positive anticipation that I went to see
the Cleveland Play House’s production.  Since it was
being staged by Amanda Dehnert, who directed last
season’s remarkable ‘MY FAIR LADY’ at CPH, I expected
to be blown away.   I was not blown away.  In fact,
though I think many of those who see the production
will react positively, there were just too many
gimmicks, and moving off-center of the story line, to
make for my loving the production.

Dehnert has reinvented some of the script, the music
and the concept.  I am not opposed to innovation if it
enhances the over-all effect and doesn’t move from the
author’s intent and purpose.  I remember sitting at
the original production, eyes welling, awed by the
pinspots of light on Kiely’s face as he sang the
reprise of “The Impossible Dream” at the end of the
show.  I sat in my seat at the end, unable to move. 
At CPH, there was no emotional high.  I left,
basically psychologically unmoved. 

This is supposed to be an intense, intimate and
emotional theatrical piece.  In spite of the small
theatre space which was ideal for the staging, I found
the intimacy largely lost.  Many of the songs were
sung directly to the audience, rather than aimed at
the person on stage to whom the lyrics are aimed.  I
question the casting of a man to play the housekeeper
in drag.  It was distracting.  It got a laugh, but how
did it move the plot along?  There was a lack of
choreography which had enveloped me in previous
productions.  I missed being carried on the quest when
Don Quixote and Sancho “rode” into the battle.   The
ending in which Cervantes says goodbye to the corpse
rather than Sancho left me confused.  The rape scene
was lacking the needed intensity.  The scene was
rushed, the horror not totally developed, the attack
was brutal but not evil enough.  The explicitness was
necessary as  we realize later that Quixote’s effect
on Aldonza is so complete that even the horrific rape
does not erase the respect for self that he has
instilled in her.   That he has, in fact, achieved the
impossible dream, at least as it relates to her.

The production does have many positive aspects. 
Philip Hernandez is very credible as Cervantes/Don
Quixote.  He makes “The Impossible Dream” his own, not
doing an imitation of those who proceeded him in the
role.  “Knight of the Woeful Countenance” gets an
excellent interpretation.  Rachel Warren is Aldonza. 
Her final scene is excellent as is her interpretation
of “Aldonza.”  Jamie La Verdiere is delightful as
Sancho.  His “I Really Like Him” was so pure of
innocence and belief that it told the whole story of
why some people do what they do, purely out of
loyalty.  The clarity of the spoken word by the entire
cast helps the audience understand the story.

The musicians are good, though, at times, they got a
little carried away and drowned out the vocals.  Some
viewers might be distracted by the musicians doubling
as cast members.  The question, again must be raised
as to what that device did to further the plot.

Some of Dehnert’s “new” production elements, which are
touted in the public relations and the program, aren’t
that original.  We’ve seen cast members playing
musical instruments in the recent Broadway restagings
of ‘SWEENEY TODD’ and ‘COMPANY.’  And, doing this
script as a one-act/intermission-less show, has been
done before, as has gender role reassignment. 

Capsule judgement:   I predict that most audience
members will enjoy and have a positive experience at
CPH’s ‘MAN OF LA MANCHA.’   My concern is that
sometimes in the guise of being innovative, the
message of the writer and the emotional responses of
the viewer are set aside for the sake of gimmicks and
for trying to be part of a new wave.

‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’ runs through October 7.  For
tickets call 216-795-7000


Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2002 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com


       
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