 |
| Philip Hernandez as Don Quixote, Photo by Carol Rosegg |
Sometimes,
just because you can do something doesn’t mean it should be done. Take the case
of “Man of La Mancha,” Westport Country Playhouse’s current production under
the direction of Mark Lamos. The musical, with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, and music by Mitch Leigh, garnered five Tony awards when it opened on Broadway in 1965,
after a premiere run at the Goodspeed Opera House. It was based on Wasserman’s
1959 teleplay, “I, Don Quixote,” which, in turn, was loosely based on the 17th-century
novel, “Don Quixote,” written by Miguel de Cervantes. The original Broadway
production (it’s been revived four times) ran for over 2,300 performances, was
made into a film in 1972 starring Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren, and has been
produced by theaters around the world. In other words, it’s an American musical
icon, and as such, it’s always a bit of a challenge to stage material that is
etched into the minds of much of the theater-going public. This Lamos does
quite successfully, with some minor lighting quibbles, until we get late into
the second act, when technology takes over and the musical suddenly seems to
become a trailer for the next “Transformers” movie. Why is this more than a
quibble? I’ll attempt to explain later.
Part of
the musical’s appeal, in addition to the score, is that, at its heart, it’s
both a bromance and a romance. The bromance is the relationship between Alonso
Quijano (Philip Hernandez), who, succumbing to the delusional world of the
knight errant mythology, renames himself Don Quixote de La Mancha, and his
faithful servant, Sancho Panza (Tony Manna), with whom he sets out on a quest.
When asked why Sancho stays with the addled knight, Sancho answers with a song:
“I Really Like Him.”
The romance deals with Quixote’s
fixation on a serving wench (she who was “born on a dung heap” and offers
herself to whoever drops money into her hand) named Aldonza (Gisela Adisa),
whom Quixote rechristens “Dulcinea,” for every knight must have a lady in whose
name he performs valorous deeds. Thus, it’s a story about people’s evolving
relationships, the emotions these relationships engender, and the delusions
that often fuel these emotions.
The play-within-a-play format
begins with Cervantes and his servant imprisoned for “questioning” by the
Spanish Inquisition. His fellow inmates decide to put the author on trial and,
in his defense, Cervantes suggest that, using the prisoners as actors, he
present a play – the story of a knight errant. What follows is the unfolding of
the Quixote legend replete with windmill-tilting and the knight’s commitment to
“the quest,” with story-line and character development fostered by such songs
as the signature “Impossible Dream” as well as “Dulcinea,” “What Does He Want
of Me, “Little Bird” and “I, Don Quixote.”
The cast is quite admirable, led by
Hernandez, who gives the Cervantes character the necessary air of nobility
while shifting gears as Quixote to show a man captured by the mania of a myth.
Hernadez’s deep, resonant voice seems to fill the house, and his rendition of
the “Impossible Dream” subtly provides the sense of the futile nature of the
quest beneath what is often delivered merely as an anthem. As Quixote’s “love
interest,” Adisa gives us an Aldonza whose vocal abilities and take on some of
the songs seem a bit too “modern” for her character – by that I mean there are
some jazz riffs and “Dream Girls” moments that sneak in, but there’s no denying
that she nails the second act’s “Aldonza” and “Dulcinea.”
Manna’s first few moments on stage as
Sancho might portend that he will deliver a “wink-wink” take on Quixote’s
sidekick as he plays to the audience, but he quickly settle into the character
and allows the comedy inherent in the role to speak for itself. In supporting
roles, the Padre (Carlos Encinias) offers the audience a lovely, touching “To
Each His Dulcinea,” and works well with Carrasco (Clay Singer), Antonia (Paola
Hernandez) and the Housekeeper (Lulu Picart) in the paean to hypocrisy, “We’re
Only Thinking of Him.”
In fact, things go swimmingly as
the audience is drawn into the lives of these characters until late in the
second act when Carrasco, Antonia’s intended husband, believes he must, for the
sake of the good family name, “cure” the crazy old man, Antonia’s uncle, of his
illness. Thus, he presents himself to Quixote as another knight, “The
Enchanter,” who claims he is the “Knight of the Mirrors” who will force Quixote
to look at himself to see the truly pitiful, delusional figure he has become.
Here is where we go into “Transformer” land, for this “knight” appears as
disparate parts that reach from the stage almost up to the fly space – it’s all
a visual jumble that takes away from the intimacy of the conflict and draws the
audience’s attention away from Quixote’s agony as it demands focus on the
“really cool,” humongous figure that visually screams “Look what we can do in this
theater!” Who’s responsible for this decision? Lamos? Scenic designer Wilson
Chin? Costume designer Fabian Fidel Aguilar? Who knows, but it’s a technical
“stunt” that is totally unnecessary and dramatically off-putting.
Putting aside this “big” moment late
in the second act, the Playhouse’s production of “La Mancha” is an enjoyable
re-telling of the Quixote tale that offers the audience some very fine
performances and some sensitive, perceptive staging on Lamos’s part that
includes some chess-piece blocking using, “knight,” “queen,” “bishop” and
“castle.” Hopefully, as the audience members depart they will remember all that
was artistically rendered in the production and forget about the hulking,
lumbering “Knight of the Mirrors.”
“Man of La Mancha” runs
through October 13. For tickets or more information call 203-227-4177 or go to
www.westportplayhouse.org
No comments:
Post a Comment