Miguel de Cervantes’ 1605 novel “Don Quixote” tells the story of a nobleman who becomes a knight errant, traveling the land doing chivalrous deeds with his more realistic sidekick Sancho Panza — except he deludedly ends up fighting windmills rather than actual demons or monsters.
Based on that story, “Man of La Mancha” is a 1965 musical by Dale Wasserman that won five Tony Awards when it performed on Broadway, including for best music and score by Mitch Leigh, with lyrics by Joe Darion.
Musical Theatre West’s current production of the musical directed by James Vásquez does not disappoint in terms of that score, with a full orchestra (directed by Ryan O’Connell) and cast of excellent singers, especially the two leads, Richard Bermudez and an amazing Monika Peña.
The musical tells the story of “Don Quixote” but through the frame of writer Cervantes (Bermudez) being imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition and put on trial by his fellow prisoners. In attempting to prove his innocence, he performs his novel as a play, casting himself as nobleman Alonso Quijana, who decides to become Don Quixote, and getting the rest of the prisoners to play all the other characters.
It’s a delightful conceit, making the story metatheatrical as Cervantes performs and directs a play-within-a-play with himself in the lead, singing to music that is lyrical and transporting in a throwback Broadway style, including the popular song “The Impossible Dream” that captures Quixote’s noble idealism.
After fighting a windmill with sidekick Panza (a funny Reggie De Leon), Quixote winds up at an inn where Aldonza (Peña) works as a servant woman fending off the rough and unwanted advances of a group of male mule-drivers — though she will go with a man for a price (“It’s All The Same”).
Dynamic choreography by Shani Talmor has Aldonza sassily pushing and shoving the aggressively grabby men during this song and we see she is fully capable of looking out for herself. That changes, however, during a later song — “The Abduction,” with refrains of the otherwise sweet “Little Bird, Little Bird” — as the men overcome Aldonza’s fighting spirit by beating and then raping her, which may be triggering for some in the audience despite the choreography.
While women in Aldonza’s position have historically suffered this kind of brutality, and still do, we may not be as used to seeing it staged as when the musical was written. There is also a subsequent scene of Moorish gypsy women distracting Quixote and Sancho by dancing provocatively in order to rob them, which may be seen as objectifying.
Though these scenes are not easy, they heighten the emotional payoff of the story. For Quixote decides when he meets Aldonza that she is actually “Dulcinea,” a virtuous lady whose honor he fights for, nevermind that the handkerchief token Aldonza mockingly gives him is actually a dirty dishrag. After her assault, though, she pleads with him to snap out of his delusion and see her for who she is in the riveting and wrenching “Aldonza.”
Quixote’s family also tries to “rescue” him from his chivalric fantasy by literally forcing him to see reality, nearly breaking him in the process. But as he’s recovering, now as Quijana, Aldonza comes to him, realizing he’s the only one who’s ever seen her as having any worth, illusory or not, which is all she has, and pleads with him to become Quixote again.
As weirdly emo as this is, you’ll be as moved as the audience was on opening night, rising to your feet in applause by the end of the tale. The story’s framing narrative of the Inquisition — perhaps reminiscent of current times with menacing and faceless authorities detaining people at will — adds to that feeling as the only thing that may save the imprisoned Cervantes is the literature of his own imagination.
An excellent cast, lyrical throwback music and an emotionally intense story make “Man of La Mancha” an unusual and must-see theatrical event. Fortunately, it’s performing right here in Long Beach.
Musical Theatre West’s “Man of La Mancha” continues through March 1 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., with shows Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets start at $25. Use code BEMINE20 for 20% off certain seats. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-856-1999 or visit Musical.org. Run time is 2 hours and 25 minutes, including intermission.