‘Dream’ still alive in Central City’s ‘Man of La Mancha’

CENTRAL CITY — It was 50 years ago, in 1965, that “Man of La Mancha” (book by Dale Wasserman, music and lyrics by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion) premiered on the stage in New York’s Greenwich Village at the ANTA Washington Square Theatre. It was a strange theatre, featuring a tilted stage and no curtain. And the unique qualities that were lent to the show by its origins at that theatre, such as minimal scenery and set changes, are continued in Central City Opera’s production of “Man of La Mancha,” which opened Saturday night.

Walking into the intimate space of the Opera House, the audience is greeted not by a closed curtain but an open stage looking on what appears to be a standard theater backstage. Chairs are strewn about, racks of costumes are at the back, and a single lamp is present stage front. About 10 minutes before “curtain,” a stage hand comes out and starts to sweep the stage in preparation for the show. But it isn’t a stage hand, it is a member of the company. In a way, the show already has begun. Indeed, it began the moment the audience walked into the theater and was presented by director Paul Curran and set and costume designer Court Watson’s vision of “La Mancha,” a backstage twist on the prison common room setting. It immediately draws one in, preparing the audience to be further welcomed into the show’s play within a play within a play—a poet telling a story about the visions of a madman to prisoners awaiting judgement.

But what of the story unraveled on stage? Despite its 50 year history, “Man of La Mancha,” still resonates, and its tension between idealism and cynicism is one still appropriate for today’s highly pessimistic age. Cervantes, performed with the right amount of earnestness by baritone Robert Orth, is the quintessential romantic, and his alter ego of Quixote is a romantic caricature. He is followed by his faithful manservant and squire, Sancho Panza (Keith Jameson), and eventually falls in love with the barmaid and prostitute, Aldonza/Dulcinea (Lucy Schaufer). All three of the main leads do a wonderful job bringing their characters to life on stage, and the comedic timing of Jameson is spot-on, at times even breaking the fourth wall to “direct” the orchestra (under the baton of Adam Turner).

But it is the songs that will keep audiences humming long after they depart. Here Central City does not let down, despite Orth occasionally being overpowered by the orchestra in the opening number. However, he truly shined on “The Impossible Dream,” which is still a showstopper, and when Schaufer joined him for a reprise, the two reached new heights on the classic tune. One of the highlights of the show, though, was Michael Kuhn as the Padre performing “To Each His Dulcinea.” Kuhn also stood out with April Martin (Antonia) and Molly Jane Hill (Housekeeper) on “I’m Only Thinking of Him,” one of the funniest moments in the performance.

And more than anything else, the standout quality of the evening was the humor of the Central City Opera cast. It had the audience rolling in the first act, only to hit them with the heartbreak, loss and violence of Act II.

“Man of La Mancha” is a careful balance between humor and drama, idealism and cynicism, hope and fear, and Central City Opera walked that tightrope with confidence, never faltering. By the time of the closing reprise of “The Impossible Dream,” the audience was left feeling inspired by Cervantes’ quixotic quest to save his life and unfinished manuscript.

A word of caution, though: This is not a show for young children. The CCO has issued a rating of PG-13 for it because of sexual violence, and it is earned. The gang rape of Aldonza in the second act, while evocatively and effectively staged by Curran, is terrifying, violent and certainly not for the young. But, in the end, “Man of La Mancha” is about seeing and hoping for the best, the “Impossible Dream” of our everyday lives, and the Central City Opera has recaptured that dream magnificently.