Man of La Mancha

Loved it. Wonderful music, great singing, beautifully done. Would defiantly see it again.

At first, I was hesitant to see the show in the large venue at VPAC. I had seen the show previously at a smaller venue and really enjoyed it. I have to say that they did the show justice.The performance by Mr. Davis Gaines was worth the price of admission, and the rest of the cast nicely complimented. I highly recommend for theater productions that patrons don't sit right in the front orchestra. The best viewing AND sound is from further back in the house. The lower box seats were fantastic! The show is over now, or I would say go see it!! If you missed it at VPAC, it's going to La Mirada Performing Arts Center, starting on June 2.

Great show. Wonderful performances by all. The accustic are wonderful in this house. Not a bad seat!

Uninspired performance - it was good - but just ok. Felt like the performers were just 'phoning it in' - Padre was the best singer. All used excellent diction so very easy to understand the words, which is critical to keep up with the storyline.

The play was wonderful! The cast was amazing, the sets were great.

Excellent musical beautifully protrayed in the gorgeous theater. Story line was a little confusing at first. Cast was extremely talented. Enjoyed the comedy as well as the serious moments.

"Man of La Mancha" is one of the few musicals I truly enjoy. Its themes strike to the heart of us, compelling us to see the beauty in the mundane or obscene, daring us to strive for more and transcend our situation. A story like this needs to be well-acted to be engaging, and this cast was certainly up to the task. Jessica Norland is comfortable in her role as Aldonza, and in several scenes is able to drive home the emotional pit that Aldonza despairs in, as well as the desire in the end to be transformed to Dulcinea. In fact, in the final scene she transmits this longing so effectively--this overwhelming need to be accepted and loved despite her low station and flaws--that it's hard to not be moved to emotion. Rick Grossman portrays a thoroughly enjoyable Sancho (my favorite character in this story), and Grant Snuffer does an excellent turn as Pedro, the villainous lead of the muleteers. Charles Hodges' powerful voice shines in his role as the Friar, Rachel Felstein's facial expressions are priceless, and in fact, the entire cast performs admirably. My sole complaint is with the rather bombastic lead, who though talented lacks both the emotional portrayal and the vocal range and power to play the perfect Don Quixote. This is an emotional character...all too often I felt like he was just booming his lines with thespian flair rather than allowing himself to truly feel the character. Still, don't let this deter you. It's a show worth seeing with a talented cast, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Let me begin by saying that I saw and thoroughly enjoyed the original revival starring the late Richard Kiley back in the 70's, so my expectations weren't very high for a touring show that ran only two nights at my local theatre. Boy, was I wrong. The local set was just as detailed and dramatic as the one I remembered from the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, including the old drawbridge-style stairway that lowers into the dungeon. The lighting was perfect, casting gray and green hues where necessary, and the costumes were first rate. The prison guards, for example, who are only seen for a few minutes at the beginning and end of the show, were arrayed in Spanish Conquistadore styled armor and helmets. Most impressive though, was the cast. The leads were absolutely fantastic and gave wonderful performances and beautiful renditions of the play's popular songs. And "bravo!" to the supporting players as well, who also gave fine performances. The singing in this show is, I believe, its strength. My daughter and I totally enjoyed it. Too bad Man of La Mancha was only in my town two days.

The music was first rate, the acting was superb, a fabulous night out. The Fox facility is beautiful. This is the third time I have seen a Man of La Mancha production. For me, this particular performance was most meaningful and unforgettable. I heard lines that I had forgotten that are such a special part of this wonderful play. What an uplifting night. It was worth the trip from Palm Springs. For me, the entire play comes down to the exchange between Alhonzo Quiana and Aldonza on his "death bed" where he cannot remember his Don Quixote character nor her Dulcinea character. She pleads with him to remember her and his quest. He asks Aldonza if that is so important to her that he remembers. She then replies, "Everything. My whole life. You spoke to me and everything was different." For me that is the essence of the entire play--to lift others through our words and deeds.

The performance was beautiful, music, well made and similar as the book.... Riverside can throw great performance. Love it

The performance was great. The singing and acting was outstanding.

I felt that the actor who played Quixote did not have a strong voice and was lacking enthusiasm. I have LOVED this story since childhood and been to uncountable performances and I was accompanied by my daughter this time and was rather disappointed in the performance.

Ok, those of you that don't like enthusiastic reviews read no more. I say this because this was a great performance by a strong and talented cast. The venue was both rich and yet small enough to feel connected to the cast. If this show comes back, I will see it again.

Unfortunately, the lead role was vocally beyond the actor. The rest of the cast was fine but could not make up for the lack of big moments the lead actor was not able to produce.

We had pretty nice seats, on the floor, row 17, The set was wonderful with the chain hoisted draw bridge. The costumes were good. Don Quixote had a ten inch fake eyebrow he never glued down well and it got in the way the whole show. The leads were good. No voices stood out as amazing, or any acting that would win a Tony, but it was a pleasant experience.

The play was well done, great singing trough out the performance. I also enjoyed the subtle humor in the play very well done.

Wonderful acoustics to carry voices , singing and orchestra without overpowering sound

save your money !!! We were looking forward to this for so long and were so disappointed !!! Gentlemen who played Don Quixote we were unable to hear and understand what he was saying so just imagine our experience if you can hear what the lead character is saying ...

Great cast and performances. The only thing negative was the uncomfortable seats in the Toyota Center.

Acting was good. Singing, with the exception of friar, was poor. The lead doesn't have a good enough voice anymore to lead a play this demanding. He should just act or sing less demanding roles. Overall, it wasn't worth the money.

I wanted to share a vibrant and deeply touching play with a friend of mine so I bought our tickets as her Christmas present. Unfortunately, this presentation of the wonderful musical fell short of what I expected and have seen before. While the majority of the cast were very good, particularly the actors who played the padre and Dulcinea, the entire production was undermined severely by a lead actor who could not carry his songs with any vocal panache at all. He was a good enough actor and played the part quite credibly until it came time to sing. And he flubbed a line quite obviously during the "vigil" scene. The only thing that saved it for me was that the lead actor did a passable job on "The Impossible Dream," although it wasn't anything more than what I would expect to hear at a high school musical production.

We were very excited by the prospect of "real opera" in the Tri-Cities after a hiatus of several years, but Man of La Mancha was a disappointment. First, the show ... The lead singers hit most of the notes, but (with the pleasing exception of the padre) didn't quite make all of them. This made the solos disappointing. Also, some of the mics weren't working right, so you'd have one character quite audible and the next a mumble. More than that, the performance just didn't sparkle - the timing felt off, it didn't quite gel ... there just wasn't any magic. Secondly, the venue ... Apart from one graduation ceremony this was our first visit to the Toyota Center and we were underwhelmed. We spent a considerable time studying the seating plan and choosing seats on an aisle near the center (right near the sound box), but when we got there the seat numbers had us off to one side. We were also dismayed to find that we were sitting on level floor, with our view impaired by people in front of us ... And the seats were terribly uncomfortable. Frankly, next time ... we'll take it out on DVD.

I've heard the music but until now have never had the chance to see the musical in person. It ran with no intermissions or play stoppages of any type. Scenes just melded one into another. The singing and acting was of highest quality and the small orchestra belied its size in the sound it put out. I would whole-heartedly recommend this musical to everyone.

The new touring company started in January 2014 and the cast is brilliant! The show is well done with great costumes and a great orchestra! I highly recommend seeing this show with your family!

walked out at intermission because the preformance was so poor

This was a good a production of this wonderful Broadway musical as we've seen--gritty but thoughtful, moving but enjoyable. The set, which represents both Cervantes' prison and Don Quixote's castle/Aldonza's inn was no less than superb, and the cast moved well around it, making use of all its nooks and crannies. The cast was all terrific...not a weak performance from the bunch. Kudos to Light Opera Works for another terrific production.

The principals were wonderful. The rest of the cast was quite good. The sets and costumes were well done and the wind orchestra and guitarist were outstanding. There were a few technical glitches on Sunday afternoon that distracted from those moments but not enough to ruin the overall experience. I'm in love with this venue both for its high quality and its user friendliness.

I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS MUSICAL BEFORE AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT. DAVIS GAINES IS SIMPLY THE BEST!!!!

Delightful, enthralling & extremely entertaining show at VPAC. Only 5 or 6 performances were available, so we were lucky to see this one! I rate this Musical Play 4 Stars * * * *

My wife and I had just seen this play the week before in another, completely different but very powerful performance at A Noise Within. We thought it would be good to compare with a full, more traditional Broadway-style production, so we were happy to find the time to see this at the VPAC. Everything was great; Davis Gaines is just a marvelous performer, and the rest of the cast was top notch as well. The orchestra was really great! Our only disappointment was with the sound. The microphones seemed distorted somehow, and some of the dialogue and lyrics did not come through clearly at all. This was opening night, so maybe this aspect wasn't rehearsed or checked in enough detail, as a friend of ours who attended later in the weekend said that she could hear everything perfectly. I would hope that no matter what night one attends, that one would get the same high quality as any other performance.

Great cast made for an outstanding musical production. Strong incredible voices. Disappointed by program since I enjoy Playbill type not ad pamphlet.

Man of La Mancha was wonderful. Acting was very good and singing was better than I could have hoped for. The production held together well and produced great song after great song that were well supported by story and carried the story along comfortably. The acting ensemble worked well with each other sharing the lime light and preventing any pulling of attention from the story. I heartily endorse this production, and of course, the Valley Performing Arts venue is probably the best acoustical setting in town.

Davis Gaines has a great voice and the fans loved his performance. The supporting performers and musicians gave a terrific performance.

Wow! Unbelievable! Best show ever! I am hard to please, and this was so exceptional. I cannot put into words how great this presentation was. I wept at the end. Perfect in every way.

I love, love, love Man of the Mancha and with Davis Gaines, this production did not disappoint! I wish that it was playing more than one weekend, as I would probably have gone a second time...Thanks for a great show!

Fantastic!! All the voices were spectacular!! Would see it again.

I had never seen this musical before and came specifically to see Davis Gaines. While Davis, as usual, was excellent, the other cast members were also excellent. I am already planning to see a couple of shows next spring at the Valley Performing Arts Center and highly recommend it to all!

Enjoyed it very much. Very well done for a regional touring company. Male lead had an amazing voice.

What a wonderful production, I wanted to sing along. I'd grown up with the Broadway album of this show. The actors didn't make it into the program so we didn't know their names or background. But I discovered later that the lead, Davis Gaines, was reprising his award-winning role as Cervantes/Don Quixote from a few years ago here in L.A. Which explains why he seemed so comfortable with it despite what must have been a fairly last-minute casting. Nice set, terrific singing. Slight warning--this play is quite a picaresque like Don Quixote the novel, so don't expect a complex plot.

The VPAC is a beautiful theatre and the stage was well put together for this play. The actors were great and the whole show itself was just great quality. You can tell by the details in the stage, lighting, costumes, and actors. The VPAC has been hosting some amazing plays.

I thought the play and it's message was beautiful. I read the book while in high school but I really didn't understand the message.

The minute that I saw the advertisement for 'Man of La Mancha' I did not hesitate to purchase a ticket. The entire cast did a remarkable job. There was not only singing, acting, story telling (that really touched the heart of many) but some humor which made it more enjoyable. Of course, I remember 'Man of La Mancha' and its beautiful music from my childhood. I have always loved the song 'The Impossible Dream'. I would not hesitate to purchase another ticket.

The show was well done and most of the voices were very good. The only down point for me was having seen Richard Kiley as Don Quixote that was not matched in this show.

The voices of Jessica Norland as Aldonza and the Padre (sorry I don't have the actors name) were stunning. As it was a Sunday evening performance we were happy that they ran through the entire show and skipped the intermission. Many of our group had not seen the show before and were quite impressed. For me it was a solid performance, but it did not bring me to tears at the end as other performances have in the past. This could have been due to balcony seats or I was not moved to be as invested in the lead as I have been in the past.

Very good and very enjoyable! I didn't know what to expect, but I really enjoyed the show!

All in all it was a great show, I love the music . Every actor did well, the dancing was amazing also Especially liked the scenes with the "Horsies"

What a great performance. Sometimes gems come to the smaller cities. After living in the Greater Boston area growing up, I always felt let down that the big productions never came to Springfield. This was not true for Man of La Mancha. Everything that a full Broadway production can bring was in this musical...great songs, staging, costumes, and acting. Definitely go see it if you have the chance. My girlfriend and I were amazed throughout the entire performance!

This is the first theater event I've had the pleasure to attend. Where I'm from we don't get to see many things like this, but seeing Don Quixote come to life was amazing. Although constant theater goers say that it's not the best they've seen, I can see that this was one of the best experiences I've had out here in a while. I will definitely see another when I get the chance.

Saw the 3/22 matinee in Portland Maine at Merrill Auditorium......Very well done but not great, and I was mildly disappointed. I have played Quixote on stage myself, and would've liked to see a stronger Quixote, with a bit more of an edge or intensity . He should be the dominate figure every moment he's on stage, and yet he was often overshadowed by other characters. I never saw his transformations.....rise to strength, then tragedy.....that I hoped for. I never cared about the character as much as I wanted; I also did not like the way the Sancho Panza character was played.....comic, but without the necessary pathos or empathy, and it just didn't fit with the other performances. And I still don't know why Sancho followed Quixote...... Aldonza/Dulcinea was excellent, easily the strongest character in the show; the padre and the governor were also excellent, as were the muleteers (and the mules/horses); singing voices were very good.....loved the staging and lighting effects, and the 8-person orchestra was amazing.....One tiny aspect of the set that confused me was the chain railing along the draw-stairs leading to the dungeon. The chain was a bright, shiny, new-looking silver chain. Wouldn't it be black or rusted - it made me think that someone ran out to Home Depot at the last minute to buy chain for the production.

disappointed with this production-thought it was amateurish. thought it lacked passion. voices could not rise above music. this story has great diaolog and music, neither of which could be handled by this production. don quotie is susposed to be kind of a tragic figure, not a clown.

Trying to turn Man of La Mancha into a comedy during some scenes and a drama in others was confusing. However, this was no fault of the cast. The female lead and supporting actors did a great job but the male lead was weak. Don Quixote needs to be played by an actor with a strong stage presence. And, whose idea was it to do a performance without an intermission? I can't say that I would have paid full price for this production.

Several strong performances in an all-around exceptional play. Minor niggle is that Don Quixote lapsed into bobble-headed idocy a few times; he may be mad but always maintained his dignity.

Love the music. Hadn't seen this play since high school. Actors were great. Would have preferred the actor who played the padre to have played don Quixote after hearing their voices. Actress who played aldonza was terrific. Attack/rape scene was intense. Don't remember that from high school! Great seats for the price but very uncomfortable.

I remember seeing this play decades ago and it was a pleasure to share with the younger generation. The music, story line and acting was terrific. A definite must see!

If the cast, the governor, friar, Antonia and sancho were excellent! They would have added to the film version had they been in it! Al donza's vice was great but a good octave higher than the cast... Too high compared to the husky Sophia Loren's portrait. Alonzo / Cervantes butchered the name Dulcinea! Disappointing. Voice was lacking in the higher range. But strong throughout...getting better as the show continued.

I really enjoyed this show, I was skeptical at first because I was unfamiliar with the story. I'm so glad I went, what an adorable performance!!!

Really enjoyed the musical. Very humorous, great songs and great vocals (although the lead had the weakest vocals and was not very good at projecting his voice). Biggest disappointment was the sound system. Sounded like everyone was talking inside a cave so it was very "echo-ey" and made it hard to understand the words. This is the 2nd show we've seen at the Lyric that had a horrible sound (other shows have been fine).

This show took me back to my youth and reminded me how idealistic I used to be, and how idealistic I still really am. Great music. Great singers. LOVED Sancho Panza. Took my daughter who had never seen or heart of it and she loved it also. Thanks for a great evening.

The music was excellent and the performance was stellar. A very enjoyable event. Outstanding set. My only issue was the sound quality. It was loud enough, but I had a hard time understanding some of the dialogue. I don't know if it is my ears.

This was always one of my favorite plays. This particular production made me wonder why!

the lead actor whose bio says he's been doing this for 30 years, well you can tell, he's been doing this 25 too long. The woman lead and the padre both had excellent voices. This play felt like it was slapped together for a dinner theater production.

The Man of LaMancha was a thoroughly entertaining play and a joy to watch!

This is truly a play for the ages! The message is still important. Ironically, the stage set is the same as the Community Theatre version I attended back in the 70's! As far as this production, I loved every aspect of it. From the guitar playing and dance before the actual play, right on through to the Company Bow at the end, I was totally immersed in this. Doing it without an intermission was brilliant, it kept the tension high. All the singing was spot on, and the acting was superb.

With seats right in the middle Row H we had a great view and could hear and see everything. The best voices were brought out by the characters of Aldonza (Jessica Norland), the Padre (Chuck Hodges) and Don Quixote (Jack E. Curenton). The set was basically what I remembered, steps leading up to the Spanish Inquisition trial chambers and jail/dungeon. Very Dark and Depressing as a jail should be. I remember the entire musical soundtrack because this was the first show I ever saw on Broadway back with Raul Julia (R.I.P) and Sheena Easton were in the starring roles. For someone new seeing the show, the only memorable song that you might take away would be the main song "The Quest (The Impossible Dream)." The orchestra did a fantastic job with the music. Great timing for every song!

We attend a lot of theatre. Hadn't seen Man of La Mancha in awhile and was looking forward to it. We were a bit disappointed. Probably wont' go to see a play at the Lyric again. Not even as good as shows we've seen a Olney. The lead was underwhelming especially with his singing voice. Supporting case, the priest, Dulcinea, Sancho were stronger than him and some much so. Sound at the beginning was irritatingly bad. Thankfully after 10-15 minutes they got that much better. But it was Man of La Mancha which is one of those shows that is good even when its not at its best. The scenery was excellent.

This show is absolutely my all-time favorite musical, having seen it the first time on Broadway in 1967. This particular performance was absolutely wonderful! Acting, singing, everything.....so happy we were able to get to see it.

What a wonderful show. Don Quioxte acting was superb, although his voice was a bit weak. Aldonza was fantastic, and this was the best group of Muleteers I've ever seen - great singing, dancing, and even a guitar player mixed in. Nice set and the orchestra was wonderful.

I love Man of La Mancha and have seen it three times. I haven't seen it for many years and was delighted to have a chance to see it again. The play itself stood the test of time. It is as relevant today as it was in the 1970s. Unfortunately, of the three performances I have seen, I felt this was the weakest even though one of my earlier experiences was in a regional theatre. I thought the staging and costumes were superb. The orchestra was excellent. The casting was the problem. Some of the actors had operatic voice; others had voices more suitable for musical comedy. Therefore, the voices did not complement each other as they had in past performances. I also felt that in this production the strongest voices and acting talent came from the supporting cast rather than the lead. Since the role of Don Quixote is pivotal to drawing the audience into the play, a stronger lead would have greatly improved my experience.

I was aware of the basic premise of Man of La Mancha, but now I feel really familiar with the story of Don Quixote. Amazing scenery, great songs, outstanding lead actor. Some of the actors were slightly weak, but that did not mar the performance for me. I am now an avid Don Quixote fan!

We traveled five hours one-way to see this performance of Man Of La Mancha, and we were not disappointed! Almost 50 years ago I saw the original performance with Richard Kiley in New York City during my high school senior class trip. I was blown away by the play and the music, and subsequently memorized the original cast score. I'd always wanted to see the play again, so you can imagine my high expectations for this performance, and it certainly was all I had hoped. The set was effective and inventive, the cast professional, and the story compelling. I laughed, and I admit, I cried at the end, as did several others in the audience around me. Of special note is the pure golden tenor of Chuck Hodges as the Padre. Jessica Norland is excellent as Aldonza, and Jack E. Curenton and Rick Grossman own their roles as Don Quixote and Sancho. Go see this musical, it's wonderful!

Excellent. The acting was superb, as was the music. The set was spectacular.

Well performed overall production with excellent stage, lighting, and orchestra performances. Presented without an intermission . . . .

This was lively and fun! I loved the squire. His voice was beautiful in the harmonies.

The sets, costumes, choreography, and acting were all top notch. The voices of the male and female lead could not carry the musicality of the show and diminished the experience.

The performance was really great! The characters were cast well and I truly enjoyed the show.

The Lead characters were the weakest links in this performance, It would have had more moxy if they just read the lines, It was the most emotional less performance of this play I have ever witnessed!! The sound was a little weak as well though the stage was well presented. It needed an intermission. And why does the city of Saint Louis need to "keep the meters" running on a SUNDAY afternoon performance? this really was a big interruption and a big factor in making a decision to attend another at the Peabody

Lead was uninspired in his performance and just went through the motions. Directing was lackadaisical. Set design was minimal. The only bright spots were some of the supporting voices. Bottom Line: If they don't care, why should I care. Seen better high school plays at a much lower cost.

The acting was superb. The singing was out of this world--much better than the movie. This should be made as a soundtrack.

Colorful, entertaining, funny, great acting, so very glad we got to see this at the Peabody Opera House. I would highly recommend to a friend.

Thoroughly enjoyed the Man of La Mancha. Colorful, funny, great acting and singing. I was amazed at the clarity of the speakers whether it was their fine talent or the acoustics of the beautiful Peabody. A must see if it returns to St Louis!

I have enjoyed Man of LaMancha for years--saw the original production with Richard Kiley, saw it at Muni, and have watched a video on TV. This production was very well done, captured the spirit of play, and portrayed the characters flawlessly. I would love to see it again.

The play was great. First saw the play in the late 60's and it was just as good as we remembered.

Good production but not great. The supporting characters like Padre were the best singers.

First class production all the way around. The stage props used were just right. Enough to key the imagination, but not so much to over power. The story was told in a most enjoyable way

It was enjoyable to see the play make a return after nearly 50 years. However, it appeared dated and lacked "oomph" during the huge numbers. Ok.

My wife and I have been attending local community and off-broadway theater for over 25 years in St. Louis. We both felt the Man of La Mancha was the worst production of any musical or play we have ever seen. The female lead had a great voice and good proformance but even she couldn't save the lack luster production. The lead male's voice was too weak as was his performance. With the exception of the female lead, none of the cast was of broadway caliber. It's a good thing they didn't have an intermission or I would have walked out - I did fall asleep during some the performance. It's a good thing the production got in and out of town in three days since once the true reviews would get out, no one would go for the fouth night. With these ticket prices and that low-budget cast, they must have made a nice profit off of the unsuspecting theater goers of St. Louis. I will be more cautious of future Peabody Opra House events.