I drove to Athens to see Ohio Valley Summer
Theater’s production of "Man of la Mancha". This iconic piece of
musical theater with book by Dale Wasserman and lyrics by Mitch Leigh, was
adapted from Wasserman’s 1959 non-musical teleplay, “I Don Quixote” based on
Miguel De Cervantes’ massive, classic 17th Century novel “Don
Quixote”.
The action of the play focuses on Cervantes as a
prisoner of the Inquisition. He creates a play-within-the-play about the mad
knight, Quixote, to entertain his fellow prisoners, who have put him on trial
as an excuse to steal all the possessions Cervantes and his servant, Sancho,
have brought into the prison.
Director Dale Ricardo Shields, a protégé of former OVST managing
director Bob Winters, has assembled a large, diverse cast, crew and artistic
staff from the university and the community to create a reprise of this
classic.
The cast features many capable folks, including several
current Ohio University students. Greg Hofmeister
(Cervantes/Quixote/Alonso Quijana), Anne Yuan (Aldonza), Kirby Flowers
(Sancho), Ike Riesbeck (Duke/Sanson Carrasco) are OU students majoring in music
or theater. Hofmeister brings strong, steady consistency and a nice
singing voice to his work.
Yuan brings a strong clear operatic voice to the mix, though I
noticed she tripped over some of her spoken lines.
Flowers sings well, and amuses with good comic timing of his
lines, but lacks the kind of strong energy I normally associate with the Sancho
character.
Handsome Chris Parsons (Pedro) exudes great stage
presence and sings well.
Joe Balding (The Governor/Inn Keeper), a 40-year veteran with
OVST, posesses strong, confident stage presence and
characterization, but his voice is scratchy and shallow, both in singing and
line delivery.
Jodi MacNeal (Housekeeper), Margo Tillstrom (Antonia)
Pop Peterson (Barber) and Jackson Savage (Padre) sing beautifully in
compelling moments.
I noted some lack of energy and lapses in focus among the
ensemble as prisoners, sitting and listening. But when called to move
furniture, to sing as part of the chorus or to play minor roles in the story,
they jump to life and accomplish their missions with efficient precision.
Glenn Pepe’s scenic design and Derek Keifer’s lighting
serve the action appropriately. The dungeon setting is
well-defined. Simple wooden crates, boxes and slabs are used very
effectively.
The sound engineering and mix by Bethany Gratz is
impeccable. Microphones come up and fade out perfectly. Nothing
ever seems too loud or too soft.
The accompaniment seems a little thin compared to the lush,
full orchestrations I normally associate with “Man of la Mancha”. The
four-piece band led by Assistant Music Director Mallory Scaife at the keyboard,
plays competently, but their beat lags which often causes the overall pace of
the show to lag.
The quick jump of the ensemble to shift the furniture after
Quijana’s deathbed scene draws focus and practically obscures the exchange
between Aldonza and Sancho and the Padre’s delivery of the last blessing.
This sacred moment deserves more pause for reflection before we are whisked
away to the entrance of the inquisition for the final scene.
“Man Of La Mancha” opened on Broadway in 1965.
It won five Tony Awards, including best musical and ran for 2,328 performances.
The piece received several Broadway revivals, has been translated into
eight languages and continues to be staged by professional and amateur troupes
all over the world. Its principle song, “The Impossible Dream”, remains a
popular music standard.
OVST celebrates its 65th season and pays
homage to Bob Winters who came to Athens in 1962 and was a long-time Ohio
University theater professor and member of OVST. Winters eventually
became chairman of OU’s theater department and managing director of OVST.
Even after he retired, he continued to direct for OVST through 2008 and was
actively involved with the troupe until he died in 2014.
My theater addictions began with “Man Of La
Mancha” when I was a college freshman at Ohio University in the Spring of
1972. I
saw all the performances of that 1972 Ohio University "Man of la Mancha
production that Winters directed. I am sure the box office people thought I was
crazy, but they seemed to appreciate my passion and always found me a seat,
though most of the performances were sold out.
If my criticisms seem
harsh or unjustified, please forgive. My opinions are undoubtedly tinged with
sweet memories from the first time I saw the show. It’s the kind of
naiveté and untouchable perfection one always associates with first love.
The current production is a worthy offering of a much-beloved
old chestnut.
I enjoyed this wonderful trip down memory lane.
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