Man of La Mancha
“Let’s make a musical out of a 17th century book called Don Quixote.” (crickets) Well, they did – and Man of La Mancha didn’t flop as it really should have, but has become one of the enduring classics of the Broadway stage.
With a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion, and music by Mitch Leigh, Man of La Mancha tells the story of the erratic Don Quixote, his sidekick Sancho Panza, and the, uh, “wench” Aldonza. Wasserman turned the show into a surprisingly entertaining play within a play. But if there’s one thing that has been the play’s continuing salvation it’s a song – “The Impossible Dream.”
Man of La Mancha has become a standard of the stage, and is a dependable moneymaker for local theater groups around the country. Its original 1965 Broadway run ran for 2,328 performances, and won five Tony Awards – including Best Musical. It was made into a movie with Peter O’Toole, James Coco, and Sophia Loren.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzj1JF-WrXc