The Observer, September 28, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 5
Cleveland Playhouse's latest show offers perfect escape
Has the semester begun weighing down on you? Making each problem set you have left seem like slow torture, or your next SAGES assignment seem as painful as the Inquisition? Well, this month, the Cleveland Playhouse's showing of Man of La Mancha is the perfect escape from the reality of school.
This imaginative tale begins with Miguel de Cervantes (the real-life author of Don Quixote, the book on which Man of La Mancha is based) being thrown into a dungeon during the Spanish Inquisition with his faithful servant, after multiple failed turns as an actor, author, and soldier -turned-tax collector.
The only property that Cervantes (played nigh to perfection by Philip Hernandez) has left is his manuscript, which the fellow prisoners threaten to burn. In a desperate defense of his manuscript's safety, Cervantes decides to tell his fellow prisoners the story that they are trying to burn. Thus begins the adventurous tales of Don Quixote, as performed to Cervantes in the audience of the prison.
A musical, Man of La Mancha is an energetic and creative take on the story of Don Quixote, a man whose grasp on reality has diminished with age. Usually remembered for his epic battles with windmills, Don Quixote was the fictitious knight alias of an elderly man, despite the fact that no knights had inhabited Spain in 200 years.
Hernandez's interpretation of Cervantes is fabulous; he captures the slow descent of weariness in the character excellently. Also, his strong baritone voice carries Quixote's exuberance in each of the songs. Hernandez's strong performance is greatly aided by Jamie LaVerdiere, who plays Quixote's sidekick, Sancho Panza. LaVerdiere's performance as the simple man who adores Quixote is flawless. One high point is Sancho's big song, "I Really Like Him," where Sancho tries to describe to Aldonza (played by Heidi Dean) just how much he looks up to Quixote.
Dean's character, Aldonza, is the apple of Quixote's eye. A whore who was never much more than a pair of arms at a local inn becomes the golden maiden Dulcinea in the fantasy world of Quixote. Dean's performance is well done: her character growth throughout the show is excellent as she makes her broken character relate to the audience.
Speckled with a few other minor characters, the overall cast of Man of La Mancha takes a little while to sync together as a cohesive cast, but once they do, their performance is unforgettable. During the show, the small pit orchestra is in costume and visible to the audience and some members of the pit actually are cast members as well. Will Pailen, who plays French horn for much of the show, also performs the part of the Barber, while Elizabeth Inghram, both flautist and piccolo player, plays Quixote's niece Antonia.
Scenic designer Kris Stone and lighting designer Lap Chi Chu creates an excellent setting to highlight the multi-talented cast. With a great contrast between the dank dungeon where Cervantes is held and the cheerful, imaginative world of Quixote, the lighting and set make Man of La Mancha a beautiful show to watch. The whimsical scenes are accented by intricate set pieces, like a stained glass window for a church scene, which make the flights of fancy more tangible, and tied the whole show together as a cohesive unit.
Man of La Mancha is playing at the Drury Theater until Sunday, Oct.7. Tickets begin at $10 and can be purchased at www.clevelandplayhouse.com or by phone at (216) 795-7000 ext. 4. The Cleveland Playhouse's Drury Theater is located at 8500 Euclid Avenue (just a short trip on the 9X bus).
