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March 1, 2013
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March 5, 2013
The Iberia Performing Arts League presents the five-time Tony Award winning musical masterpiece, “Man of La Mancha,” March 8-24 at the Essanee Theater in New Iberia.
Donald “Doc” Voorhies says “Man of La Mancha” was a very radical musical during its time because it is a play within a play.
“Basically it’s (Miguel de) Cervantes, the author, telling the story of Don Quixote,” Voorhies says. “The prisoners become the actors in the Don Quixote story, so it’s like everyone is double cast.”
“Man of La Mancha,” the Broadway musical, was written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The musical is adapted from Wasserman’s non-musical “I, Don Quixote,” which was originally inspired by Cervantes’s 17th century creation, Don Quixote de la Mancha.
The storyline, a play within a play, is performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. The story of Don Quixote is Cervante’s defense in the mock trial. Cervantes plays Alhonso Quiana, a man who has formed an alternate reality all his own to become Don Quixote de la Mancha. With the help of his servant Sancho Panza, Quixote sets out on a quest for “The Impossible Dream,” and attempts to vanquish evil and win the heart of a fair maiden. As Quixote’s impossible dream begins to take over his mind, he is driven mad.
Lynn Derouen, musical director and lead male playing Cervantes, says “Man of La Mancha” is a fun show to perform because many of the characters give actors the freedom to “let loose.”
“This is a very challenging, but fun role,” Derouen says. “What’s fun about playing the role I have is that I can really just have a ball with it. It’s a character that is kind of a crazy so I can really let my hair down and take it over the top. Of course, there are probably those that would say I was cast because I had a head start on crazy anyway.”
Man of La Mancha opened on Broadway in 1965 and ran for more than 2,000 performances.
The show features Spanish style music and the anthem “To Dream the Impossible Dream,” among other tunes like “It’s All the Same,” “Dulcinea,” “I’m Only Thinking of Him,” “The Impossible Dream,” “I Really Like Him” and “Little Bird.”
A 16-piece orchestra accompanies the production.
Voorhies says the story itself is funny and dramatic and the music is unusually beautiful for a Broadway show.
“It’s the quality of the music,” Voorhies says. “It’s the way it involves the audience in the show. At the start, the audience is watching the prisoners watch the Don Quixote story, but eventually as the prisoners begin to act in the story, the audience members become like the prisoners. It’s not audience participations, but it’s not just watching a story on stage.”
Additionally, the cast and orchestra never exit the stage for the duration of the show to support the storyline that they are detained in a holding unit, a jail in the basement of a church.
“It’s unique because the entire thing is self-contained within one set and all of the pieces used for set changes are within the set, so it’s very creative and unusual,” Voorhies remarks. “Many of the set pieces have three or more purposes on stage. The set people have truly worked magic to set the scene.”
The Iberia Performing Arts League holds a fundraiser March 2 called “Broadway, Bites & Bubblies!” to raise money for the orchestra and production of “Man of La Mancha.”
Katherine Caffery, IPAL President, said the event features local chefs and IPAL performers providing music.
“It’s a community theater in the true sense of the word,” Caffery said. “I mean, we’re all self-supportive with volunteers. All the money we bring in goes straight back into the organization and everyone is a volunteer except for the musicians.”
Contact (337) 658-0222 or email ipal@cox.net for more information on the fundraiser.
The Iberia Performing Arts League also sponsors an Acting Workshop at the Essanee Theater March 11, 18, and 25 from 6-8 p.m. “To Be or Not To Be: An Adult Acting Workshop” is a workshop to offer basic and advanced knowledge on the craft of acting. Travis Guillory, a student who has received training in New York, teaches the workshop.
“He’s what I call one of our child prodigy actors,” Voorhies said. “He’s attending the University of Louisiana (Lafayette), but he has studied in New York.”
The cost of the workshop is $50, and it is open to participants 15 years and older. Registration is at www.adultacting.webs.com. For more information contact IPAL at (337) 364-6114 or email trvsguillory@yahoo.com.
The Iberia Performing Arts League ventures into 17th Century Spain with the tale of knight-errant Don Quixote in “Man of La Mancha,” opening March 8.
