“The Impossible Dream” Comes to the Mount
By Elysian Alder | Assistant Editor
Beginning on February 24th, the Theater at the Mount’s 2023 season kicked off to a promising start with the production of the five-time Tony Award-winning 1965 musical, Man of La Mancha.
Originally written by Dale Wasserman, Man of La Mancha is set in the late sixteenth century and tells the story of the failed poet, actor, and tax collector, Miguel de Cervantes (Chris Cenotti), who has been apprehended by the Spanish Inquisition and imprisoned in a dungeon for attempting to put a lien on a church monastery. Once imprisoned, Cervantes and his faithful manservant, Sancho Panza (Craig Cormier), find themselves at the mercy of a colorful cast of fellow prisoners who insist that Cervantes must partake in a mock trial before them all or risk losing the trunk of possessions he’s brought with him into the cell. Cervantes agrees, but only under the condition that he and Sancho be allowed to deliver their ‘defense’ in the form of a fantastical play, depicting the quest of a mind-addled gentleman named Alonso Quijano, who seeks adventure and dons the persona of a knight-errant, titling himself Don Quixote, the Lord of La Mancha, and making the devoted Sancho out to be his squire.
As demonstrated by last season’s The Play That Goes Wrong, the performers and staff of the Theater at the Mount were more than well-equipped to deliver a superb performance of a play-within-a-play. The production staff outdid themselves with this one, though, utilizing a single set design and seamlessly transforming the stage into whichever setting they needed for the scenes, whether it be a dungeon cell, Renaissance-era tavern and inn, starry courtyard, church confessional, or the setting of Alonso Quijano’s home. The simple but effective usage of soft, speckled lights splashed against the backdrop of the set, for example, implied a starry-lit sky during the delivery of Quixote’s inspiring credo, “The Impossible Dream.”
Although at times, Cenotti’s vocals paled in comparison to some of his other castmates, his portrayal of the well-known knight-errant was a wholesome and heartwarming one, and what he lacked in vocal impressiveness, he made up for in the memorable delivery of Cervantes/Quixote’s many monologues and rambling speeches. And, along with a breathtaking orchestra, there were plenty of other stellar voices to help round out any rough edges, including the returning Theater at the Mount star Andrea Moore in the role of love interest and steely girl-boss Aldonza and the phenomenal Taylor Lawton as the church “Padre” of the cast, both of whom left the audience with chills.
It can certainly be said that some of the content within the musical did not age especially well, and the Theater at the Mount staff were right to include a disclaimer on the show’s web page indicating that there would be potentially sensitive, adult content within the narrative that may not suit all audiences, but that didn’t seem to have an impact on the turn-out. It was a jam-packed theater, with the pleasant staff and ushers in constant motion, directing excited patrons to their seats and offering assistance wherever it was needed.
Not everything was as smooth sailing as it seemed, however. Prior to the start of the production, theater director Gail Steele took to the stage to deliver some pre-show announcements, beginning first by thanking the audience for making it out despite the region experiencing intense snowfall and inclement weather. Additionally, Steele provided some insight into why some patrons may have had a difficult time purchasing tickets. The reason? Their ticketing system experienced a cyber-attack, resulting in a temporary fix being implemented. This didn’t stop Steele from sharing some good news on the tail-end of that, stating that the theater had sold “1200 season tickets, which is close to pre-Covid numbers.”
Steele also showed confidence and enthusiasm for the Man of La Mancha production, assuring the audience that, “If you’re not a season ticket holder, I have a feeling that after you see this show, you’ll be saying, ‘darn, I wish I was a season ticket holder.’”
The Theater at the Mount’s exceptional production of Man of La Mancha was performed on February 24th and 25th, as well as on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Upcoming performances that are certain to impress include Ruthless! in June, Hello Dolly in August, The Odd Couple in October, and Elf, The Musical in November and December, as well as a few children’s shows throughout the year.
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