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FREE MAN OF LA MANCHA PDF Wasserman | 82 pages | 11 Apr 1990 | Random House USA Inc | 9780394406190 | English | New York, United States Man of La Mancha movie review () | Roger Ebert It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical teleplay I, Don Quixotewhich was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes and his 17th-century novel Don Quixote. It tells the story of the "mad" knight Don Quixote as a play within a play, Man of La Mancha by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. Wasserman complained repeatedly about people taking the work as a musical version of Don Quixote. The original Broadway production ran for 2, performances and won five Tony Awardsincluding Best Musical. The musical has been revived four times on Broadway, becoming one of the most enduring works of musical theatre. The principal song, " The Impossible Dream ", became a standard. This original telecast starred Lee J. The play was broadcast live on November 9,with an estimated audience of 20 million. Years after this television broadcast and after the original teleplay had been unsuccessfully optioned as a non-musical Broadway play, director Albert Marre called Wasserman and suggested that he turn his play into a musical. Mitch Leigh was selected as composer, with orchestrations by Carlyle W. Unusually for the time, this show was scored for an orchestra with no violins or other traditional orchestral stringed instruments apart from a double bass, instead making heavier use of brass, woodwinds, percussion and utilizing flamenco guitars as the only stringed instruments of any sort. The original lyricist of the musical was poet W. Audenbut his lyrics were discarded, some of them considered too overtly satiric Man of La Mancha biting, attacking the bourgeois audience at times. Auden's lyrics were replaced by those of Joe Darion. The musical first played at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut in The show moved to Broadway to the Martin Beck Theatre on March 20,then to the Eden Theatre on March 3,and finally to the Mark Hellinger Theatre on May 26, for its last month, a total original Broadway run of 2, performances. Musical staging and direction were by Albert Marre, choreography was by Jack Coleand Howard Bay was the scenic and lighting designer, with costumes by Bay and Patton Campbell. The musical was performed on a single set that suggested a dungeon. All changes in location were created by alterations in the lighting, by the use of props supposedly lying around the floor of the dungeon, and by reliance on the audience's imagination. More recent productions, however, have added more scenery. The original West End London production was at the Piccadilly Theatreopening on April 24, and running for performances. The play has been revived on Broadway four times: [4]. Hal Linden played Quixote in the show's U. National tour, [19] and Robert Goulet played Quixote in the —98 U. National tour. Inthe play received a West End revival with a production at the London Coliseum. In the late sixteenth century, failed author-soldier-actor and tax collector Man of La Mancha de Cervantes has been thrown into a dungeon by the Spanish Inquisitionalong with his manservant. They have been charged with foreclosing on Man of La Mancha monastery. Their fellow prisoners attack them, eager to steal the contents of Man of La Mancha large trunk Cervantes has brought with him. However, a sympathetic criminal known as "the Governor" suggests setting up a mock trial instead. Only if Cervantes is found guilty will he have to hand over his possessions. A cynical prisoner, known as "the Duke," charges Cervantes with being an idealist and a bad poet. Cervantes pleads guilty, but then asks if he Man of La Mancha offer a defense, in the form of a play, acted out by him and all the prisoners. The "Governor" agrees. Cervantes takes out a makeup kit and costume from his trunk, and transforms himself into Alonso Quijano, an old gentleman who has read so many books of chivalry and thought so much about injustice that he has lost his mind and set out as a knight-errant. Don Quixote warns Sancho that they are always in danger of being attacked by Quixote's mortal enemy, an evil magician known as the Enchanter. Suddenly he spots a windmill, mistakes it for a four-armed giant, attacks it, and receives a beating Man of La Mancha the encounter. Quixote decides that he lost the battle because Man of La Mancha was never properly knighted. He then mistakes a rundown inn for a castle and orders Sancho to announce their arrival by blowing his bugle. Cervantes talks some prisoners into assuming the roles of the inn's serving wench and part-time prostitute Aldonza, and a group of muleteers who are propositioning her. Aldonza fends them off sarcastically "It's All The Same"but eventually deigns to accept their leader, Pedro, who pays in advance. Don Quixote enters with Sancho, asking for the lord of the castle. Quixote sees Aldonza and declares that she is his lady, Dulcinea, to whom he Man of La Mancha sworn eternal loyalty "Dulcinea". Aldonza, used to rough treatment, is first flabbergasted and then annoyed at Quixote's kindness, and is further aggravated when the Muleteers turn Quixote's tender ballad into a mocking serenade. Meanwhile, Antonia, Don Quixote's niece, has gone with Quixote's housekeeper to seek advice from the local priest, who realizes that the two women are more concerned with the embarrassment Quixote's madness may bring them than with his actual welfare "I'm Only Thinking of Him". Cervantes chooses "the Duke" to play Dr. Carrasco is upset at the idea of marrying into the family of a madman, but the priest convinces Carrasco that it would be a worthy challenge to use his abilities to cure his prospective uncle-in-law. Back at the inn, Sancho delivers a missive from Don Quixote to Aldonza courting her favor and asking for a token of her esteem. Aldonza provides the requested token: an old dishrag. In the courtyard, the muleteers once again taunt Aldonza with a suggestive song "Little Bird, Little Bird". Pedro makes arrangements with her for an assignation later. The priest and Dr. Carrasco arrive, but cannot reason with Don Quixote. Quixote becomes distracted by a barber who passes by the inn, wearing his shaving basin on his head to ward off the sun's heat "The Barber's Song". Quixote threatens the barber with a sword and snatches the basin, declaring it is Man of La Mancha "Golden Helmet of Mambrino ", which makes its wearer invulnerable. Carrasco Man of La Mancha the priest leave, with the priest impressed by Don Quixote's view of life and wondering if curing him is really worthwhile "To Each His Dulcinea". Quixote still wishes to be officially dubbed a knight: he plans to stand vigil all night over his armor in the inn's courtyard, and then have the Innkeeper whom he mistakes for a nobleman grant him knighthood the following morning. Aldonza encounters Quixote in the courtyard and confronts him; Quixote does his best to explain the ideals he follows and the quest he is on "The Impossible Dream". Pedro enters, furious at being kept waiting, and slaps Aldonza. Enraged, Don Man of La Mancha takes him and all the other muleteers on in a fight "The Combat". Don Quixote has no martial skill, but by luck and determination — and with the help of Aldonza and Sancho — he prevails, and the muleteers are all knocked unconscious. But the noise attracts the attention of the Innkeeper, who tells Quixote that he must leave. Quixote apologizes for the trouble but reminds the Innkeeper of his promise to dub him knight. The Innkeeper does so "Knight of the Woeful Countenance". Quixote then declares that he must comfort the wounded muleteers, because chivalry requires kindness to one's enemies. Aldonza, impressed, says that she will help the muleteers instead. But when she comes to them with bandages, they beat her, rape her, and carry her off "The Abduction". Quixote, unaware of this, contemplates his recent victory and new knighthood "The Impossible Dream" — first reprise. At this point, the Don Quixote play is brutally interrupted when the Inquisition enters the dungeon and drags off an unwilling prisoner to be tried. The Duke taunts Cervantes for his look of fear, and accuses him of not facing reality. This prompts Cervantes to passionately defend his idealism. Aldonza Man of La Mancha shows up at the inn, bruised and ashamed. Quixote swears to avenge her, but she tells him off, flinging her real, pitiful history in his face and blaming him for allowing her a glimpse of Man of La Mancha life she can never have. She begs him to see her as she really is but Quixote can only see her as his Dulcinea "Aldonza". Suddenly, another knight enters. He announces himself as Don Quixote's mortal enemy, the Enchanter, in the form of the "Knight of the Mirrors". He insults Aldonza, so Quixote challenges him to combat. Man of La Mancha Knight of the Mirrors and his attendants bear huge mirrored shields, and as they swing them at Quixote "Knight of the Mirrors"the glare blinds him. The Knight taunts Quixote, forcing him to see himself as the world sees him: a fool and a madman. Don Quixote collapses, weeping. The Knight of the Mirrors removes his helmet — he is really Dr. Carrasco, returned with his latest plan to cure Quixote. Cervantes announces that Man of La Mancha story is finished, but the prisoners are dissatisfied with the ending.

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