Complete with its stunning musical score, sung by some of the county’s most talented performers, Man of La Mancha will take centre stage at South Simcoe Theatre, April 24 to May 11.
Man of La Mancha is the last musical show of the season – a season which saw SST rewarded for its outstanding work. Last November’s presentation of Little Women garnered director Scott A. Hurst a THEA Award for best production of a musical.
The Association of Community Theatres of Central Ontario also honoured SST with four other awards and two additional nominations.
Delighted for the recognition Little Women received, Hurst is equally enthusiastic about Man of La Mancha.
Hurst recommended Man of La Mancha and auditions took place in October. The director found the play to be an ideal choice as its themes are still relevant today.
The original 1965 Broadway production won five Tony Awards, and has seen many revivals as one of the most enduring musical theatre works.
The song The Impossible Dream continues to resonate with inspiration more than four decades later.
Set in the late 16th century, it tells the story of how Miguel de Cervantes was thrown into a dungeon by the Spanish Inquisition. The story evolves via a play within a play as the prisoners await a hearing.
The focus is on the life of the writer, Cervantes. “This man had a very, very rich and interesting life which including being in and out of prisons, being a slave for five years, and losing one of his hands in battle,” Hurst said.
“At the end of his life, he wrote several plays and many novels and in his final years came up with Don Quixote and it became the novel that everyone just couldn’t get enough of.”
In one scene, the character of Aldonza questions why one should believe in man’s humanity towards man.
“He turns to her and says, 'I want to bring a measure of grace to the world,’” Hurst noted, adding that 43 years later there continue to be injustices, similar to those in the play which persist throughout the world.
Considering that the show also deals with abuse towards the female character Aldonza, Hurst said the play is not suitable for children. He suggests the age of 13 and older, with parental accompaniment.
“It’s one of those musicals with a universal theme. I hope people will come out of the show thinking a little bit about how we behave,” he said.
With a cast of 17, SST draws on the talents of actor/singers from throughout the county including: Eric Bennett, Amanda Chaffey, Paul Couture, Annette Derraugh, Max Durnford, Frank Holbrook, Benjamin Kyte, Dave MacDonald, Michael MacVittie, Lori McIntyre, Janet Ness, Kevin Scharf, Walter Stewart and Rob Townsend.
For tickets, call the box office at 458-4432 or click the link. The show takes place at 1 Hamilton Street in Cookstown.
