Man of La Mancha LCT gala
I haven’t seen anyone posting yet about this performance so I’ll share my thoughts and a few photos.
It was a fantastic performance! Rolando Villazón has a gorgeous voice and he was a compelling Cervantes/Don Quixote. I’ve seen comments that he overacts but I thought he was poignant in the role and from my seat his acting was excellent.
Lindsay Mendez brought a ferocity and touching realness to Alfonzo/Dulcinea. Her “Aldonza” was one of the strongest moments of the night, although it was taken down a few steps. She sounded incredible.
Robin de Jesus was a fabulous Sancho Panza, he really made it easy to see why he followed Don Quijote and wanted to see the world through his eyes. He wasn’t the biggest singer on the stage but his “A Little Gossip” was very poignant. I saw him most recently in “Night Side Songs” and he’s a wonderful performer.
The rest of the cast - Phillip Boykin, Patrick Page, Bonnie Milligan, J. Harrison Ghee - and many others rounded out a fantastic ensemble. I think my favorite moment was the “I’m only thinking of him” trio which was incredible.
I’m not super familiar with the show (I saw it as a child) but it thought it was a very clear and straightforward production with a spare “set” that they enhanced with projections that worked very well. There was pretty minimal staging but they made it work well for a concert version. Villazón was entirely off book which was impressive.
And yes, that is Daniel Radcliffe sitting 2 rows in front of me.