With stirring songs such as the iconic “The Impossible Dream,” transformation and redemption are the heart of the moving musical, “Man of La Mancha.” Inspired by the characters and adventures of the unlikely Spanish knight Don Quixote, created by Miguel de Cervantes, the multi Tony Award winning “Man of La Mancha” will be produced on the intimate stage at the Workhouse Arts Center theater with live musical accompaniment including flamenco guitar and percussive rhythms.
Under the musical direction of Merissa Driscoll, and direction and choreography by the veteran Workhouse team of Jeffrey Davis and Mary Payne, “’Man of La Mancha’ aims to provide audiences beauty in darkness and despair. It provides opportunities for self-reflection and renewed faith in finding hope, peace and reaching for the stars- following your own ‘Impossible Dream,” said Joseph Wallen, director, performing arts, Workhouse Arts Center.
Featured actors and singers in “Man of La Mancha” include Mary Payne portraying Aldonza, the woman with a tough exterior and gentle heart who wants to believe the stories she hears. John Hollinger is playing Cervantes and Quixote.
It is Hollinger who sings the iconic lyrics about marching for “a heavenly cause.”
“I am I, Don Quixote, the lord of La Mancha, my destiny calls and I go…And the wild winds of fortune will carry me onward, Oh whithersoever they blow…Onward to glory I go!”
“Man of La Mancha” is set historically in the period of the Spanish Inquisition. Author Cervantes is thrown in prison with a wicker trunk containing his belongings. His fellow prisoners doubt his ability to defend himself. They put him on a “mock trial” before he appears before the authorities. Cervantes imagines a brave knight named Don Quixote and his trusty squire Sancho Panza. What follows is a play-within-a-play as objects in the wicker basket turn into a set, and his fellow inmates perform.
“Looking at the heart of the story, ‘La Mancha’ is a very appropriate or this time of year, of reflection,” said Wallen. “Our Workhouse production will be a very personal experience as no seat is further than 50 feet from the stage. We want our guests to have the sensation that they are in the environment of the world of the production.”
Inviting patrons to the performance Wallen added that the entire “La Mancha” team and crew aims to provide “an engaging evening on a cold winter night for the audience.”
Where and When
Workhouse Arts Center presents “Man of La Mancha” at W3 Theatre, 9518 Workhouse Way, Building W3, Lorton. Performances Dec. 15 to Jan. 13, 2019. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. plus New Year’s Eve performance. Tickets: $20-$35 (Note: Ticket prices may increase, based on demand. Advanced purchase recommended). Visit www.workhousearts.org or call 703-584-2900. Note: On Monday, Dec. 31, there will be a special performance that includes admission to a post-show New Year’s Eve Countdown Party with music, tapas-style desserts and complimentary champagne toast to ring in 2019 in the McGuireWoods Gallery. Special pricing and after-party for New Year’s Eve performance. Visit www.workhousearts.org or call 703-584-2900.