Star-Studded Cast Big Draw For Man of La Mancha at the Colonial Theater in Boston

When Man of La Mancha opened in 1965, it differed from the contemporary light fare. For one thing, the show is based on Cervantes' 1605 epic novel, Don Quixote. The 1992 Broadway-bound revival, on the other hand, is determined to do it 90s style, with a star-studded cast and expensive production.

Cynical commentary on 90s musicals aside, outstanding performances by Raul Julia and Sheena Easton make the show an exciting journey through sixteenth-century Spain, chock full of inspiring idealism a la Miguel de Cervantes.

Man of La Mancha begins with Cervantes (Raul Julia), imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition, on "trial" before his cellmates. The soon-to-be-major-Spanish-novelist sets out to dramatize the tale of Don Quixote and his romantic quest for the "Impossible Dream."

Julia alternates between the roles of the author and his character. As Quixote, he rides around on his donkey with his sidekick Sancho (Tony Martinez), attempting "to right the unrightable wrong."

During the course of the quest, Quixote encounters Aldonza, played by a physically fit Sheena Easton. Although Aldonza is a barmaid who has been around, Don Quixote does great things for her image, elevating her into the ideal "lady Dulcinea."

Although the earthy Aldonza cannot understand why Don Quixote does not see that "the world is a dung heap and we are the maggots that live on it" and really cannot understand why he thinks she is a virgin, Quixote's idealism grows on her, as it does on the audience. He may be insane--he sees rags as "gossamer" and seeks to be knighted, although there have been no knights for 300 years--but he sure is happy. His unshakable faith shows us that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and helps Aldonza become the woman that he believes her to be.

These optimistic messages may be uplifting, but they recur ad nauseum, even to the point of dragging the show down a bit. Though the first few scenes are slow to get going, the pace eventually picks up for a successful show, nonetheless.

Raul Julia demonstrates why he can land a big part in Moon Over Parador as he convincingly alternates between Cervantes and Quixote. His singing, however, is merely competent and pales in comparison to his acting ability. Although he sings the show's famous and inspirational tune, "To Dream the Impossible Dream," his rendition is rather disappointing.

Man of La Mancha

dir. Albert Marre

at the Colonial Theatre

Through March 29

Sheena Easton complements him beautifully with her angelic voice, shown off in four solos. Most memorable is the compelling "Aldonza." Although her Scottish accent is slightly annoying, she compensates with radiating stage presence. It is surprising to learn that this polished performance is Sheena Easton's theatrical debut.

There are many excellent performances in Man of La Mancha. Tony Martinez, who recently celebrated his two-thousandth performance as Sancho, is indeed a Sancho among Sanchos. He sings a charismatic version of the humorous "I Really Like Him." The Padre (David Wasson) gives a beautiful rendition of "To Each His Dulcinea," expressing unerringly the simplistic ideal of the show: "How lovely life would seem if every man could weave a dream to keep him from despair."

Although inspiring, the tunes are far from memorable. But even if you do not recognize the songs, you will certainly recognize some of Cervantes's quotable pearls of wisdom, such as "Facts are the enemy of truth."

In the concluding scenes, Don Quixote, forced to see reality, returns home as a broken man. However, Dulcinea comes to remind him of his quest and to prove that the spirit of Don Quixote lives. Lest it end on an overly optimistic note, we see Cervantes being called up from prison to face the Spanish Inquisition.

Although less light-hearted and memorable than your typical musical, this top-notch revival of Man of La Mancha rekindles what little idealism we have left.