Cervantes’ Don Quixote journeys to HCTO
Dave Burton plays Don Quixote and Andy Hansen plays Sancho Panza in Hale Center Theater Orem's "Man of La Mancha." To read our preview of the play, visit bit.ly/1k79xgc.
Dave Burton plays Don Quixote and Anna Daines Rennaker plays Dulcinea in Hale Center Theater Orem's "Man of La Mancha," opening tonight in Orem.
Anna Daines Rennaker as Dulcinea in Hale Center Theater Orem's "Man of La Mancha."
A legendary hero is given new life in the classic musical “Man of La Mancha,” opening tonight at Hale Center Theater Orem.
The timeless tale of Don Quixote and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza, will carry audiences through a journey of friendship, love and ultimate redemption as they battle “giants” and rid the land of injustice. Miguel de Cervantes wrote the story in the early 17th century, and it was revived on Broadway several times after its initial premiere in 1965, which won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Dave Burton shares the title role with Art Allen, who reprises the Don Quixote character after first playing him at HCTO 11 years ago. Allen referred to Cervantes as a “student of humanity” and said the author may have created the character as an idealized version of himself.
“Through Quixote, (Cervantes) expresses his beliefs that virtue prevails, that good overcomes evil, and that all people have value far above what they see in themselves,” Allen said.
Cervantes writes himself in the story as an imprisoned man, who then recruits his fellow cellmates to reenact the heroic epic of Don Quixote. The acclaimed Broadway production yielded a songbook with iconic music including “Impossible Dream (The Quest)” and “Dulcinea,” an ode Quixote sings to an unrequited love named Aldonza, who he calls Dulcinea.
The self-named knight famously battles windmills he believes are threatening giants, and breaks his lance after getting caught in the mill’s sail. After the Don’s defeat, Sancho continues with his companion, who he calls Master, and listens to the knight as he regularly imparts chivalric words of wisdom to the squire.
They later come upon a village where Don Quixote is immediately stricken with the charms of a dirty, gritty barmaid named Aldonza, who the knight recognizes as his virtuous Dulcinea, which means “the sweet one.”
Provo resident Anna Daines Rennaker is cast as Aldonza, who in the story, is placed in dire circumstances with little self-worth and ambition.
“You see her entire roller coaster — that veneer of toughness and control, the breaking of it, her exhaustion and depression, her desire to hope for a better life, and her ultimate redemption,” Rennaker said. “Everyone goes through that roller coaster to some degree, and I’ve had to learn to empathize with and understand her experiences so I can make them truthful.”
At first glance the hero appears to be going mad, since Don Quixote declares himself a knight charged with a quest to protect the innocent and to uphold justice. It began after burying himself in books regaling the deeds of knights fighting for virtue, which triggered some unfeigned urge to seek out injustice and his imaginary love, Dulcinea. He delivers an almost Shakespearean love song to the barmaid, with lyrics like, “And thy name is like a prayer an angel whispers — Dulcinea, Dulcinea.”
Aldonza unwittingly begins to transform into Dulcinea as she fends off the honorable advances of the delusional knight, but begins to believe in herself as she has never done before.
Rennaker said HCTO’s intimate theater stage allows cast members and viewers to meet virtually toe-to-toe, which establishes a connection between actors and audiences unlike most other venues in the valley.
“The audience is literally right there with you,” Rennaker said. “Connecting with the audience then, isn’t a problem as long as we, as actors and crew, are connected with each other. Rather than beefing everything up for a giant stage, we have to work for subtlety and honesty. When we do it right, it’s incredibly powerful.”
Orem resident Andy Hansen is cast as Sancho, and he said that experiencing the performing arts as a community stirs the atmosphere in the auditorium with emotion, regardless of the message.
“It’s exhilarating to perform in front of a live audience. All of those eyes watching all the minute things you do, I could see how some people might be afraid of it,” Hansen said. “But I’ll tell you a secret about being on stage: the audience doesn’t want you to fail. They want a good show just as much as you want to give them one.”
Those familiar with the tale will experience something new as it’s shared through the medium of musical theater, which Hansen said elevates the storytelling.
“People share stories to get a point across, it’s part of human nature. Theater boosts that experience by not only telling you what the message is, but showing you,” Hansen said.
MAN OF LA MANCHA
When: Tonight through Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. (except Sundays), 3 p.m. for Saturday matinees. No performances on July 4th.
Where: Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North, Orem
Tickets: $17-$22, $4-$6 discount for children.
Info: (801) 226-8600, hcto.org.