A Live Orchestra and Tightknit Cast Bring ‘Man of La Mancha’ to Vibrant Life at SGMT
– By Cami Cox –
Now playing and continuing through April 19, St. George Musical Theater presents “Man of La Mancha,” the classic musical tale of delusional adventurer Don Quixote. Performances take place at the historic St. George Opera House, 212 N. Main St. in St. George.
The production is directed by Dr. Lawrence P. Vincent, whose most recent SGMT directorial effort prior to this show was 2023’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” The production stars John Tanner in the role of Don Quixote, Kramer Kwalick and Taylor Williams double cast as Sancho, and Lauren Pratt and Amber Turner double cast as Aldonza.
SGMT brings some special elements to the time-honored musical, including a live orchestra providing instrumentation for the show – something not typically seen in an SGMT production. “Most of our musicals that we do at SGMT, we use tracks, so we’ll have prerecorded tracks for our singers to sing along to,” said Gabriel Ashton Brown, artistic director for St. George Musical Theater. “With this production, we actually have a live pit. This is a really, really fun thing for us in this space.”
The accompanying musicians include a guitarist, a pianist, a drummer, and multiple wind instruments. “There’s a lot of flavor in this music, and it’s important that you get a guitarist, especially, so you can get that Spanish sound,” Brown said.
“We feel very, very lucky that we’ve got such a unique and textured show,” she added.
Over the course of rehearsals for “Man of La Mancha,” various performers were forced to drop out due to illness, Brown said. These challenges, though, have ultimately led to tightknit camaraderie among the remaining cast members, and having a smaller cast has enabled every performer to get a lot of stage time in the production. “It’s great to have an ensemble show where every single person is highlighted in some way,” Brown said, adding, “Every single actor is at a really high level.”
“Man of La Mancha” depicts the story of Miguel de Cervantes, who is imprisoned during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. As Cervantes awaits his trial, he shares the tale of Alonso Quijana with his fellow prisoners. Quijana is a country squire who escapes depressing reality by diving into delusion. He imagines that he is Don Quixote, a noble knight embarking on a quest with his faithful servant Sancho. Over the course of Don Quixote’s story, the imaginary knight confronts windmills that he believes are giants, and he pledges his devotion to a servant girl named Aldonza, whom he imagines to be a lady of nobility named Dulcinea. Though delusional in his idealistic quest, Don Quixote dares to “dream the impossible dream,” inspiring hope and promoting the power of imagination.
In SGMT’s depiction, the story of Don Quixote is a play within a play, with the production happening within the confines of Cervantes’ prison. “Our production takes place within the prison, and it’s all from what could be conceived of in that prison,” Brown said. Prisoners assist in unpacking a chest of costume pieces and other performance accoutrement, and Sancho essentially acts as director of the show.
Tickets for “Man of La Mancha” can be purchased online, by calling (435) 628-8755, or by emailing SGMTTickets@gmail.com. For more information about St. George Musical Theater and upcoming productions, visit SGMusicalTheater.com.
