Lincoln Academy senior Jonah Daiute (left) enters as knight-errant Don Quixote in the Broadway musical “Man of La Mancha,” running Oct. 26 through Nov. 4, presented by Heartwood Regional Theater Company in collaboration with Lincoln Academy. (Photo courtesy Joy Braley)
Performances are selling out for the Broadway musical “Man of La Mancha,” running Oct. 26 through Nov. 4 in the Parker B. Poe Theater at Lincoln Academy. This poignant play within a play, with its timeless themes and insights, is Heartwood Regional Theater Company’s 16th annual student production in collaboration with Lincoln Academy.
Based on the classic 17th century novel “Don Quixote,” by Miguel de Cervantes, “Man of La Mancha” remains one of the most enduring musicals of all time, with such memorable musical numbers as “The Impossible Dream”, “Dulcinea,” and “Man of La Mancha.”
Cervantes wrote: “I have never had the courage to believe in nothing.” And so, this author gave us a windmill-chasing knight lapsing into madness, a singing barber, a thoughtful and insightful spiritual leader, a proverb-spouting little squire, and a seemingly irredeemable woman who finally chooses to believe in an old knight’s impossible dream. Along their way are hard-hearted muleteers, family squabbles, “the Enchanter,” crazy antics, and heartbreaking moments of truth — all wrapped in a 95-minute musical.
The technical elements are firmly in place and the music and choreography are sure, leaving this group of actors digging deeper into their characters and scene work. Under the exceptional directorial trio of Griff Braley, Beth Preston, and Sean Fleming, these students are about to deliver a memorable and complete piece of theater.
Evening performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27 and Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 1-3, with two Sunday 3 p.m. matinees on Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 in the Parker B. Poe Theater at Lincoln Academy. Student tickets, held at a low price for the entire season by Heartwood Regional Theater Company Student Ticket Sponsors Peapod Jewelry and H.M. Payson, are $5; adult tickets are $16.
Reservations are available by emailing Heartwood at info@heartwoodtheater.org or phoning 563-1373 (please do not contact Lincoln Academy for tickets). Seating is unreserved, unless specifically requested in advance. Ticket sales are escalating, and early reservations are strongly encouraged. For more details, visit heartwoodtheater.org.
“Man of La Mancha” is made possible, in part, by Heartwood Season Sponsors Bath Savings Institution and Granite Hill Estates, Season Youth Sponsor Damariscotta Hardware, and Production Sponsor Chesterfield Associates.
