: 'Man of La Mancha' making stop in Cerritos

CERRITOS - "Man of La Mancha," a tale of man's struggles to better himself and right the wrongs of the world, opens Jan. 10 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts for three performances only.The comic tragedy is set in a grim Seville prison during the Spanish Inquisition. The story of knight-errant Don Quixote is told as a play within a play. The musical begins with Miguel de Cervantes being thrown into a dungeon to await trial by the Inquisition for an alleged offense against the Church. The aging playwright-poet is dragged before a kangaroo court of his fellow inmates, who are determined to take all his possessions, which include the unfinished manuscript of a novel, Don Quixote. In an effort to preserve his work, Cervantes stages his "defense" in the form of a play, which incorporates the other prisoners into the plotline. The prisoners agree to hear him out and Cervantes transforms himself into Don Quixote, who embarks on a mission to restore chivalry, battle all evil and right all wrongs. Praised as an "exquisite musical play" by the New York Daily News, the production has been performed throughout the United States and in Asia and Europe. Besides the "Best Musical Tony Award, it also won for "Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical." The musical features the songs "Man of La Mancha," "Dulcinea" and "The Impossible Dream," which won the Contemporary Classics Award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Performances of "Man of La Mancha" are Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased online at cerritoscenter.com or by calling (562) 467-8818.

********** Published: Dec. 12, 2013 - Volume 12 - Issue 35