It was my first time at the Valley Performance Arts Center to see Man of La Mancha. I am only familiar with two songs from this musical and since I have not seen this before, I decided to see it. Fortunately, my friend graced me with his presence so I was set for a fun event.
First off, I thought Davis Gaines as Don Quixote was fantastic. He had a powerful voice that is so becoming of the character. I also like Roland Rusinek as Sancho Panza. Nikki Crawford as Aldonza was not bad either. In fact let me just say that all the performers were good.
Secondly, I like the VPAC theatre. It was clean and modern and the acoustics were pleasantly effective. It was easy to find and parking was a lot better than Theaters in LA.
Thirdly, the stage set was wanting. The stage never changed except for a stair that goes up and down. Whenever they portrayed a new place, they just brought in a flat piece of wood that served as a table or bed. I would have like changing stage set so that I do not have to imagine where they were suppose to be.
Lastly, I like most of the songs of the show. Special mention to "Man of La Mancha". The tap number with the horses was very amusing. "The Impossible Dream" of course is a classic that many knows. I was teary eyed with that number. "I'm only thinking of him" was a good melodic song. The microphone of Padre unfortunately did not work so we could barely hear his voice in that trio medley number. What a shame. Some of the other songs were sort of forgettable.
3.5 stars out of 5.
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