Soup Theatre Company's Man of La
Mancha Is Faithful to Cervantes' Vision
and Enriched by Its Outdoor Setting

Wade Newhouse stars as Don Quixote de la Mancha (photo by Gary Meyer)

The Historic Forest Theatre on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus is a venue where history and imagination intertwine. Its stone terraces and tree-lined stage are an ideal setting for Stone Soup Theatre Company's ambitious production of Man of La Mancha. Skillfully directed by Melissa Craib Dombrowski, with music direction by Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, the production takes full advantage of the open-air amphitheater to create a world where the boundaries between reality and dream blur. The magic of the setting was extended to the precarious weather, which thankfully bowed to the production and saved the rain for the final curtain call.

A Play About a Play:

Man of La Mancha is more than a straightforward musical -- it is a play-within-a-play. We meet Miguel de Cervantes, played by Wade Newhouse, as he awaits trial by the Spanish Inquisition. To defend himself before his fellow prisoners, he stages the story of a deluded but noble knight-errant named Alonso Quijano, who rechristens himself Don Quixote and sets out to "right all wrongs." Cervantes's fellow prisoners take on roles in Quixote's imagined world, blurring the line between theater, storytelling, and lived reality.

This structure, conceived by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, echoes Cervantes' original 17th-century novel Don Quixote (full title: The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha) -- a work often hailed as the first modern novel. Like the book, the musical is a meditation on madness, idealism, and the transformative power of imagination.

Stone Soup Theatre Company's Man of La Mancha stars Layla Zeferino as Aldonza and Logan Wilson as Sancho (photo by Gary Meyer)

Sidebar: From Novel to Musical:

When Miguel de Cervantes published Don Quixote in two parts (1605 and 1615), he offered not just a parody of medieval chivalric tales but a deeply human story about a man determined to see the world not as it is, but as it ought to be. Over the centuries, Quixote's tilting at windmills has come to symbolize noble persistence in the face of absurdity.

In 1965, Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion transformed this legacy into Man of La Mancha, which became a Broadway sensation. The show won five 1966 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and gave the world one of its most enduring anthems, "The Impossible Dream." Today, it remains one of the most widely produced musicals internationally, a testament to its blend of humor, pathos, and timeless themes.

Stone Soup Theatre Company's Oct. 10-19 production of Man of La Mancha in the Historic Forest Theatre stars (from left)
John Paul Middlesworth as Barber, Logan Wilson as Sancho, and Wade Newhouse as Don Quixote (photo by Gary Meyer)

Performances Anchored in Vision:

At the heart of the Forest Theatre production is Wade Newhouse's Quixote -- both frail and fiery, absurd yet deeply moving. His rendition of "The Impossible Dream" is stirring, without being overstated, capturing the vulnerability of a man determined to live nobly in an ignoble world. His strong voice and performance anchor this large-scale cast of 25. Logan Wilson provides warmth and comic charm as Sancho Panza, grounding Quixote's lofty idealism, while Layla Zeferino's Aldonza/Dulcinea brings raw emotional intensity, embodying both the hardened pragmatism of a scorned woman and the aching hope of one seen differently.

The supporting ensemble adds vitality, with Rob Steinberg (Governor/Innkeeper) and Levi Squier (Duke/Dr. Carrasco) framing the tension between idealism and cynicism. Krista Katzenmeyer (Antonia) and Brady Bowman (Padre) stole the show in their comic performance of "I'm Only Thinking of Him." Both have beautiful voices and excellent comic physicality.

The orchestra provided a profound range of nuance to the storytelling from the simple strumming of guitarist Drew Ehrler, to the menacing undertones of the percussion provided by Leanne Groff Bernard and Ren Lane; and the resounding trumpet performed by Mark Beamish delivered the heroic flourish that the play demands. It was also interesting to note that many of the members of the orchestra are also in the cast.

The cast includes (from left) Krista Katzenmeyer as Antonia, Brady Bowman as Padre and Leanne Bernard as Housekeeper (photo by Gary Meyer)

The Setting as a Character:

Visually, the production shines, thanks to Art Jolin's set design, which complements the amphitheater's natural stone, and Lisa Crabtree Hess' costumes, which balance stark prison attire with colorful imaginative detail. Eva Buckner's lighting design uses twilight to haunting effect, with the encroaching night echoing Quixote's fading grasp on reality. The Forest Theatre itself becomes an extension of the story, with birdsong, shifting shadows, and rustling leaves joining the score in moments that feel serendipitously theatrical.

Stone Soup Theatre Company's production of Man of La Mancha stars Layla Zeferino (center) as Aldonza (photo by Gary Meyer)

A Story That Still Speaks to Us:

The score -- anchored by "I, Don Quixote," "Dulcinea," and "I Really Like Him" -- remains timeless, culminating in the anthem "The Impossible Dream." More than a showstopper, the song is a distillation of the story's central theme: that dignity, imagination, and moral courage matter, even when they seem impractical. Melissa Craib Dombrowski, the show's director as well as the executive director of Stone Soup Theatre Company, said the shows they selected this year all contain a message of hope in times of fear and oppression. Like Don Quixote himself, small theater companies like this one are using the art of theater to speak messages of love, truth, hope, and idealism to a world that is focused on fear and corruption.

In the end, Stone Soup Theatre Company delivers a Man of La Mancha that is faithful to Cervantes' vision and enriched by its outdoor setting. It is not only a performance but a living encounter with the power of story -- the kind that transforms both characters and audience, urging us all to see windmills as giants, even if only for a night.

The Muleteers are (from left) Tobin Wright, Kevin Hunter Kesling, Chris Kudlick, Kevin Flanigan, Ren Lane, and Fine Song (photo by Gary Meyer)

Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, and Dale Wasserman's MAN OF LA MANCHA (In Person at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17-19), directed by Melissa Craib Dombrowski, with musical director Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis and starring Wade Newhouse as Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote, Layla Zeferino as Aldonza/Dulcinea, Logan Wilson as Sancho Panza, Rob Steinberg as Governor/Innkeeper, Levi Squier as Duke/Dr. Carrasco, Brady Bowman as Padre, Krista Katzenmeyer as Antonia, Leanne Groff Bernard as Housekeeper, John Paul Middlesworth as Barber, Lily Grey Beede as Maria, Kevin Hunter Kesling as Pedro, Tobin Wright as Anselmo, Ren Lane as Jose, Chris Kudlick as Tenorio, Fine Song as Paco, Kevin Flanigan as Juan, Drew Ehrler as Guitar Player/Prisoner #1, Anna Beth Green as Fermina/Prisoner #2/Horse Dancer, Augusta Wilson as Prisoner #3/Horse Dancer, Gianluca Corinaldesi as Prisoner #4/Moor, Madeline Zucker as Cantor/Moor Woman, Emily Hendry as Moorish Girl Dancer, The King Teen as Captain of the Inquisition, and Tristan Smith as Guard (Stone Soup Theatre Co. in UNC-Chapel Hill's Historic Forest Theatre at 123 S. Boundary St.). PRESENTER: https://www.stonesouptheatreco.com/, https://www.facebook.com/StoneSoupTheatreCo/, https://www.instagram.com/stonesouptheatreco/, and https://www.tiktok.com/@stonesouptheatre. 2025-26 SEASON: https://www.stonesouptheatreco.com/current-season/. VENUE: https://ncbg.unc.edu/venue/forest-theatre/ and https://ncbg.unc.edu/visit/battle-park-forest-theatre/. DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/. PARKING: https://maps.unc.edu/parking/forest-theatre-parking-lot/. MAN OF LA MANCHA (1965 Broadway and 1968 West End musical): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/92096/man-of-la-mancha, https://stageagent.com/shows/musical/773/man-of-la-mancha, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/man-of-la-mancha-5817, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_La_Mancha. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDE (Utah Shakespeare Festival): https://www.bard.org/study-guides/man-of-la-mancha-study-guide/. MITCH LEIGH (Brooklyn, NY-born composer, nee Irwin Stanley Michnick, 1928-2014): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/116799/mitch-leigh, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/mitch-leigh-12043, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500272/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Leigh. JOE DARION (New York City-born lyricist, 1917-2001): https://www.mtishows.com/people/joe-darion, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/116798/joe-darion, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/joe-darion-6760, , https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0201256/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Darion. DALE WASSERMAN (Rhinelander, WI-born playwright and screenwriter, 1914-2008): https://www.mtishows.com/people/dale-wasserman, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/2082/dale-wasserman, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/dale-wasserman-4941, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913670/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Wasserman. WARNING: Stone Soup Theatre Company cautions, "This production contains mature themes and scenes of theatrical violence that some patrons may find distressing. We encourage guests to familiarize themselves with the show before purchasing tickets." TICKETS: $30 ($25 students), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: info@stonesouptheatreco.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Stone Soup Theatre Company.

WHAT: Triangle Review is a FREE weekly e-mail performing-arts and film newsletter, edited and published by Robert W. McDowell since August 2001.

TO SUBSCRIBE: To start your FREE subscription today, sign up in the subscription box at the beginning of this e-mail; or e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE-TR in the Subject: line. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: E-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type UNSUBSCRIBE-TR in the Subject: line.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? E-mail all questions, comments, and Letters to the Editor to RobertM748@aol.com. For Letters to the Editor, please include a daytime telephone number in your e-mail.

COPYRIGHT: Editorial content in all formats © 2024 Triangle Review and the author of each article. Reproduction in any form without authorization of Triangle Review and the respective authors is prohibited. Triangle Review maintains an archive of past issues. To request copies of past articles and/or issues, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com.