Showtimers to present ‘Man of La Mancha’ beginning July 22
Showtimers will present ‘Man of La Mancha’ based on the book by Dale Wasserman with music from Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion July 22 through August 8.
The popular musical, ‘Man of La Mancha’ is about Miguel de Cervantes’ who is imprisoned in Seville, awaiting trial by the Spanish Inquisition in 1588. After some of his fellow prisoners try to steal some of his personal belongs, which included an unfinished novel, Cervantes and his servant become the characters of the novel, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. They then use the story to amuse the other prisoners.
Popular music that has arisen from ‘Man of La Mancha’ include ‘Dulcinea’, ‘Man of La Mancha’, ‘The Impossible Dream’, ‘The Moorish Dance’, and ‘The Barber’s Song’.
22 actors are cast for the musical which will be directed by Jayne Brill.
“This show is the whole reason why I do theater,” Brill said. “I saw this show for the first time when I was 16-years-old and I knew after hearing the song, ‘Impossible Dream’.”
Brill, originally from Quaker City, Ohio, studied theatre at Ohio University and planned on graduating and teaching theatre somewhere. But life didn’t take her exactly where she thought she’d be. Life took her into work as an accounting clerk, thus making theater her passionate hobby.
“It’s an expensive hobby, time wise. It’s 12-16 hours a week of rehersal and building sets and getting props together and talking to costumers and getting people to do artwork…It takes a lot of creative people not just the director and the music director. You have a lot of people behind the scenes. It’s a lot of people. It’s about as many people behind the scenes as are onstage,” she said.
In 1986, Brill moved to Roanoke looking for jobs. She had a friend who lived in Roanoke that she visited often and fell in love with the area. In 1992, she found Showtimers and fell in love with that too.
“It’s my home theater. It’s all because of Showtimers that I got back into it,” Brill said. “When I do a show I like people to feel comfortable and to want to be a part of it. My mother always encouraged me coming from a small town to go growing up and see shows and I went and saw this when I was 16, I was like ‘whoa, this is what I want to do’. I just love the whole aspect.”
So, for 18-years she has been spending her extra time in community theater.
“I’ve probably directed as many shows as I’ve been in,” she said.
It will take 40 volunteers to help make ‘Man of La Mancha’ a success in July. Those include people working on stage and behind the scenes, costumes, the orchestra, etc.
The orchestra, under the direction of Kerry Addinton Morgiewwicz, will include the piano, percussion, flute, and horn. They are also hoping to have some Spanish guitar music.
“We do have a pretty good set up for this show. Everyone is really excited about it.”
“It’s (Showtimers) a whole different set up because there is such a different aspect to it,” Brill said. “To see these people, they comie in, they do not get paid for this… it is just amazing. The turnout I had for auditions was so amazing. 35 people showed up for auditions. Making choices is hard.”
The age of cast members range from 18-years and up.
“The cast has been so cooperative and excited. They say, ‘can we stay longer?’. One of the most exciting things about this show is we have serveral new faces and are very excited about that because this is what keeps it going.”
Musicals are performed Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 and Sunday afternoons at 2 for three weeks. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for those under age 18.
To order tickets, call our box office at (540) 774-2660 or (877) 336-9294, toll-free. You may also email your requests to boxoffice@showtimers.org
Cast:
Peter Colbert- Don Quixote/Cervantes/Quijana
Tim Kennard- Sancho Panza
Cris Emerson- Aldonza/Dulcinea
Bob Tovan- Captain of Inquisition
David Colatosti- Governor (Innkeeper)
Scott Blankenship- Dr. Carrasco (Knight of the Mirrors)
James Honaker- Pedro
Chris Reidy- Anselmo
Cory Mitchell- Jose
Travis Swain- Juan
Douglas Currie- Paco
Curry Fisher- Tenorio
Aaron Sifford- The Padre
Jackie Fields- Anotonia
Leslie C. Harwood- Maria (Innkeepers Wife)
Aimee Perkins- The Housekeeper
Scotty McNeil- The Barber/Moor
Leah St. Clair-Fermina- Servant Girl
Gary Reid- Duke/Mirror Guard
Norman Ferguson- Inquisition/Moor
William Lininger- Inquisition
Nancy Lawrence- Producer
Jayne Brill- Director
Kerry Addington – Kerry Addington
June 29, 2010 - 9:53 AM
Jayne Brill has been my best friend since we were about five years old, growing up in the sticks together! Because of Jayne’s sister Linda taking us to see “Wuthering Heights” at the drive-in movie when we were just about too young to even understand it, I became a lover of literature and now teach. Jayne became a lover of theater, and I am so thrilled she is succeeding at what she does. We spent a lot of time together attending shows at a small community theater in Cambridge, OH, called The Barn Theater. I am SO PROUD OF HER!!! And I know her mom is looking down on her at all times saying, “That’s my girl! Don’t ever quit or back down!”