What people search:
 | Title : Man of La Mancha (2002 Broadway Revival Cast)
Author : Brian Stokes Mitchell
Release Date : 20030107
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $18.98
Amazon.com Price : $13.49
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Editorial Reviews :
Brian Stokes Mitchell belongs to a rarefied species: a male lead who can steal scenes from his female counterparts in a Broadway musical. As if his impossibly rich and evocative voice weren't enough, Mitchell is a charismatic actor who inhabits his roles with panache. After turns in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime, and Kiss Me, Kate, he is back in the popular 1965 show about Cervantes and his fictional alter ego, Don Quixote. The show has become a bit creaky over the years. The revival probably wouldn't have a chance without Mitchell, and he does turn in a spectacular performance. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's Aldonza feels a bit forced--compare the smooth way in which Mitchell's songs flow with her sometimes choppy delivery--but she also possesses a welcome old-timey quality, never more so than in 'What Does He Want from Me?' As for 'The Impossible Dream (The Quest),' well, Mitchell injects something that feels emotionally fresh into the chestnut. And that may be the greatest achievement of all. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
Buyer Reviews :
This is one of the few cases where the representation of the score in the theater is actually superior to what was preserved for posterity on the disc. This is a very poor, almost unlistenable recording; it captures every flaw in Brian Stokes Mitchell's singing voice and delivery (his acting choices make some sense in the greater context of the show, but are completely disconnected from reality on the recording), it presents Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as completely wrong for the part (never once does she sound like a gutter whore, a 'kitchen slut reeking of sweat'), the sad deterioration of Ernie Sabella's once more robust instrument, and even the bizarre decisions made by director Jonathan Kent or musical director Robert Billig (the most horrendous being the mutilation of 'The Impossible Dream,' changing it from a solid character number into a shameless, untruthful applause-grabbing attempt on Mitchell's part). Only Mark Jacoby, in his small role as the Padre truly comes off well on the disc, but he--and every other performer on the disc, without exception--is surpassed by the fantastic original cast members, whose thrilling renditions live on in the 1965 recording. That one is a must-own for all musical theatre (and music) lovers, but this recording should only be purchased by die-hard fans of this production. Everyone else will find it an embarrassing, soulless attempt at capturing on record one of the most moving and rapturous of musicals.
(by Matthew Murray)
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