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 new Broadway Cast Recording of 'Man of La Mancha' is a rather dreary ordeal. The highly overrated score was never much to sing about (one good song surrounded by mush) but this version highlights every flaw. As Broadway musical connoisseurs know, a decent rendition can enhance the appeal of even a so-so show. Not here, folks. Brian Stokes Mitchell certainly has the voice to put over Don Quixote (he sings the living daylights out of 'Impossible Dream'). Unfortunately, he filters his interpretation through the Mandy Patinkin School of Over-the-Top Intensity, which actually leaves the listener uninvolved and rather irritated by his wonderfulness. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio does not have much of a voice, but many modest singers often spice up cast recordings with thespian richness. Not here, folks. Ms. Mastrantonio is as overbearing as Mr. Mitchell is, and she seems to be projecting to the back row of the theater across the street. Ernie Sabella is exuberant in his role, though the deterioration in his voice is a bit distracting, but the rest of the cast is undistinguished and barely registers out of the growing fog. Then there is the actually recording itself, which is a bit thin and tinny at times, with the orchestra sounding like it was recorded out in a truck behind the studio. An unfortunate undertaking and a missed opportunity for all.
(by A music fan)
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