Theater History and Mysteries
I take a musical theater production and do a deep dive to find a richer understanding about the lessons the show has for theater and life. And, I’ll never miss an opportunity to pursue any mystery, bizarre coincidence, improbable event, or supernatural suggestion along the way because, in the words of Dirk Gentley, it is all connected.
Theater History and Mysteries
The Man From La Mancha -- part 3 of 3. The musical.
In the early 1970s and a writer for plays, movies, and television is holed up in Palm Springs at one of the most unusual restaurants in operation. There was a sole proprietor, the menu has one dish, and there is no advertising or tourists because there are only 4 tables. The topic of conversation is whether to turn a stage play into a musical, and the server, cook, owner, and sole employee is also a psychic.
The cook is consulted about the project and predicts: “It will be extremely successful,” she says, “In fact, it will overwhelm your life.”
Two years later, in 1972 the production would open as a musical.
The playwright was Dale Wasserman, the project was converting The Man From La Mancha into a musical, and it would go on to play over 2,000 shows
There was something mystical afoot: “Facts cannot explain the success of the Man from La Mancha. Something more was at work…”
Part 1 looked at the significance of the book Don Quixote. Part 2 looked at the life of Miguel de Cervantes. This episode, part 3, looks at how the book was converted into a musical that went on to be one of the most successful musical theater productions ever. And the crazy coincidences that were necessary to bring it about...