Man of La Mancha plays in the Marian Theatre July 8 & 11, 2015, then under the unreachable stars in the Solvang Festival Theater July 17 – August 16.

The “mad knight,” portrayed by David Studwell, has a heart of gold and is on a quest to right all the wrongs in the world. He knows neither defeat nor failure. And through his vision of hope and possibilities, he inspires goodness in others, which is personified in the anthem “To Dream the Impossible Dream.”

Director and PCPA alumnus Mark Herrier says the novel by Miguel de Cervantes – the source material for the musical – is regarded by many as the greatest novel ever written and for several reasons it resonates today.

“Finding hope amid cynicism, finding courage against overwhelming odds, being able to see the real beauty within, rather than the façade,” Herrier said.

Man of La Mancha began as a TV drama by Dale Wasserman for CBS under the title I, Don Quixote. It was broadcast live in 1959. The original Broadway production which debuted 50 years ago ran for 2,328 performances, winning five Tony Awards including Best Musical.