Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...Stampley, who is at the heart of the show, embraces the enigma of his role - although I kept wanting him to reveal more colors, to peel away more and more layers as the show progressed. He only goes so far, but it's still a very likable and lovely performance. The final scenes, when Don Quixote confronts his failing mind - a kind of 17th century version of Alzheimer's, you might say - are, for me, anyway, almost unbearably honest, revealing things in Wasserman's book you did not know were there, with Smith's love and protection all the more powerful for the length of the voyage she has had to take."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The musical's book writer, Dale Wasserman, devised this brilliant framing device, and, paired with a near Mozartian score by Mitch Lee (music) and Joe Darion (lyrics), the show taps into the very core of Cervantes' masterpiece. Staring directly into the most hardcore aspects of human existence, "Man of La Mancha" asks these questions: Given the essential brutality of life (whether it is experienced by those in prison, at the very bottom of society, or by those in the grip of old age), what is the key to survival? Is it just more misery and despair, or can the case be made for the glorious power of art and the life-enhancing magic of the imagination, which can serve as a lifeline, and suggest the path to a more humane world?"
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"..."Man of La Mancha" is a dark show in every sense (it includes a harrowing depiction of a sexual assault). Stage combat (choreographed by Ryan Bourque) replaces production numbers. And several ensemble members are actors first and singers second. Yet it's a robust-sounding show thanks to music director Ryan T. Nelson and conductor Patti Garwood who leads an eight-piece orchestra plus two onstage guitarists who capture beautifully Leigh's flamenco-inspired score."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...But Nick Bowling's production for Marriott Theatre reminds us, vividly, of a crucial fact: that the actual setting for the song is a miserable holding cell, where Miguel de Cervantes sits among murderers and thieves while awaiting trial before the Inquisition. Accomplished with fluorescent tube lights, prison tattoos, harsh buzzers, and ugly fight choreography, Bowling's emphatic de-romanticizing yields a show that resembles Marat/Sade more than Camelot. A formidable cast led by Nathaniel Stampley, Richard Ruiz, and the marvelous Danni Smith yields intensity."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...As the musical Man of La Mancha opened at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, I have to admit that I was a bit confused. I was expecting to see a prison in the dungeon of a 16th century castle. After all, that is the story I have always been told and I have always seen in past productions. However, to my surprise, Director Nick Bowling had a different vision. The audience now witnesses a 21st century contemporary prison with frightening and seemingly real inmates. This reinvented direction and staging by Bowling brought a refreshing change to a dated show giving it a new life and a contemporary feel."
Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended
"...There's no doubting the sincerity of the show's jailhouse trial, a more crucial verdict than the glib repression and empty pieties that Cervantes will soon face from the Inquisition. Who better to know "man's humanity to man" than prisoners who have both given and received the curse of cruelty? Now that torture is again fashionable, Man of La Mancha makes a seemingly impossible dream that much more non-negotiable."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...I have seen several worthy productions of Man of La Mancha including the fabulous 2005 Court Theatre production and the worthy 2012 Light opera Works. I even licked thr 2009 Theo Ubique production that stared Danielle Brothers as Don Quixote! But the brilliant Marriott Theatre production , now playing in Lincolnshire, under the brilliant direction of Nick Bowling is raw, earthy and well performed production. Bowling's fresh take on this classic works on many levels. As a 95 minute one act; with a crudely set of terrific actors who can also sing; and with casting against type,Bowling's Man of La Mancha is a major artistic success! It's emotional core is so truthful thatour empathy is deeply felt and the glowing message reaches into our being. This is the finest production that I have ever witnessed of Man of La Mancha!"
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...ne of my all-time favorite musicals, "Man Of La Mancha" with a book by Dale Wasserman, Lyrics by Joe Darion and a score by Mitch Leigh, under the thoughtful direction of Nick Bowling has landed on the small stage of The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire. Over the years, I have probably witnessed 7-10 productions on different area stages, but could not imagine that Bowling would bring a new and slightly different look to an already classic show. He did! "Man Of La Mancha" is not a typical musical and in this production, they have re-manufactured it, so there is no break (also known as intermission), thus the audience can stay entranced into the world that has been created."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The Marriott Theatre has once again put its own distinctive stamp on another classic from Broadway's Golden Age. For this winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a show that's enjoyed four different Broadway revivals, as well as several National Tours, it's hard to imagine a fresher, more contemporary staging of such a familiar story. Nick Bowling has accomplished this feat, much as he did with Marriott's recent exciting "City of Angels." Guiding this cast of twelve excellent actor/singer/dancers (who never leave the stage), Mr. Bowling has set his production inside a 21st century prison, sparsely designed with austere authenticity by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, and lit with marvelous creativity by Jesse Klug. Ryan T. Nelson's musical direction and Patti Garwood's musical supervision is, as always, impeccable, as is Ryan Bourque's fight choreography. This all-Equity production is smart, streamlined and sophisticated, bringing all the heart and soul of this much-loved musical back to Chicagoland."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...This magnificent revival would not have been possible without the glories of the original show to build upon. “Man of La Mancha” has given audiences one of the great emotional and dramatic experiences in modern music theater. It’s hard to figure why we get so few revivals of the show when we are inundated with revivals of “Cabaret” and “Chicago” and “42nd Street” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...This genius, life-affirming production is so worth a couple indoor hours (one hour, 45 minutes, no intermission, to be exact) even on summer's most perfect afternoon or evening. Yes, 78 degrees and sunny with a gentle wind is an all-too-uncommon happenstance in these parts. Shows of this brilliance of depth, imagination and execution are even rarer."
NewCity Chicago - Recommended
"...This gritty version is stripped of chorus, dancing, overture and intermission. Musical director Ryan T. Nelson's band sounds terrific, despite several moments of confusion between the stage and the pit when I saw the show. Nelson contemporizes choral sections and, if my ears did not deceive me, the transposition pedal was pushed to the metal. Nancy Missimi costumes the cast shrewdly in a nearly-modern dress with caps and corsets looking like found objects from a garbage bin. Jeff Kmiec's set is more holding cell than boulder-strewn vault."
