Man of La Mancha at Theatre At The Center

SouthtownStar - Highly Recommended

"...From the moment the production opens and we see a staircase come down with thunderous, grinding gears, we hold our breath in suspense. We are mesmerized by the sight of a man, lit by light from above, mounting down the steps into the dark bowels of a dungeon in the time of the Spanish Inquisition in 16th century Spain. Not only is that a striking setting, but so is every aspect of this rapturous production."

Edge - Highly Recommended

"...For a 45-year-old musical, based on a 50-year-old made-for-TV play, based on a 400-year-old novel, Man of La Mancha holds up pretty well. Cervantes’ story is timeless, and the play-within-a-play element added by Dale Wasserman lends it a sense of urgency. True, the musical adaptation by Joe Darion (Lyrics) and Mitch Leigh (Music) can feel corny and dated from time to time, but in the hands of an able director and strong cast, the show’s age is all but invisible. The Ridgewood Arts Foundation’s production, which recently opened at the Theater at the Center in Munster, IN, is a great example of just such a production."

Chicago Stage Review - Highly Recommended

"...'The Impossible Dream' is the franchise song in Man of La Mancha; it is performed four separate times in the show. When James Harms applies his mature and controlled operatic voice to “The Impossible Dream,” every hair in the theatre stands on end. Everyone is sitting on the edge of their seat, if they were not standing. Several people stood, like at a concert when the headline act starts to play the song you came to hear. Others cried. As Don Quixote exits upstage at the end of the song, young adults were catcalling and whistling. In my entire experience in the theatre, I have never seen an audience so completely taken with an actor as that audience was with James Harms."

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...While not one of my favorite shows, Man of La Mancha is a romantic journey filled with noble acts set to several stirring anthems with a load of sentimentality and heart. Who couldn’t cheer for underdog as he fights against all odds? Personal integrity is nicely presented in Jim Harms’ winning performance. He belts “The Impossible Dream” with an emotional impact that sent chills down my spine. Theatre at the Center has another classic for you."

Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended

"...This play could benefit from a greater sense of atmosphere which would allow the play within the play to unfold more naturally. Director William Pullinsi gives us a faithful recreation of a work he has visited and revisited a number of times. And even though he is now working in a 3/4 arrangement at Theatre at the Center verses in-the-round, it is easy to feel that some of the magic of the old Candlelight Dinner Playhouse is still alive in Munster, Indiana. Having Candlelight veterans James Harms, David Perkovich and Dennis Kelly on hand certainly aids Pullinsi in that sense of nostalgia."