BWW TV: Davis Gaines, Lesli Margherita & Company Reflect on MAN OF LA MANCHA at Musical Theatre West

For the past several weeks, Broadway's Davis Gaines alongside Lesli Margherita has took to the stage as Don Quixote in the Musical Theatre West production of Man of La Mancha at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. Having received rave notices since its February 10 opening of a fourteen performance run, BWW TV's Los Angeles Correspondents Michael Sterling and Jerry Evans visited Gaines and company to reflect on the run as it prepares for closing on Sunday, February 26. Click below to check out the video!

Gaines performed the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA more than 2,000 times for more than five million people during his run on Broadway, in Los Angeles and in San Francisco, where he received the Bay Area Critics' Award for Best Actor. Mr. Gaines returns to MTW after his role as Richard Henry Lee in MTW's 2010 production of 1776.

International musical theatre star Lesli Margherita co-stars as Aldonza. Margherita is the winner of London's Olivier Award for her performance in the West End production of ZORRO. In addition to the Oliver, Ms. Margherita won a Los Angeles Ovation Award for her turn as Lilli Vanessi/Kate in KISS ME, KATE at Reprise! She was last seen on the Musical Theatre West stage in ANYTHING GOES.

The Musical Theatre West cast of MAN OF LA MANCHA features: Justin Robertson (MTW:THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, JOSEPH...,THE MUSIC MAN and THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL) as Manservant/Sancho Panza; RICHARD GOULD (MTW: SWEENEY TODD, 1776;Regional: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MY FAIR LADY) as The Governor/Innkeeper; Damon Kirsche (MTW: ANNIE, 1776; Regional: A PASSING WIND, OKLAHOMA, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC) as The Duke/Dr. Carrasco; Jason Webb (MTW: 1776; Regional: SHE LOVES ME, SEUSSICAL, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR) as The Padre; Steven Glaudini (MTW: 1776; Regional: 1776 (Ovation Award), HOW TO SUCCEDD IN BUSINESS WITHOUT EVEN TRYING, DAMN YANKEES. Rounding out the stellar cast: KARENSSA LEGEAR as Antonia; DYNELL LEIGH as The Housekeeper; Sam Zeller as Pedro, Head Muleteer; JEBBEL ARCE as Fermina and Venny Carranza, JAY DONNELL, Michael Guarnera, Isaac James, PATRICK Robert Kelly, AJ MENDOZA and RAMON OWENS as the Muleteers.

MAN OF LA MANCHA was directed by Ovation Award-winning director Nick DeGruccio (MTW's 1776, RENT and THE ANDREWS BROTHERS). Musical Director is Matthew Smedal (MTW's 1776; Regional: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, HELLO AGAIN) and choreographer is Carlos Mendoza (Regional: I LOVE A PIANO, THE PAJAMA GAME, MISS SAIGON, CATS).

One of the all-time great musicals, MAN OF LA MANCHA was written by Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion and Dale Wasserman, opened on Broadway in 1965. This Tony Award Winner for Best Musical features one of Broadway's great standards, "The Impossible Dream," and takes place during the height of the Spanish Inquisition. While awaiting a hearing with the Inquisition, Miguel de Cervantes presents a play as his defense in a mock trial for the prisoners. In it, he plays Alonso Quijana, a man who has set his own reality aside and becomes Don Quixote De La Mancha. Assisted by Sancho Panza, Quixote attempts to avoid his mortal enemy, the Enchanter, and woo the serving wench and prostitute, Aldonza, who he takes to be the Lady Dulcinea.

For more information on Musical Theatre West's production of MAN OF LA MANCHA, please visit www.musical.org.

MICHAEL STERLING is a successful entrepreneur of public relations and stage productions. Throughout the years, he has represented such icons as Elizabeth Taylor, Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton, Robert Goulet, Joan Collins, George Harrison, the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Donny and Marie Osmond and the Osmond Brothers, and Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. He has also represented numerous theatre productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Andy Gibb on Broadway, the 30th Anniversary U.S. National Tour of The Fantasticks starring Robert Goulet, Broadway on Ice starring Scott Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill, Concert on Ice starring Dorothy Hamill, and Festival on Ice starring Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner. In 2006, Sterling opened the award-winning cabaret Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway musical theatre performers in concert. The popular supper club is the most award-winning critically acclaimed such venue in the greater Los Angeles area. In October, 2009, Mr. Sterling created an alliance with Broadway World.com TV to co-produce and co-host television packages about select Los Angeles theatre. In May, 2010, he co-created the State of the Arts radio series for broadcast by LA Talk Radio.com, one of the world wide web's most successful and innovative radio sites. Presented by Breakdown Services, State of the Arts has become a popular weekly series co-produced and co-hosted by Mr. Sterling and actor Paul Stroili. www.msapr.net JERRY EVANS has worked as a dancer, choreographer and director for over 28 years. The beginning of his career was highlighted by dancing in a Mikhail Baryshnikov television special. Today, Mr. Evans can now proudly boast of having worked with every major awards show, with every television network, and in every medium in which a dancer can work. With a successful professional dance career as his foundation, Evans then launched a stunning career in choreography that has been more than two decades in the making. Having choreographed numerous consecutive world tours for such artists as Reba McIntyre, Paula Abdul, and Chayenne, Evans has earned industry wide. With more than 20 feature films, 15 music videos, and 50 commercials to his choreography credentials, Jerry's reputation as the "commercial king" precedes him throughout the entertainment industry. In recognition of his achievements and contributions in dance, choreography, and production, Jerry has been honored with numerous, major industry and peer awards alike. In more recent years, Mr. Evans assembled a comprehensive knowledge of film and television camera directing based on his years of choreography experience. Whether on a set that requires single or multiple camera direction, Jerry is known for bringing his wealth of experience in film, television (both commercial and episodic), music videos, and live stage to any production. He is also the founder of JLE Media Group Inc. which specializes in hi-definition video production from conception to post-production. www.jlemediagroup.com

More Articles by This Author...