Pioneer's MAN OF LA MANCHA Stars William Michals, Maria Eberlane & More, Now thru 5/19

Pioneer Theatre Company presents Man of La Mancha, the musical staging of the epic tale of Don Quixote, tonight, May 4 through May 19, 2012.

Man of La Mancha is a story of swashbuckling imagination, romance and adventure, as Don Quixote de la Mancha ardently pursues the quest of his “Impossible Dream” in the face of all the obstacles the world can put before him. The show also includes musical favorites “Dulcinea,” “Little Bird, Little Bird,” and “I, Don Quixote.”

The production will be directed by PTC Artistic Director Charles Morey, and stars Broadway actor William Michals as Don Quixote.

William Michals plays Don Quixote. Michals recently starred on Broadway as Emile de Becque in the Tony Award-winning revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. Other Broadway roles include The Beast (and later Gaston) in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Javert in Les Misérables, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel and the title role in Phantom. Michals regularly appears with America’s leading symphony orchestras at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center, and has appeared multiple times with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall.

Maria Eberline plays Aldonza, the beautiful, but rough, scullery maid who is the object of Don Quixote’s affections. Eberline recently made her Broadway debut in Wicked covering the role of Elphaba. Her tours include Wicked (First National Tour), Fame (National Tour), Evita (European Tour/recording) and Grease (European Tour). Regional credits include Evita (Eva), Jekyll and Hyde (Lucy), West Side Story (Anita) and Once Upon a Mattress (Winnifred), directed by Carol Burnett. Film/TV: Falling (directed by Richard Dutcher), Endgame (directed by John Ruby), and the acclaimed new web-series, 12 Steps to Recovery (directed by Tony Klomax).

Daniel Marcus plays Quixote’s devoted, lovable sidekick Sancho Panza. Marcus’ Broadway credits include 1776, Woman in White, A Christmas Carol and Urinetown, in which he created the role of Officer Barrel. He has appeared in The Adding Machine and Our Town, both directed by the MacArthur Genius Grant recipient David Cromer in New York. His TV and film credits include Law and Order: SVU and You Don't Know Jack for HBO. Marcus returns to PTC where he appeared as L. Salem Strauss in Paint Your Wagon and as Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls.

Dirk Lumbard plays the role of the dubious but supportive Innkeeper who dubs Don Quixote “Knight of the Woeful Countenance.” Lumbard’s Broadway credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Music Man, Imaginary Friends, On Your Toes, Barnum and Sugar Babies. Off-Broadway, he has appeared in Flora, the Red Menace and Dames at Sea, and his national tour credits include The Wizard of Oz, Grand Hotel and Crazy For You. He returns to PTC after choreographing last season’s production of White Christmas and appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and, recently, as Rooster in Annie.

Bill Nabel plays the Padre who ministers to Don Quixote. On stage, Nabel appeared in eight Broadway shows: the original A Chorus Line as Al, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as Lumiere, Sweeney Todd as Pirelli, 42nd Street as Bert Barry, Home Sweet Homer as Melios, Ain’t Broadway Grand as Max, Evita and The Most Happy Fella; he has logged over 9400 performances on Broadway. Also an author of some note, his new play Lying to Spielberg played at the Utah Shakespeare Festival last year. He returns to PTC after last season’s Sunset Boulevard.

Gerritt VanderMeer plays the unyielding foe to Cervantes, Dr. Carrasco. VanderMeer appeared at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Salt Lake City as Harold Hill in the National Touring Company of The Music Man. His regional credits include Shakespeare Theatre Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe, Trinity Repertory Company, York Theatre Company, Geva Theatre, and many, many more. In film, he can be seen in Men in Black III, The English Teacher, Maid of Honor, The Forest is Red and on television in The Good Wife, Rescue Me, Ugly Betty, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Stream, All My Children and As The World Turns.

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