Man of La Mancha

Steve McCoy as Don Quixote and Michael Barra as Sancho

DALE WASSERMAN (Book)

Dale Wasserman, in his earlier days, roamed America as a hobo, foregoing any formal education before gravitating into the theatre where he cut his teeth on every conceivable job, stage manager, lighting designer, director, and producer among them, before trying his hand at writing. Since then, he has produced a continuous body of work for theatre, film and television. His instincts have drawn him to a vast range of subjects, with serendipity often lending a hand. Visiting Spain in the 1950s, the press incorrectly reported that he was researching “Don Quixote.” Intrigued, he did just that, becoming fascinated with Miguel de Cervantes rather than his famous protagonist. The result was “I, Don Quixote,” a TV drama starring Lee J. Cobb, Eli Wallach and Colleen Dewhurst, which in turn became Man of La Mancha. Wasserman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with Kirk Douglas was initially a flop on Broadway, later playing packed houses for four years in New York and five years in San Francisco, and currently rivaling Man of La Mancha in number of productions worldwide. Most recently, his new play about Haiti, An Enchanted Land, had a much-lauded premiere in London. Mr. Wasserman holds three honorary doctorates from universities and in terms of awards, guesses that he may have “a couple dozen” but, habitually avoiding awards ceremonies, he is not sure. He and his wife Martha Garza make their home in Arizona, but most often are on the road in connection with theatre or movie production of his works.

MITCH LEIGH (Music)

Mitch Leigh is a modern Renaissance man, excelling in composing, producing, directing, and commerce. Best known as the Tony Award-winning composer of Man of La Mancha, pianist Arthur Rubinstein has said of Mr. Leigh, “He’s the most brilliant composer writing for musical theatre today.” Mr. Leigh is the recipient of several distinguished awards including the Drama Critics Circle Award, the Contemporary Classics Award from the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame for “The Impossible Dream,” and the first to receive the Yale Arts Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Composition. He has been honored as the only living composer whose work was included in the Metropolitan Opera’s Centennial Celebration. In 1957, he formed Music Makers, Inc., a radio and television commercial production house, where as its creative director, he won every major award within the advertising industry. Mr. Leigh produced and directed Yul Brynner’s farewell tour of The King & I, for which he received a Tony nomination as Best Director. For the theatre, he composed and co-produced Cry For Us All, Sarava, Chu Chem, and Ain’t Broadway Grand. Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Leigh attended the High School of Music and Art, and studied with Paul Hindemith at Yale University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and where he has returned to lecture.

JOE DARION (Lyrics)

Joe Darion has worked in every field in which words are put to music, from popular songs to works for the concert stage. His opera based on Don Marquis' immortal characters Archy and Mehitabel, was turned into the Broadway musical Shinbone Alley, for which Mr. Darion supplied the book and lyrics. Popular songs for which he has supplied the lyrics, which include “Richochet,” “Changing Partners” and “Midnight Train,” have sold records in tens of millions. One of the most popular has been “The Impossible Dream,” the hit song from Man of La Mancha, which won Darion the 1965-66 Tony Award for best lyrics of the Broadway season. Also, he supplied the lyrics for the Broadway musical Illya Darling, adapted from the film Never on Sunday. Among Mr. Darion’s more serious works, written with Ezra Laderman arethe oratorio operas “Galileo” and “And David Wept,” the cantatas “A Handful of Souls” and “The Questions of Abraham” and the mass “A Mass for Cain.” Besides the Tony, he has received the Drama Critics Circle Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Gabriel Award, the Ohio State Award and the International Broadcasting Award.