Man of La Mancha

[Mike Goodbar]

I have a chance to play this show in a couple of weeks with a local national-award-winning high school backed by group of pro musicians from Milwaukee.

Anyone here ever play this show? Is this an interesting and/or challenging show to play ("The Impossible Dream" not withstanding)?

[Marcus Johnson]

I've played some of it. I don't remember anything particularly challenging. Nice music, pleasant I guess. Audiences seem to like it.

[christ andronis]

Mike...I played it here in Chicago for about 6 weeks. It's a good show. Don't remember anything particularly difficult about the music. The cast was excellent and the players in the pit were top notch so it wasn't an amateur production. I did get to make some good contacts.

How's that Chrissy doing?

[Mike Goodbar]

Yeah, the level of this high school troupe approaches and often surpasses that of professional groups in the area. The musicians are hired from Milwaukee Ballet and Skylight Opera, so maybe I can do some networking. Musically, sounds like I should be able to just "read the book," eh?

Christ, the Chrissie is doing fine, though I'm going to try to get it down to Michelle Fiore to have the soundpost shortened and the nut lowered before the show starts. She looked at it a couple of weeks ago and though it was a little choked.

[christ andronis]

There may be a few pages you need to look at a little more carefully, but nothing to worry about.

I was up in your neck of the woods last weekend....at the Polish Center in Franklin, just south of Milwaukee. Nice place...fun gig.

[sejarus]

It's nice music. Bass score is pretty straightforward--nothing real fast, a lot of R-5-R stuff, but interesting rhythmically, and the music is very melodic.

One song is in 7 flats. First time I ever saw 7 flats, but that makes it easy--you don't even have to worry about flatting almost everything...

[Mike Goodbar]

Did the first rehearsal last night. Interesting. They're doing it experimental-style, a small theater (a square room, really) with room for 50 audience members who basically sit among the actors. The band is stripped down to guitar, bass, piano and percussion, so we're all scrambling to cover a lot of cues to fill it out. Plus, we the band is "onstage" and in costume.

Not what I bargained for, but interesting all the same. The thing I like is that the band is completely acoustic, and they have me perched on a hollow riser in the corner--talk about natural amplification! My bass sounds HUGE!

[FredH]

I've played it as a guitar player. A lot of material...
I accidentally kept the score I’ll have to go through it again, there were some cool tunes in it.