Great American Songbook Mania

 Background on Man of La Mancha Man of La Mancha  is a 1965 musical based on Dale Wasserman's 1959 non-musical teleplay, I, Don Quixote . The original Broadway production ran over 2,000 performances and won five Tony Awards. It has been revived on Broadway multiple times and has played in a variety of other countries.  What is the Musical About? Man of La Mancha is based off of the life of a Spanish writer, Miguel de Cervantes and his book, Don Quixote . It is considered a play within a play in which the imprisoned tax collector (Cervantes) plays an old man (Alonso Quijana) who believes he is a knight (Don Quixote). Cervantes performs the play as a mock trial for his fellow prisoners (who are skeptical of him) while he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. He wishes to show them the good inside of him, although he is guilty of what he has been accused of. The "mad" knight, Don Quixote, has a goal to right all wrongs in the world and goes on a lengthy journey and...

  Oklahoma! 1955 vs. 2018 Rogers and Hammerstein's well known musical play, Oklahoma! , has been has been adapted and remade into many films and live performances including the 1955 film adaptation and a 2018 remaking at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Although the 1955 adaptation was nearly identical to the original musical play, the 2018 remaking altered the genders and sexualities of some of the main characters.  (Trailer for the 2018 remake) The 2018 Remake The 2018 remake of Oklahoma! includes   some differentiation from the original musical and many of its adaptations. The director, Bill Raunch, was able to get approval from the Rodgers and Hammerstein estate to make these changes. This included casting Laurey and Curly as a lesbian couple, rather than Curly as a man. This also included casting Will Parker and Ado Annie as a gay couple, in which Ado Annie is actually Ado Andy. Lastly, Aunt Eller was cast as a transgender woman. Overall, there were more African Ame...