Rep's 'Man of La Mancha': Gorgeous, Entertaining, With a Terrific Quixote

(SPOT.ph) Repertory Philippines’ new production of Man of La Mancha starts with a scene clearly referencing current events: prisoners behind a chain link fence, watched by guards in riot gear. They speak of the Inquisition, but the multicultural tableau of characters brings to mind ICE and the internment camps they’ve built to hold the immigrants they’ve taken captive. This modern framing is an intriguing one, though at times it feels at odds with the text. This ultimately proves to be the struggle of this gorgeous new staging of the classic musical. While almost certainly well-intentioned, it doesn’t fully wrestle with how some of its elements might land in 2026.

Nonie Buencamino takes the lead as Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote. The musical kicks off with him arriving in prison and being put on trial by the other inmates. For his defense, he stages a play, telling the story of an old man who goes mad and becomes an ersatz knight-errant, leaving his home and going on a series of misadventures where he mistakes common things for the stuff of legend. A windmill becomes a dragon, a shaving basin becomes a magical helmet, an inn becomes a castle, and downtrodden kitchen maid Aldonza (Katrine Sunga)  becomes the fairest maiden in the land. Aiding him on his quest is his servant Sancho Panza (Marvin Ong), who becomes his squire and tries to keep his master from getting into too much trouble.

For the most part, this is a very well-mounted production with great performances and interesting staging. As the play moves into its meta-theatrical elements, the chain link fence and the walls are moved up, revealing the orchestra at the back of the stage. The specter of the prison never leaves, though, as the light is at times filtered through a chain link element, leaving its shadow over the production. Nonie Buencamino is terrific as Quixote, at all times exhibiting both the frailty and the bravado of the character. The actor unleashes his powerful voice on The Impossible Dream, hitting a sustained note that will undoubtedly inspire applause from future audiences. Marvin Ong is fun as Sancho Panza, and Kristine Sunga is just great as Aldonza, proving to be convincing both as someone made tough by the cruelty of life, and someone taught to dream by the chivalry of another.

All in all, it’s a strong production of a classic. Its modern elements turn out to be a double edged sword, however. When the play invokes the racial politics involved in an ICE detention center, what are we to make of a sequence like The Moorish Dance, in which Quixote encounters a gang of “gypsies and Moors,” presented in classic exoticized Orientalist tropes? If the framing device warranted an update, shouldn’t this problematic sequence have gotten the same treatment? It is also difficult to square the text with our experience in 2026. When Quixote says that “facts are the enemy of the truth,” it is likely meant to put us on his side as a dreamer who dares to change reality for the sake of his ideals. But the line hits differently in the age of misinformation, and it casts a strange shade on this ageless tale.

The last few years, after all, have seen people inspired to take on their own crusades based on unreality. We live in a time when a pizza parlor was attacked by a man who believed he was combating a child-trafficking conspiracy, and a mob laid siege to the US Capitol in the belief that they were righting a grievous wrong. The text isn’t meant to address such things, but it’s difficult not to think of them given the framing of the production, which situates the story within the reality of Trump’s America. 

This leaves this new production of Man of La Mancha at an odd place. It is certainly easy to recommend for people who wish to enjoy a night out at the theater; those looking to be entertained by a grand musical production with great performances from a very capable cast. But it feels like it doesn’t fully consider the ideas it evokes, and what the story can represent. Its Don Quixote is someone whose madness is preferable to the harshness of the real world. But we live in a time where that same madness has taken on a different shade, and the production’s inability to reckon with that aspect can make it a queasier watch than might have been intended.

Man of La Mancha will have a limited run until June 28 at the REP Eastwood Theater.