One of Broadway’s most celebrated musicals takes the stage in downtown Phoenix this fall. Arizona Musicfest and the Herberger Theater Center present Man of La Mancha for four performances only, October 23–25, 2026, at the Herberger Theater Center.
Starring Tony Award winner Paulo Szot as Cervantes/Don Quixote and Broadway’s Maria Bilbao as Aldonza/Dulcinea, this fully staged theatrical concert production brings together acclaimed Broadway guest artists, leading musical theater talent from the Valley, and the on-stage Musicfest Pops Ensemble.
Whether you already know every word of “The Impossible Dream” or are discovering the musical for the first time, here’s what to know before Man of La Mancha arrives in Phoenix.
A Tony Award-Winning Broadway Classic
Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha tells a story of courage, imagination and the determination to pursue an impossible dream.
Written by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1965 and went on to win the 1966 Tony Award for Best Musical. Its enduring score includes some of musical theater’s most recognizable songs, including “The Impossible Dream (The Quest),” “Dulcinea” and “I, Don Quixote.”
At the center of the story is Cervantes, who transforms himself into the idealistic Don Quixote and invites those around him into a world where courage can triumph over cynicism and ordinary people can become something greater than they imagined.
More than 60 years after its Broadway debut, its central question still resonates: What is possible when we choose to see the world not only as it is, but as it could be?
Tony Award Winner Paulo Szot Stars as Don Quixote
Leading the cast as Cervantes/Don Quixote is Tony Award winner Paulo Szot, an internationally acclaimed actor and singer whose career spans Broadway, opera and concert stages around the world.
Szot won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Emile de Becque in the 2008 Broadway revival of South Pacific. This October, Phoenix audiences can experience his commanding voice and stage presence in another of musical theater’s iconic leading roles.
Opposite Szot, Broadway performer Maria Bilbao takes on the role of Aldonza/Dulcinea. Bilbao’s Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd, and she previously appeared in Man of La Mancha, bringing firsthand experience with the beloved musical to this new production.
The principal cast of Broadway guest artists will be joined by top musical theater talent from across the Valley, bringing national and local performers together on the Herberger Theater Center stage.
Experience the Music of Man of La Mancha Live
The score of Man of La Mancha is central to its lasting legacy, and Phoenix audiences will experience it performed live by the Musicfest Pops Ensemble.
Performed on stage alongside the cast, the ensemble brings the musical’s Spanish-influenced sound to life, from Flamenco-inspired rhythms to sweeping, classical-influenced anthems.
And then, of course, there is “The Impossible Dream.”
The musical’s signature song has endured far beyond the stage, becoming an anthem for perseverance and the pursuit of seemingly unreachable goals. Hearing it within the story that inspired it—and performed live with a full theatrical production—offers audiences the chance to experience the classic in its original dramatic context.
Arizona Musicfest and Herberger Theater Center Join Forces
Man of La Mancha continues a growing collaboration between Arizona Musicfest and the Herberger Theater Center to bring large-scale musical theater productions to Valley audiences.
Following the acclaimed Musicfest Theatricals productions of Carousel in 2025 and Ragtime in 2026, the organizations are collaborating on two fully staged theatrical concert productions for the 2026–27 season.
The season begins with Man of La Mancha in October and concludes in April with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific.
Together, the productions pair Broadway guest artists with outstanding Arizona performers and musicians, creating an opportunity to experience classic works of American musical theater right here in downtown Phoenix.
See Man of La Mancha in Phoenix October 23–25
Man of La Mancha will be presented for four performances only at the Herberger Theater Center, located at 222 E. Monroe St. in downtown Phoenix:
Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m.
Join us for an unforgettable theatrical exploration of courage, hope, imagination and the power of pursuing an impossible dream.
MAN OF LA MANCHA is a co-production of Arizona Musicfest and the Herberger Theater Center.
Written by Dale Wasserman
Music by Mitch Leigh | Lyrics by Joe Darion
Original Production Directed by Albert Marre
MAN OF LA MANCHA is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.
