On Sunday, April 6, 78 excited members of our Herons Glen Travel Club boarded two modern motorcoaches and headed south to Naples to see the matinee show Man of La Mancha at the Naples Players Theater. You might be familiar with the plot of the Broadway show, which was also a movie starring Peter O’Toole and Sophia Lauren. The show was inspired by a book titled Don Quixote written by Miguel de Cervantes in the 17th century.
It tells the story of Cervantes, who is imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition for a play he wrote that was critical of the Inquisition Tribunal. As Cervantes and his manservant wait to be called to trial, his possessions are taken by the other prisoners, including the manuscript of his play. So, Cervantes puts on the play from his manuscript (a small play within the larger play), with the other prisoners acting as the jury to justify taking his manuscript. In this play within a play, Cervantes takes the role of the knight Don Quixote, who sets out with his manservant Sancho to right the wrongs of the world. Don Quixote thinks a nearby windmill is a giant and attacks it. He goes to an inn, where he meets a wench prostitute; he thinks he can save her and change her to the ideal woman named Dulcinea. In the small play within the play, the character Don Quixote drops dead, thinking that he has righted many wrongs. However, in the larger plot, Cervantes convinces the prisoner jury of his innocence, and his manuscript is returned to him. Then Cervantes and his sidekick Sancho are called to the real trial in front of the Inquisition Tribunal.
You might recognize songs from the show, such as The Impossible Dream and Dulcinea. We thoroughly enjoyed the show and the venue, and will definitely return for another show in the upcoming season!
After the show, the 78 club members had dinner at one of the wonderful restaurants on Fifth Avenue in Naples. The restaurants there ranged from inexpensive (yes, you can find inexpensive dinners in Naples if you know when and where to go – I got a very large pasta dish at the excellent Vergina Restaurant for $13 by ordering before 5 p.m.) to pricey. Dinner reservations were made on their own by small groups of friends at the restaurant of their choice. After dinner, there was some time to venture out on Fifth Avenue to the shops and galleries or have a Kilwin’s world-famous ice cream cone. Delicious!
We then boarded the motorcoaches, said goodbye to Naples, and headed back to the Glen, returning at 8:45 p.m. It was a wonderful day seeing the show, having dinner, and exploring Naples. We will definitely plan this Naples show and dinner experience again!
