The YMMV moments and issues in Man of La Mancha.
- Awesome Music: A rich store from which to chose, but undoubtedly the topper is "The Impossible Dream". "I, Don Quixote" and "Aldonza" count, too (though in very different ways!)
- Genius Bonus: Manchego cheese, originally from the La Mancha region of Spain, is commonly served with a thin rectangle, or 'mambrino', of golden-colored quince jelly paste on top. Don Quixote puts a shaving basin on his head and calls it "the Golden Helmet of Mambrino", making him, of course, the "cheese from La Mancha" in this analogy.
- Fridge Brilliance: For those who dislike the differences from the book, think about this little realization: This isn't the story of Don Quixote, this is a story of Don Quixote, before it was finished, written, and improvised by the participants.
- Which makes it even sadder when you consider the difference in moods and outlooks between this version and the finished version.
- Ho Yay: Sancho sings an entire song explaining that he can't quite explain why he follows Don Quixote, other than "I really really like him."
- Some translations make this a straight up "I love him".
- One-Scene Wonder: The priest. He's a silent extra for most of the play... until he steps forward to sing "To Each His Dulcinea", one of the most beautiful songs in the score. As well as the comic trio "I'm Only Thinking of Him".
- The barber can be played this way; for example in the Kelsey Grammer production he was played by a small, effeminate who initially volunteers for the role of Antonia. When he comes out as the Barber, he scampers of in a flamboyant costume with a Dastardly Whiplash moustache and rouge around his face.
- Questionable Casting: Even Pinky and the Brain made fun of Sophia Loren's performance.
- Signature Song: While there are plenty of great songs throughout, "The Impossible Dream" is by far the best-known track from the musical.
- Woolseyism: The French version, L'Homme de La Mancha. The legendary Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel saw the English version on Broadway, and was so moved that he promptly set about translating the show into French, even though he wasn't fluent in English. The result is a translation that plays a bit fast-and-loose at times ("It's All the Same," for example, turns into "Un Animal," in which Aldonza calls herself an animal, and all of Sancho's songs are cut) but is powerful and moving all the same. The original cast CD — with Jacques Brel performing as Don Quixote himself, mais bien sur — is well worth a listen.
