Which 1965 Broadway musical is based on Don Quixote?

The 1965 Broadway musical based on Don Quixote is Man of La Mancha.

The show was created by librettist Dale Wasserman, composer Mitch Leigh, and lyricist Joe Darion. It grew from Wasserman’s 1959 television play I, Don Quixote, which imagined Miguel de Cervantes presenting the story while imprisoned and awaiting questioning by the Spanish Inquisition.

Man of La Mancha is inspired by Cervantes rather than being a literal musical retelling of the novel. Its most famous song, “The Impossible Dream,” became a popular standard and helped give the production a life beyond the stage.

The musical was first tried out at Connecticut’s Goodspeed Opera House in 1965 before opening in New York. The original Broadway production starred Richard Kiley and ran for 2,328 performances, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The 1972 film adaptation starred Peter O’Toole, Sophia Loren, and James Coco.