I want to know what love is - by Foreigner

Impossible Dream - sung by Domingo, Villazón & Netrebko from the movie “The Man from La Manch”.  

Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. It is adapted from Wasserman’s non-musical 1959 teleplay. “I, Don Quixote”, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’s seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote. It tells the story of the “mad” knight, Don Quixote, as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition.

The original 1965 Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards, and the musical has been revived numerous times, becoming one of the most enduring works of musical theatre. The song, “The Impossible Dream”, became a standard, and the musical is a popular choice for community theatre companies.

Don Quixote - Cervantes is brought to prison to await a hearing with the Inquisition. The prisoners decide to hold a mock trial in order to find him guilty and steal what seems to be a valuable package. Cervantes presents a play as his defense, with his “jury” actors in the play. Cervantes plays Alhonso Quiana, a man who has set his own reality aside and become Don Quixote De La Mancha.

Synopsis

It is the late sixteenth century. Failed author-soldier-actor and tax collector Miguel de Cervantes has been thrown into a dungeon by the Spanish Inquisition, along with his manservant. They have been charged with foreclosing on a monastery. The two have brought all their possessions with them into the dungeon. There, they are attacked by their fellow prisoners, who instantly set up a mock trial. If Cervantes is found guilty, he will have to hand over all his possessions. Cervantes agrees to do so, except for a precious manuscript which the prisoners are all too eager to burn. He asks to be allowed to offer a defense, and the defense will be a play, acted out by him and all the prisoners. A big, burly, but good-humored criminal called “The Governor” agrees.

Cervantes takes out a makeup kit from his trunk, and the manservant helps him get into a costume. In a few short moments, Cervantes has transformed himself into Alonso Quijana, an old gentleman who has read so many books of chivalry and thought so much about injustice that he has lost his mind and now believes that he should go forth as a knight-errant. Quijana renames himself Don Quixote de La Mancha, and sets out to find adventures with his “squire”, Sancho Panza. They both sing the title song Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote).

Don Quixote warns Sancho that the pair are always in danger of being attacked by Quixote’s mortal enemy, an evil magician known as the Enchanter. Suddenly he spots a windmill. Seeing its sails whirling, he mistakes it for a four-armed giant, attacks it, and receives a beating from the encounter. He thinks he knows why he has been defeated - it is because he has not been properly dubbed a knight. Looking off, he imagines he sees a castle (it is really a rundown roadside inn). He orders Sancho to announce their arrival by blowing his bugle, and the two proceed to the inn.

In the inn’s courtyard, the local wench Aldonza is being propositioned by a group of muleteers. Fending them off sarcastically, (It’s All The Same) she eventually chooses Pedro, who pays in advance. Don Quixote enters with Sancho, upset at not having been “announced” by a “dwarf”. The Innkeeper (played by The Governor) treats them sympathetically and humors Don Quixote, but when Quixote catches sight of Aldonza, he believes her to be the lady Dulcinea, to whom he swears eternal loyalty. He sings Dulcinea. Aldonza, used to being roughly handled, is furious at Quixote’s strange and kind treatment of her.

Meanwhile, Antonia (Don Quixote’s niece) has gone with Quixote’s housekeeper to seek advice from the local priest. But the priest wisely realizes that the two women are more concerned with the embarrassment the knight’s madness may bring than with his welfare. The three sing I’m Only Thinking of Him.

One of the prisoners, a cynic called “The Duke”, is chosen by Cervantes to play Dr. Sanson Carrasco, Antonia’s fiancée, a man just as cynical and self-centered as the prisoner who is playing him. Carrasco is upset at the idea of having a madman in his prospective new family, so he and the priest set out to cure Don Quixote and bring him back home.

Back at the inn, Sancho delivers a missive from Don Quixote to Aldonza courting her favor and asking for a token. Aldonza gives Sancho an old dishrag, but to Don Quixote the dishrag is a silken scarf. When Aldonza asks Sancho why he follows Quixote, he sings "I Really like Him". Alone, later, Aldonza sings What Does He Want of Me? In the courtyard, the muleteers once again taunt her with the suggestive song Little Bird, Little Bird.

The priest and Dr. Carrasco arrive, but cannot reason with Don Quixote, who suddenly spots a barber wearing his shaving basin on his head to ward off the sun’s heat. (The Barber’s Song) Quixote immediately snatches the basin from the barber at sword’s point, believing it to be the miraculous Golden Helmet of Mambrino, which will make him invulnerable. Dr. Carrasco and the priest leave, with the priest impressed by Don Quixote’s view of life and wondering if curing him is really worth it. (To Each His Dulcinea).

Meanwhile, Quixote asks the Innkeeper to dub him knight. The innkeeper agrees, but first Quixote must stand vigil all night over his armor. Quixote decides to do so in the courtyard, because the “chapel” is “being repaired”. As he stands guard, Aldonza, on her way to her rendezvous with Pedro, finally confronts him, but Quixote gently explains why he behaves the way he does (at this point, he sings The Impossible Dream). Pedro enters, furious, and slaps Aldonza. Enraged, Don Quixote takes him and all the other muleteers on in a huge fight. With the help of Aldonza (who now sympathizes with Quixote) and Sancho, the muleteers are all knocked unconscious, as the orchestra plays The Combat. But the noise has awakened the Innkeeper, who enters and kindly tells Quixote that he must leave. However, before he does, the Innkeeper dubs him knight (Knight of the Woeful Countenance).

Quixote then announces he must try to help the muleteers. Aldonza, whom Quixote still calls Dulcinea, is shocked, but after the knight explains that the laws of chivalry demand that he do so, Aldonza agrees to help them. For her efforts, she is beaten, raped, and carried off by the muleteers, who leave the inn. (The Abduction) Quixote, in his small room, is blissfully ruminating over his recent victory and the new title that the innkeeper has given him - and completely unaware of what has just happened to Aldonza. (The Impossible Dream - first reprise).

At this point, the Don Quixote play is brutally interrupted when the Inquisition enters the dungeon and drags off an unwilling prisoner to be tried. The Duke taunts Cervantes for his look of fear, and accuses him of not facing reality. This prompts a passionate defense of idealism by Cervantes.

The Don Quixote play resumes (Man of La Mancha ' first reprise). He and Sancho have left the inn and encounter a band of Gypsies (”Moorish Dance”) who take advantage of Quixote’s naivete and proceed to steal everything they own, including Quixote’s horse Rocinante and Sancho’s donkey Dapple. The two are forced to return to the inn, where the Innkeeper tries to keep them out, but finally cannot resist letting them back in out of pity.[3] Aldonza shows up with several bruises. Quixote swears to avenge her, but she angrily tells him off, begging him to leave her alone (Aldonza). Suddenly, another knight enters. He announces himself as Don Quixote’s mortal enemy, the Enchanter, this time appearing as the “Knight of the Mirrors”. He insults Aldonza, and is promptly challenged to combat by Don Quixote. The Knight of the Mirrors and his attendants bear huge shields with mirrors on them, and as they swing them at Quixote (Knight of the Mirrors) the glare from the sunlight blinds him. The attacking Knight taunts him, forcing him to see himself as the world sees him - a fool and a madman. Don Quixote collapses, weeping. The Knight of the Mirrors removes his own helmet - he is really Dr. Carrasco, returned with his latest plan to cure Quixote.

Cervantes announces that the story is finished at least as far as he has written it, but the prisoners are dissatisfied with the ending. They prepare to burn his manuscript, when he asks for the chance to present one last scene.

The Governor agrees, and we are now in Don Quixote’s bedroom, where he has fallen into a coma. Antonia, Sancho, the Housekeeper, the priest, and Carrasco are all there. Sancho tries to cheer up Quixote (A Little Gossip). Don Quixote eventually awakens, and when questioned, reveals that he is now sane, remembering his knightly career as only a vague dream. He realizes that he is now dying, and asks the priest to help him make out his will. As

Quixote begins to dictate, Aldonza forces her way in. She has come to visit Quixote because she has found that she can no longer bear to be anyone but Dulcinea. When he does not recognize her, she sings Dulcinea (reprise) to him

and tries to help him remember the words of “The Impossible Dream”. Suddenly, he remembers everything and rises from his bed, calling for his armor and sword so that he may set out again. (Man of La Mancha -second reprise) But it is too late - in mid-song, he suddenly groans and falls dead. The priest sings The Psalm for the dead. However, Aldonza now believes in him so fiercely that, to her, Don Quixote will always live. When Sancho calls her by name, she asks him to call her Dulcinea.

The Inquisition enters to take Cervantes to his trial, and the prisoners, finding him not guilty, return his manuscript. It is, of course, his (as yet) unfinished novel, Don Quixote de la Mancha. As Cervantes and his servant mount the drawbridge-like staircase to go to their impending trial, the prisoners (except for the Duke) sing The Impossible Dream in chorus.

To dream the impossible dreamTo fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
To fight the unbeatable foe
To dream the impossible dream.

Some people stay far away from the door

If there's a chance of it opening up

They hear a voice in the hall outside

And hope that it just passes by

Some people live with the fear of a touch

And the anger of having been a fool

They will not listen to anyone

So nobody tells them a lie

I know you're only protecting yourself

I know you're thinking of somebody else

Someone who hurt you

But I'm not above

Making up for the love

You've been denying you could ever feel

I'm not above doing anything

To restore your faith if I can

Some people see through the eyes of the old

Before they ever get a look at the young

I'm only willing to hear you cry

Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man

Oh yes I am

Some people say they will never believe

Another promise they hear in the dark

Because they only remember too well

They heard somebody tell them before

Some people sleep all alone every night

Instead of taking a lover to bed

Some people find that it's easier to hate

Than to wait anymore

I know you don't want to hear what I say

I know you're gonna keep turning away

But I've been there and if I can survive

I can keep you alive

I'm not above going through it again

I've not above being cool for a while

If you're cruel to me I'll understand

Some people run from a possible fight

Some people figure they can never win

And although this is a fight I can lose

The accused is an innocent man

I am an innocent man

Oh yes I am

An innocent man

You know you only hurt yourself out of spite

I guess you'd rather be a martyr tonight

That's your decision

But I'm not below

Anybody I know

If there's a chance of resurrecting a love

I'm not above going back to the start

To find out where the heartache began

Some people hope for a miracle cure

Some people just accept the world as it is

But I'm not willing to lie down and die

Because I am an innocent man

I am an innocent man

Oh yes I am

An innocent man

Can you hate yourself for loving someone??

Listen to this song and lemme know…

Celine Dion:

I’d like to run away from you

But if I were to leave you I

would die

I’d like to break the chains

you put around me

And yet I’ll never try

Luciano Pavarotti:

No matter what you do you

drive me crazy

I’d rather be alone

But then I know my life

would be so empty

As soon as you were gone

Celine Dion & Luciano Pavarotti:

Impossible to live with you

But I could never live without you

For what ever you do

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with

anyone but you.

Celine Dion:

You make me sad

You make me strong

You make me mad

You make me long for you

Celine Dion & Luciano Pavarotti:

You make me live

You make me die

You make me laugh

You make me cry for you

You make me cry for you

I hate you

Then I love you

Then I love you

Then I hate you

Then I love you more

For whatever you do

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with

anyone but you

Luciano Pavarotti:

You treat me wrong

You treat me right

You let me be

You make me fight with you

I could never live without you

Celine Dion & Luciano Pavarotti:

You make me high

You bring me down

You set me free

You hold me bound to you

I hate you

Then I love you

Then I love you

Then I hate you

Then I love you more

For whatever you do

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with

anyone but you

I never, never, never

I never, never, never

I never, never, never

Want to be in love with

anyone but you

But you

Celine Dion

Whitney:
Many nights we pray
With no proof anyone could hear
And our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understand
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there's much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we know we could

Oah yes
There can be miracles
When you believe
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill
Who know what miracle
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

Mariah Carey:
In this time of fear
When prayer so often proves in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
And now I am standing here
My heart's so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles
When you believe
(whitney: when you believe)
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill
Who know what miraclea
You can achieve
(whitney: you can achieve)
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

Whitney & Mariah Carey:
They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fear
Ohhhhh
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see you way safe through the rain
Thought of a still resilient voice
Says love is very near

There can be miracles
(whitney: miracles)
When you believe
(whitney: when you believe)
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill
Who know what miracles
You can achieve
(whitney: you can achieve)
When you believe
Somehow you will
(whitney: somehow somehow somehow)
You will when you believe
You will when you believe
You will when you believe
You will when you believe
Just believe
You will when you
Believe