Interview: Broadway’s last leading man? It is no exaggeration to say that Brian Stokes Mitchell is right now in a class by himself as a Broadway leading man. No other actor can match his singing voice. No other singer can claim his acting range or experience. No other man — at least, no one who works in the theater regularly — can say, “I want to play Don Quixote in ‘Man of La Mancha’ “ and bring it about. Mr. Mitchell has reached a rare perch in the American theater: he can make his dreams come true with other people’s money.

Interview: Ideal role. Tony-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell takes the lead, literary and figuratively, to play Don Quixote, the famous part he has always dreamed of. By J. Wynn Rousuck. Read more...

Jayne M. Blanchard of The Washington Times: Cervantes' Don Quixote... is a role Mr. Mitchell seems born to play, with his commanding charisma, his magnificent booming baritone and his considerable acting talents. The role fits him like a doublet, and Mr. Mitchell brings such richness and depth to the role... the song "The Impossible Dream," which Mr. Mitchell begins tenderly, almost as if singing to himself, and then builds to a smashing crescendo that resulted in a standing ovation on opening night. It was a shivers-inducing moment in a production filled with gorgeous moments." Read more...

Peter Marks of The Washington Post: "Seven minutes of heaven is what you get for the more than two hours you'll have to invest in the soggy new Man of La Mancha at the National Theatre. Don't get me wrong: Those seven sweeps of the clock are pretty darn precious, considering that they are provided by Brian Stokes Mitchell, he of the satiny baritone… Read more...

J. Wynn Rousuck of The Baltimore Sun: "Although there's some fine-tuning yet to be done, all indications suggest that this retelling of the beloved Don Quixote musical--with a powerhouse company headed by Brian Stokes Mitchell and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio--will be warmly welcomed when it opens in New York Dec. 5… Although in his opening scenes Mitchell still seems to be finding his way into the role, he's very close, and by the time he gets to 'Impossible Dream,' he has fully embodied the stooped, aging, twinkle-eyed knight… Mastrantonio portrays Aldonza with raw intensity that contributes significantly to the production's unvarnished edge... There are other well-realized performances as well. Short, stocky Ernie Sabella is a born comic sidekick as Quixote's loyal squire, Sancho Panza; Mark Jacoby is touching as the padre who can't disguise his admiration for Quixote's gentle madness; Stephen Bogardus is a fierce adversary as Dr. Carrasco, determined to strong-arm the errant knight back to the real world; and Jamie Torcellini is a delight as the barber whose shaving basin spurs the most joyously staged number, 'Golden Helmet of Mambrino.'" Read more...