Performing Arts

Cervantes's monumental novel Don Quixote has inspired writers, musicians, and choreographers to recreate and interpret his work in new and exciting ways. In this section, you will learn more about how Don Quixote has influenced opera, ballet and musical theater.

Opera

French composer Jules-Émile-Frédéric Massenet's opera, Don Quichotte, follows the legendary knight-errant on his travels to fight windmills, save himself from bandits, and woo his beloved Dulcinea.

Ballet

When Ludwig Minkus's Don Quixote premiered in Moscow, it was a resounding success. Find out how Minkus tells the unfortunate story of Don Quixote through dreams and beautiful dance sequences.

Theater

Dale Wasserman puts a twist on the tale of Don Quixote by making the author of the original novel one of his characters. In his musical Man of La Mancha, Wasserman portrays Cervantes as a prisoner who must tell stories to save himself.