THE DETROIT NEWS Tom Long 6/5/1997
DON QUIXOTE IS A ‘DREAM’ ROLE FOR GOULET IN
‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’
Goulet takes the part of the addled Don Quixote, self-styled knight and protector of all that is virtuous and makes it completely his own. And why shouldn’t it be? Goulet is now 63, a perfect age to both play and understand the semidoddering Quixote, and yet he still has the sort of inherently regal bearing that made him the perfect Lancelot in Camelot nearly 40 years ago. What is unexpected, though, it is the way Goulet is able to play against his own stereotype, moving from nobility to near senility with grace and humor. His Quixote can stand proudly but at the same time seems chomping up and down to adjust his false teeth. And Goulet reveals the sweet delusion behind Quixote unabashedly, though he never paints in the overly broad strokes that can make musicals torturous. "The Impossible Dream" a song that Goulet chooses to deliver in actual phrases, building instead of blaring from the beginning, and going out instead of up on the last note. Given Goulet’s pipes - which are in very good shape, indeed - it’s an interesting approach that works nicely, landing the lyrics a power that might otherwise be washed over. Goulet takes this old mantle, dusts it off and wears it well. Right now, who could wear it better?"