Episode
adopted by: Gelfling1220 Additional
info provided by: Brian Greene
Synopsis:
As
an understudy for the lead role in "Man of LaMancha", Sam must prevent
the star of the show from falling off a balcony onstage and ruining his
career.
He
also encounters his old piano teacher from his boyhood and has the
chance to have
the romance he always wanted years ago.
TV Guide
Synopsis: As the understudy for a bawdy
stage veteran, Sam reencounters a woman he loved when she was too old
for him in his real life, but who's now the stage partner and friend of
the actor he's leaped into. Michelle: Janine Turner. Sam: Scott Bakula.
All songs (except
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony) are from the 1965 musical, Man of La Mancha:
I Don Quixote
Man of La Mancha
The Impossible Dream
Dulcinea
What Does He Want of Me
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony
Project
Trivia:
Sam and Al listened to "Man of La Mancha" while building
Project Quantum Leap. It was the only disc Sam ever played while
building the Imaging
Chamber.
In the
Waiting Room, Ray Hutton is humming various showtunes including one
from "Oklahoma."
Sam
Trivia:
Sam took piano lessons at the age of 15, where he had his first case of
"puppy love" for Nicole, the piano teacher.
First time
Sam’s appreciation for tea,
specifically Orange Spice, is mentioned.
Al Trivia: Al used
the theater as an
outlet when he was at the orphanage. "Other kids, they went into boxing
or they studied or they stole. I thought I’d give the theater a try."
Wild print
shirt with silver highlights, orange
pants, black suspenders, black fedora, black bolo tie
Lavender shirt,
black vest with purple
swirls/paisley print, pink tie with purple markings, pale pink pants
Miscellaneous
Trivia:
Another play considered for this episode was "My Fair Lady", but was
rejected in favor of the Sam and Al/ Don Quixote and Sancho metaphor
and the message of the Impossible Dream.
During
the rolling credits, a
staged curtain call for the episode was done featuring the cast and
crew. Notably, Don Bellisario and Deborah Pratt both appear here. Eight
images of this are featured near the bottom of this page in the photo
lineup.
This episode was filmed on the same soundstage used for Jurassic Park.
End Credits: 45-seconds of instrumental music from Man of
La Mancha, backed with a specially filmed “curtain call” for the
episode. Particularly visible are Don Bellisario (in a grey jacket,
beckoning the crew on) and Deborah Pratt (in a red jumper to
Stockwell’s right, just moments after she was seen in the cliffhanging
leap into A Portrait for Troian), who had previously been heard in
Genesis as the voice of Tina. Bellisario would also make an appearance
in the following episode as Timothy Mintz. Michael Watkins is also seen
in a tuxedo at the red curtain. For the first time, the credits scroll
rather than appearing on caption cards. The scrolling format would be
used again in Her Charm, Good Night, Dear Heart, The Leap Home, One
Strobe Over the Line, Heart of a Champion and Shock Theater. Source
Regular
Cast:
ScottBakula
DeanStockwell
Guest
Stars:
John Cullum as
John O’Malley
Michele Pawk as Nicole
Janine Turner as Michelle
Ernie Sabella as Manny
Paul Sand as Charlie
Myra Turley as Dolores
Maria Lauren as Anita
Michael Carl as Ray Hutton (Mirror image)
Actors
in the Play:
Marshall Borden as Dr. Carrasco
Rand Hopkins as Pedro
John
Huffman as Innkeeper
Ruth
Miller as Housekeeper
Michael DeMarlo
as Muleteer
Jay Horton as Muleteer
Dafidd McCracken as Muleteer
Sam Rapp as Muleteer
John Cullum as
John O’Malley: John
Cullum was born on March 2, 1930 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. He is an
actor and director, known for Northern Exposure (1990), 1776 (1972) and
Before We Go (2014). He has been married to Emily Frankel since May 5,
1959. They have one child. Was the second choice for the role of
Holling Vincoeur in Northern Exposure (1990), after Robert Fuller chose
not to do the role. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Cullum
also was a standout tennis player, winning the 1951 Southeastern
Conference doubles championship with Bill Davis. Nominated for Tony
award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for role in "Urinetown", May
2002. Has won two Tony Awards as Best Actor (Musical): in 1975 for
"Shenandoah," and in 1978 for "On the Twentieth Century." He also has
two other nominations in the same category: in 1966 for "On a Clear Day
You Can See Forever," and in 2002 for "Urinetown: The Musical.".
John Cullum was the alternate Don Quixote in the original Broadway
show, "Man of LaMancha."
Michele Pawk as Nicole: Michele
Pawk was born on November 16, 1961 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
She is an actress, known for Quantum Leap (1989), Anastasia (1997) and
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). She has been married to
John Dossett since February 14, 2004. They have one child. She was
previously married to Kevin McCollum.
Janine Turner as Michelle: This
lovely, fresh-faced Lincoln, Nebraska native was born Janine Loraine
Gauntt on December 6, 1962, to stalwart Texans Turner and Janice
Gauntt. The younger of two children, she grew up in Fort Worth, Texas,
and trained, while a child, in ballet, tap, theater, and modeling (from
age 3). A cheerleading beauty into her teens, she moved with her mother
to study at New York's Professional Children's School and was lucky
enough to be picked up by the famed Wilhelmina Agency as a model (at 15
she was the youngest at the time to ever be signed). After some
commercial work, however, she returned to school in Texas and happened
by chance to find some minor work on various episodes of Dallas (1978).
This led to a Hollywood attempt at age 17 and a major TV break two
years later when she won the role of Laura Templeton on TV's popular
daytime soap General Hospital (1963), a role that required her long
tresses to go from brunette to blonde. This, in turn, fed into another
1980s regular part on Another World (1964). Janine subsequently made
her film debut in the daytime parody Young Doctors in Love (1982) that
featured her along with other soap stars in cameos. In between, she
managed find time to attend Pepperdine University but left when she
earned a film role in the movie Tai-Pan (1986). At this stage of the
game, she tended to specialize in cute and flighty roles, but all that
changed when Janine won the role of spunky, crop-haired Alaskan air
taxi pilot Maggie O'Connell opposite Rob Morrow on the eccentric
prime-time series Northern Exposure (1990). It was role of her
career, a meaty, delightfully quirky star turn that made her a
household name. The show lasted six seasons. Since then, she has been
able to subsist on a fairly full plate of TV-movie and film
assignments. She's top-lined such women's mini-pictures as Stolen
Women, Captured Hearts (1997) and A Secret Affair (1999), while in film
playing a lady-in-distress co-star to Sylvester Stallone in the action
thriller Cliffhanger (1993), "perfect Mom" June Cleaver in a film
remake of Leave It to Beaver (1997) and one of Richard Gere's "women"
in Dr. T & the Women (2000). She found another series regular role
with Strong Medicine (2000) that lasted two years. Into the millennium,
Janine has been featured in such films as Birdie & Bogey (2004),
The Night of the White Pants (2006), Maggie's Passage (2009), The Ivy
League Farmer (2015), Solace (2015), Occupy, Texas (2016) and a prime
role in Runnin' from My Roots (2018). She also appeared for a the 2008
season of the TV series Friday Night Lights (2006). Janine also moved
into directing, writing, and producing on the side, while also dabbling
in singing. Janine's daughter, former child actress Juliette Gauntt,
who appeared in her mother's film The Night of the White Pants (2006),
was born from a relationship with Jerry Jones Jr., the Dallas Cowboys'
Vice President and General Counsel.
Ernie Sabella as Manny: Ernie
Sabella is an American actor and singer from Westchester County, New
York who is widely known for voicing Pumbaa the Warthog, Timon's best
friend from The Lion King franchise except for the 2019 reboot. He also
acted in Mouse Hunt, That's So Raven, In & Out, Cheers, and
Seinfeld. He is married to Cheryl, a computer programmer. Ernie
Sabella, also well known for playing
Pumbaa the warthog in the
Lion King, reprised his role as Sancho in the 2002 revival of Man
of La Mancha on Broadway.
Paul Sand as Charlie: Paul
Sand was born on March 5, 1932 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He is
an actor and director, known for Eerie, Indiana (1991), The Main Event
(1979) and Sweet Land (2005). At age 18, went to Paris and studied with
mime Marcel Marceau. He's the son of a Mexican father and a Russian
mother. After being discovered and promoted by Mary Tyler Moore and her
production company he starred in his own show called "Friends and
Lovers". Later he worked on Broadway with Mary Tyler Moore cohort
Valerie Harper in Paul Sills' "Story Theatre".
Myra Turley as Dolores: Myra Turley is known for Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Meet the Fockers (2004) and Nightcrawler (2014).
Maria Lauren as Anita: Maria Lauren is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Knight Rider (1982) and American Idol (2002).
Michael Carl as Ray Hutton (Mirror image): Michael Carl is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Warbirds (1988) and Time Wars (1993).
Actors
in the Play:
Marshall Borden as Dr. Carrasco: Marshall
Borden was born on August 10, 1935 in Howell, Michigan, USA. He is an
actor, known for Quantum Leap (1989), A Christmas Carol (1982) and Say
It in Russian (2007). He has been married to Lee Meriwether since
September 21, 1986. He was previously married to Carole Lee Fox.
Rand Hopkins as Pedro: Rand
Hopkins was born on February 18, 1945 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was
an actor and writer, known for The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996),
Quantum Leap (1989) and The Boy King (1986). He died on January 3, 2005
in Pine Lake, DeKalb County, Georgia, USA.
Michael DeMarlo
as Muleteer: Michael DeMarlo is known for Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Quantum Leap (1989) and Fair Game (1989).
Jay Horton as Muleteer: Jay Horton is known for Quantum Leap (1989), The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) and Murder, She Wrote (1984).
Dafidd McCracken as Muleteer: It was simply by circumstance that Dafidd met Harold Clurman. Dafidd and Mr. Clurman, the legendary founder of The Group Theatre, were both at the University of New Mexico when one afternoon Dafidd, a political science major at the time, slipped into the theatre department and took a seat in Mr. Clurman's Master class. As good luck would have it no one asked Dafidd to leave and as he listened to Clurman's passionate style of social and artistic ideals Dafidd was quickly struck with such a soaring certainty about what he wanted to do with his life that within three days he had switched his major from political science to theatre arts.
In collage he acted in everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays, winning accolades and the prestigious John F. Kennedy Center/American Collage Theatre Festival Award for acting. This lead to an invitation to join the professional resident acting company at the celebrated Tony award winning Alley Theatre in Houston. His first week at the Alley, Dafidd was cast in a play opposite the late Ruth Nelson, another founding member of The Group Theatre. The Alley with its two theaters and range of classical and new plays gave Dafidd his first experience in repertoire theatre and all that goes with it. At one point during his second season with the Alley he was cast in a production of Freidrich Duerrenmat's existential play "The Visit". An important production to be apart of for it was to mark the return to the stage of one of America's most venerated actresses, Emmy, Tony and Acadamy Award nominee Ms. Kim Stanley. Unfortunately on the first day of rehearsal Ms. Stanley sent word that she had had a change of heart do to her well-known bouts with stage fright and that regrettably the production would have to go on without her.
About this time Dafidd met and was asked by the prolific award-winning British playwright Alan Ayckbourn to take part in the first ever exchange of acting companies between the United States and the UK. As a member of Mr. Ayckbourn's repertoire acting company Dafidd spent the next year in England on stage almost every night. One of the highlights was sharing in the experience of the creation of Ayckbourn's most ambitious production to date, "Intimate Exchanges". A 3000-page play, with 30 scene, 16 different endings, and only two actors. It took an entire year of evenings to perform the play in its entirety.
Upon returning to the United States Dafidd relocated to the San Francisco Bay area and quickly established himself as a veteran stage actor working with companies such as the Berkeley Stage and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival where he worked with directors, actors, and playwrights from San Francisco's seminal Magic theater company. It was in San Francisco that he met yet another founding member of The Group Theatre, the distinguished Stella Adler. Ms. Adler all but insisted that Dafidd relocate to New York and study with her.
It was in New York while studying with Ms. Adler and honing his skills in off-Broadway theatre that Dafidd took a part time job as a bartender at the Neil Simon Theater. On his first night he was sent up to the theater's empty balcony and told he would be working with someone named Aaron. That Aaron turned out to be Aaron Sorkin. They became quick friends and Dafidd has since appeared in a number of Aaron Sorkin's projects including Sports Night and a recurring role on The West Wing.
Dafidd made his film debut in 1987 in an uncredited role in John Schlesinger's The Believers. His fist TV part came in 1988 in a recurring roll on the Young and the Restless. Since then he has moved freely between film, TV, and stage as an actor, director and writer. He also occasionally coaches privately and has taught at a few select universities around the country.
Sam Rapp as Muleteer: Sam Rapp is known for Quantum Leap (1989) and Mr. What's It to Ya (2023).
Guests
Who Appeared In Other Episodes of Quantum Leap: Maria
Lauren appeared in "Leaping
In Without A Net" as Carmenina.
John
Cullum returned to direct the episode "All
Americans."
Say
What?
At the beginning of the episode, Sam and Nicole see each other from the
wings opposite each other. After the Quantum Leap theme song, ithe
episode opens at the end of the play on Sam and Nicole running to each
other backstage. Did they stay apart for the entire performance and
intermission?
If John
wasn’t in on Michelle’s plan to ruin
Sam/Ray and Nicole’s
relationship, why didn’t he tell Sam that the woman in the shower
wasn’t Nicole?
Minor
technical nit-pick: John never uses the
Don Quixote wig, nor is Sam wearing one when he goes onstage for the
performance at the end… so why does he suddenly appear to have one on
when they cut to him singing? Answer
to this nit-pick question by Joshua
Chaikin: The explanation for the "appearance" if the wig is simple - it
was in the trunk that was brought down the stairs by Sancho/Manny.
During the show, while making the transformation to Don Quioxte the
actor dons make-up, wig and additional costume pieces taken from the
trunk.
In the final
scene, there is a shot of the
stage with Dulcinea dancing. It's supposed to be Nicole, but instead
it's clearly Michelle, as Nicole appears in the wings. This clip was
made for the beginning of the episode and was inserted here instead.
Quotable
Quotes: You're
out of control Sam.
In case you haven't noticed, it's been a long time since I've been in
control.
-- Al and Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
Chicks and dogs and pigs better scurry ...
Ducks!
Ducks?
It's ducks and geese, not pigs and dogs.
Ducks!?
Yeah.
Are you sure it's not pigs and dogs? They scurry too.
-- Al and Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
What matter wounds to the body of the knight-errant? For each time he
falls, he shall rise again--and woe to the wicked!
--Sam Beckett as Don Quixote, "Catch a Falling Star"
You
can’t tell
anyone who you really are; you can’t change your personal history, you
can’t-
I can't
have a life.
All I do is live someone else's life; right their wrongs,
fight their fights. Geez, I feel like I'm Don Quixote.
-- Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
The roar of the grease paint, the smell of the crowd.
I think that's the other way around.
You never did Summer Stock.
-- Al and Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
What matter wounds to the body of a knight errant for each time he
falls he shall rise again and WOE to the wicked.
-- Sam as Don Quixote, "Catch a Falling Star"
We're not launching any rockets- it's just a
musical!
-- Dolores, "Catch a Falling Star"
I'm not saving that arrogant ass!
-- Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
I'd love to be standing in your makeup.
-- Al, "Catch a Falling Star"
You know how the road is, you tend to leap around a lot.
-- Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
That was our song, when we started Quantum Leap ... we're building the
imaging chamber, that's the only disk you ever played, Man of La Mancha.
Even if I remember the lyrics, can I sing?
-- Al and Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
What do you want
of me?
Nothing.
Liar.
(I'm with her.)
-- Nicole and Sam, rehearsing a scene, and Al, "Catch a Falling Star"
I may look like him, but she was with me, my heart, my soul.
-- Sam, “Catch a Falling Star”
Break a leg ...
-- Sam to the star, "Catch a Falling Star"
Women! They just don't understand the old double-standard!!
-- Al, "Catch a Falling Star"
I've seen that look before! You're wearing that `the earth
moved last night' look.
-- Al to Sam, "Catch a Falling Star"
Al?
Here, your Grace.
My armor. My sword.
More misadventures?
ADVENTURES, old friend.
-- Sam and Al, "Catch a Falling Star"
It's not up to you to stay here, it's up to HIM!
-- Al, “Catch a Falling Star”
But HE loved *pure* and *chaste* from *afar*.... Well, that
part was never big with me, either.
-- Al, "Catch a Falling Star"
Best
Scenes:
Sam’s rehearsal with Nicole, stumbling through the script and
professing his love for Nicole through Don Quixote’s words
Al’s being there while Sam plays on the piano
sulking over Nicole’s "rehearsal"
Synopsis & Review:
Nothing
could be more nerve-wracking than being an actor in the theater.
Unless, of course, you are Sam Beckett, and leap in a minute before you
are supposed to take the stage as Don Quixote in a Syracuse production
of “Man of La Mancha”. Luckily, his host, Ray Hutton, is only the
understudy to John O’Malley (played by John Cullum), who arrives at the
last moment, drunk, but still able to act. John taking the stage causes
a wave of sympathy to hit Sam from the crew for not being able to
perform, but a very relieved Sam is joined by Al and they watch the
play from backstage.
Al has very fond memories of joining the theater after having left the
orphanage, and has a great time reminiscing. He tells Sam that he is
there to keep John from getting so drunk that he falls off the balcony
at the next performance in three days, breaking his leg and ruining his
career. Sam worries that he will not get John sober in time and that
he'll have to perform. Al tells him not to worry, Syracuse is a long
way from Broadway, and with Sam's photographic memory and singing
talent, he'll make it and he can not pass up the chance to be a star.
Backstage, Sam recognizes a woman from his past, Nicole (played by
Michele Pawk), who was his piano teacher as a teenager and the first
woman he ever loved. She left him when he was fifteen to go to
Julliard. He thinks she recognizes him, but during their warm greeting
she had clearly recognized his host Ray, who is an old friend of hers.
Nicole reveals that she has been cast as an understudy for the role of
Dulcinea. Sam and Nicole are interrupted by John, who is immediately
smitten with Nicole and invites her to the after-party.
At the after party, John makes a spectacle of himself, singing about
going to the bar, and introduces Nicole as “the new Dulcinea”,
infuriating Michelle (played by Janine Turner), who normally has that
role. Sam is sent to the bar by John to get drinks. Sam tries to
convince John that he has had enough, but the suggestion is laughed
off. At the bar, Michelle tries to get Sam to come upstairs with her,
but he rejects her advances. When he returns to Nicole, Sam finds that
John has passed out, and so is removed.
Nicole takes Sam to her home, where they talk and reminisce (or rather,
Nicole reminisces while Sam pretends to). Sam sits down at the piano
and plays a scale that reminds Nicole of a student (him). Sam reveals
that he had a crush on his piano teacher. Nicole finds this adorable
and says that Ray must have a thing for piano teachers. It's clear that
Ray and Nicole have a romantic past, and although Sam warns her that
he's not the same Ray she fell in love with, she says that she's
changed over the years too, but her feelings have not, and they kiss.
At the rehearsal the next day, Al arrives with a copy of the script of
“Man of La Mancha” that only Sam is allowed to see. Al becomes
suspicious as Sam reads the lines with great passion, as they
accurately reflect his feelings for Nicole. Nicole also reads
beautifully and sings "What Does He Want Of Me" flawlessly. Sam and
Nicole are both praised by John, who arrives late and immediately asks
that Nicole take the role of Dulcinea in the next show, to which the
producer agrees. Sam explains to Al that he will not stop John from his
accident because he is in love with Nicole and if he stops John from
breaking his leg, it would mean he would leap and have to leave her.
Michelle, angry at being rejected by Sam and now losing her role, plots
revenge against Nicole. She lures her co-star Manny into helping her
with the promise of sex (he had been trying to woo Nicole for some
time). That night, they make it look like Nicole has returned to John's
house overnight, which infuriates Sam. The next day, he ignores and
snubs Nicole, which angers her, and tells Al that he still will not
help John after "what he did" and tells John to "break a leg". Manny
feels guilty and tells Sam the truth before the show. As a result, he
changes his mind at the last minute and Sam catches John as he falls,
preventing any injury. John decides he can not perform and Sam has to
go on. He gives a brilliant performance, offering him a last-minute
opportunity to reconcile with Nicole. When Sam reaches the top of the
stairs, on the last note of "The Impossible Dream", Sam leaps. Source
Personal
Review by Gelfling1220:
This is one of
the "Classic" episodes of the
series. The Music! The Acting! "The roar of the greasepaint, the smell
of the crowd!" Among other wonderful things highlighted in this episode
is the bond between Sam and Al, particularly in the context of Don
Quixote and Sancho – the wandering knight and his best friend,
companion and advisor. The story with Nicole shows that even though Sam
will always do the right thing no matter how it hurts him, he is also a
true human being in being capable of having flaws such as jealousy.
Ultimately, it’s hard not to be moved by the music or the message of
the impossible dream!
Production Credits:
Music by: Mike Post Supervising Producers: Deborah Pratt, Paul M. Belous, Robert Wolterstorff Co-producers: Paul Brown, Jeff Gourson, Chris Ruppenthal Produced by: Harker Wade Created by: Donald P. Bellisario Written by:Paul Brown Directed by:Donald P. Bellisario Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario Associate Producers:David Bellisario Director of Photography: Michael Watkins Production Designer: Cameron Birnie Edited by: Gary Griffen Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow First Assistant Director: Paul Sirmons Second Assistant Director: Rob Mendel Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac Costume Supervisors: David Rawley & Donna Roberts-Orme Sound Mixer: Mark Hopkins McNabb Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth Contributing Musical Composers: Velton Ray Bunch and Jerry Grant Sound Editor: Paul Clay Music Editor: Tom Gleason
Uses from Man of La Mancha Courtesy of: Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion, Mitch Leigh
Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®
This
motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other
countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may
result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
The
characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Bellisarius Productions and Universal, an MCA Company
Quantum Leap Podcast
In
the eighteenth installment of The Quantum Leap Podcast, Albie and
Heather discuss Season two episode Ten “Catch a Falling Star” There’s
first impressions, an episode recap, thoughts and opinions, and
listener feedback. The first article from our newest contributor Jill
Arroway about the strange end of episode cliffhangers, and an article
from Hayden McQueenie that expands on the Burger Theory. There will be
Music.
Let us know what you think… Leave us a voicemail by calling (707)847-6682.
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