Synopsis

PROLOGUE

Lost in obsessive tales of chivalry and visions of knightly glory, the tarnished yet inspired Don Quixote reads aloud to his trusty squire, Sancho Panza, before embarking on his adventures in pursuit of his idealized Dulcinea.

ACT I

Sevilla

Kitri, Lorenzo’s spirited daughter, is in love with the handsome Basilio. To her dismay, she learns that her father intends for her to marry Gamache, a vain and eccentric nobleman. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza arrive in the village, stirring up excitement among the townspeople. Captivated by Kitri, Don Quixote wonders if he has found his beloved Dulcinea. Amid the lively festivities, Kitri and Basilio make their escape, followed by Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Lorenzo and Gamache set off after them in hot pursuit.

Act II

Scene 1: Romani Camp

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza come upon the fleeing lovers at a lively Romani camp, where the romance of the evening enchants them all. As a vision of Dulcinea appears before him, Don Quixote comes to understand that Kitri is not his destined love, but belongs instead with Basilio. Suddenly, the wind begins to rise, and Don Quixote charges recklessly at a windmill, imagining it to be a monstrous giant threatening Dulcinea. Defeated by his own delusion, he falls into an exhausted sleep.

Scene 2: The Dream

Don Quixote enters an enchanted dream inhabited by the mercurial Amour, the Queen of the Dryads, and her beautiful maidens, where the image of Kitri appears to him as his beloved Dulcinea.

Scene 3: Sunrise

Lorenzo and Gamache interrupt Don Quixote’s dream. Moved by the devotion of the young lovers, Don Quixote does his best to mislead them and help Kitri and Basilio escape.

Scene 4: A Tavern

Kitri and Basilio take refuge in a lively tavern, and revel in their freedom. Their celebration is short-lived, however, as their pursuers soon discover them. Enraged, Lorenzo demands that Kitri accept the attentions of Gamache. In desperation, Basilio stages his own “suicide.” Moved by the lovers’ devotion, Don Quixote persuades Lorenzo to grant Kitri’s wish to marry Basilio before he dies. The moment Lorenzo relents, Basilio miraculously springs back to life. Triumphantly, Kitri departs to prepare for the wedding while Don Quixote and Basilio salute Lorenzo and Gamache for accepting the inevitable.

ACT III

The Wedding

The village rejoices as Kitri and Basilio are finally wed. Don Quixote offers the happy couple his blessing before taking his leave and setting off once more in search of new adventures.