| Background: |
Featuring a legendary score by
Leonard Bernstein (of “West Side Story” and “On
The Town” fame), this rarely offered version of CANDIDE,
was written in two acts for the Scottish Opera in Glasgow.
Unlike other versions, the opera house edition remains exceptionally
true to Voltaire's original book with its French blend of
wicked humor and biting satire.
Director Dean Hess has sought to make Voltaire’s
story even more meaningful to modern audiences by changing
its original 18th century setting to the 20th century. “Voltaire’s
piece has distinct parallels with today,” Hess explains.
“I’ve evolved the times and locations but found
modern counterparts: Voltaire’s wealthy community of
Westphalia becomes the Ruhr Valley (home of the Industrial
Revolution), the Spanish Inquisition becomes the purging of
35,000 Masons in Portugal, and the slave trade in Buenos Aires
has its parallel in Surinam. Audiences will see Voltaire’s
story is timeless.”
Hess continues, “I am especially excited
about our production as it offers the best of the best to
our audiences—a tremendously creative blend of the College
of the Arts’ top performers and singers from both the
Department of Theatre and Dance and the Department of Music.”
Bringing another dimension of life to Voltaire’s
book is the music of CANDIDE. “Composer Leonard Bernstein's
music has always been about one thing: exploring the differences
among people and pleading for tolerance to allow us to live
in peace and kindness,” explains John Mauceri, who worked
with Bernstein. “From the entrance into Venice to the
end of the play the musical numbers flow with almost no dialogue
through the glorious finale.”
Orchestra director Kimo Furumoto shares his
thoughts on conducting the 50-plus-member cast in the score
stating, “If West Side Story is considered one of Bernstein's
most moving works then CANDIDE surely must be considered his
wittiest work. It is chock full of catchy tunes that bring
the original novel by Voltaire to life with satirical humor.
Bernstein employs the gamut of his compositional style from
grand opera to American popular music in this brilliant score.
In doing so he has placed extreme demands on the singer/actors
who play the various roles in the work. As we follow the hapless
youth Candide in his quest for ‘the best of all possible
worlds,’ we ultimately realize that we must each find
out what our unique contribution to humanity is, to ‘make
our garden grow.’”
The cast includes: Christopher Manus (April
25, 27 May 1, 3) and Jonathan D. Schoenherz (April 26 May
2,4) as Voltaire/Pangloss/ Cacambo/Martin; Benjamin Plaché
(April 25, 27 May 1,3) and Brad Standley (April 26 May 2,
4) as Candide; Matt Lara (April 25, 27 May 1, 3) and Daniel
Canaday (April 26 May 2, 4) as Maximilian; Kellee Schildknecht
(April 25, 27 May 1, 3) and Sarah Lartigue (April 26 May 2,
4) as Cunegonde; Andrea Dodson (April 25, 27 May 1, 3) and
Jessica Mason (April 26, May 2, 4) as Paquette; Lilly Mettler
(April 25, 27 May 1, 3) and Renée Tatum (April 26 May
2, 4) as Old Lady; Richard E. Hall as Governor/Vanderdendur;
and Samuel Nuñez as Captain.
More are: Bryan Balderman as Sultan Achmed;
Jon-Enée Merriex as Hermann Augustus; Dashaun Young
as Charles Edward; Scott Ziemann as Stanislaus; Jason Halliday
as Tsar Ivan; Mike Adkins as Ragotsi; Devon Glenn as Crook;
Kim Walthall as Cosmetic Merchant; Mike Adkins as Doctor;
Dashaun Young as Bear-keeper; Matt Frazier as Alchemist; Jon-Enée
Merriex as Junkman; and Jonathan Infante as Grand Inquisitor.
In addition, the production also features a large ensemble
of singers and dancers.
Designers include: Ann Sheffield, sets; Bruce
Goodrich, costumes; Deb Lockwood, lighting; Joy Shannon, make-up;
and Nathan Jones, sound.
This production is suggested for mature audiences,
as theatergoers of today may find it unashamedly "politically
incorrect" with race, ethnicity sexuality, politics and
religion ridiculed to the extreme. As is the point of satire,
it is these extremes that Voltaire questions and seeks to
correct in his original.
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