Leonard Bernstein’s operetta Candide deserves its place of honor in the repertoire of any contemporary classical music company. Since its Broadway debut in 1956 as a musical, the complex yet captivating work has undergone numerous iterations, all while preserving its freshness and relevance.
The plot, typically presented in two acts (depending on the director), is based on Candide, ou L’Optimisme (1759), by François-Marie Arouet, known by his pen name M. de Voltaire. The sharp satire critiques unbridled optimism and the belief that we live in “the best of all possible worlds”—a doctrine with significant philosophical grounding in the 18th century. The chaotic adventures recounted in the story serve to dismantle that notion with biting humor.
The secret of Candide’s success lies in Bernstein’s profound philosophical explorations of music and literature, supported by an extraordinary team of lyrical collaborators including Hugh Wheeler, Richard Wilbur, Stephen Sondheim, John La Touche, Lillian Hellman, and Dorothy Parker.
Jamie Bernstein delves into her father’s passion for the French writer.
In an interview with artburstmiami.com from her home in New York, Bernstein says, “Voltaire was ahead of his time, very much like a lot of comic writers and performers today. He was an equal opportunity insulter. Nobody escaped his pen: the Church, intellectuals, politics, politicians and governments, kings and queens. He always had something rude to say about absolutely everyone, which demonstrated what an egalitarian he actually was. Indeed, he reminded me of the comedian from the 20th century, George Carlin,” says the author, narrator, director, broadcaster, and filmmaker.
The South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO) premieres the masterful satire as part of its “Icons & Rebels Masterworks” season. Performances are Tuesday, Jan. 14 at the New World Center in Miami Beach, Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale, and Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West.
Conducted by SFSO’s music director Sebrina Maria Alfonso, the “semi-staged concert,” version follows in the vein of Lonny Price’s 2004 production for the New York Philharmonic and popularized through the PBS series “Great Performances.” It places the orchestra, chorus and characters onstage in minimalist fashion, without large sets. Stage direction is by Seattle-based director Dan Wallace Miller, who is the artistic director for Inland Northwest Opera. Recent credits include “Pagliacci” at Seattle Opera and “Rigoletto” at Opera San Jose.
“This is a masterpiece not just for opera enthusiasts; it has incredible appeal for general audiences,” says Alfonso, adding that the version SFSO is presenting has “great staging, talented actors and phenomenal singers.”
The cast includes David Walton as Candide, Chelsea Lehnea as Cunegonde, Jason Zacher alternating the roles of Dr. Pangloss and Voltaire. Also featured are Alissa Anderson as the Old Lady, Lovell Rose as Maximilian and the South Florida Symphony Chorus.
“It’s a series of captivating moments, one song leading seamlessly into the next,” says Alfonso. The stage will be filled, she says, including a 24-piece chorus, a 50-piece orchestra, and main characters.
Walton says that portraying Candide is a singular opportunity and especially with its challenges.
“The hardest part about singing and performing Candide is maintaining the emotional context, vigor and strength throughout the whole piece. He is very funny, but every other character has one dimension. (Candide) has multiple layers and has to keep his cards close to him throughout the whole piece until the end, when he realizes what Cunegonda has done to him, and that feeling of deception; this is when you really see his emotions starting to come out,” says the lyric tenor.
For Walton, Candide represents an innocent, sometimes absent-minded, young individual who doesn’t know anything about the world—or really that much about himself. “I think it’s that self-discovery, coming-of-age type of story that everybody gets in the end. But as a singer and actor, the hardest thing is to carry that emotional balance throughout the whole montage. You’re experiencing these terrible things happening to him. And yes, they’re tongue-in-cheek, a satire; but he has to maintain that sense of shock, and surprise, and yet a willingness to move on after,” says Walton, originally from Nashville, Tenn.
One legendary staging of Candide took place at London’s Barbican Centre for the Performing Arts in December 1989, recorded just months prior to Bernstein’s passing. Just before the overture, while reflecting on Voltaire’s work, Bernstein noted to the audience that what resonated most with him was the idea that “optimism, when it becomes rigid dogma, breeds complacency, induces inertia, and stifles the human drive to change, to progress, to fight injustice, or to create something that genuinely contributes to a better world.”
The references in Candide’s story go back to 18th century Voltaire, and Bernstein’s musings on such themes as McCarthyism in 20th century America. But their combined commentary on classism, cheating, social climbing, greed, cynicism, love of convenience and, in short, the universal struggle of good against evil, is more relevant than ever.
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“Unfortunately, these issues never go out of style or out of date because injustice continues, tyranny continues, the unfairness of governments and oppression of people all continues. And so people like Voltaire and my father never go out of style either, because they advocate for those issues through their art,” says Jamie Bernstein, who penned “Famous Father Girl, A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein” about her life with her father and mother, pianist and actress Felicia Montealegre.
She says that in both Voltaire’s original work and her father’s musical, there is commentary that is sometimes misconstrued.
“. . . There’s a lot of rudeness, which is funny—it’s about poking fun at people,” explains Bernstein. “But nowadays, some folks are very sensitive about it, and ‘Candide’ the musical often gets into trouble for being considered politically incorrect. People get offended and completely miss the point. That is the point!”
Bernstein considers the attitude hypocritical. “Being overly sensitive and focusing on feeling insulted by one aspect makes people miss the bigger picture. The work is advocating for equality for everyone by mocking those who are narrow-minded and prejudiced,” she says, adding “It’s such a pity when people take ‘Candide’ too literally and fail to grasp its deeper message—when it’s actually the perfect work for our world today.”
IF YOU GO
What: South Florida Symphony Orchestra presents Candide
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, New World Center, 500 17th Street, Miami Beach; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale; 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, Tennessee Williams Theatre, 5901 College Road, Key West.
Cost: Varies by venue: $25, $42.50, $50, $67.50, $75, $76.50, $80, $95, $99, $115, $135, $150, $195.
Information: 954-522-8445 or southfloridasymphony.org
Related event: A pre-concert discussion will take place 30 minutes before the show at the New World Center featuring in-depth conversation and insights about the work and composer.
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