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Candide
Leonard Bernstein
March 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th - 2004
"Having had the privilege of working with Leonard Bernstein, it is an honor to premier this musical treasure here at Opera Pacific. This glittering score achieved cult status immediately after its premiere. This one's for you, Lenny!" ~ Maestro John DeMain |
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Based on Voltaire’s satirical masterpiece and set to Leonard Bernstein’s glorious music, Candide tells the story of a young man, Candide, who is determined to follow his instructor's creed of mindless optimism. Even after being banished from his homeland, captured by Bulgarians, beaten by the Spanish Inquisition, robbed of everything he owns, and torn repeatedly from the woman he loves, Candide still clings to the philosophy that everything is for the best in this, "the best of all possible worlds." He and his friends eventually find themselves seeking guidance from the Wisest Man in the World--a ghost from their past who has a surprising revelation for them!
The play begins in Westphalia, where we meet the characters: the Baron and Baroness, Cunegonde--their beautiful virgin daughter, Maximilian--their handsome son, Candide--their handsome bastard nephew, and Paquette-- the Baroness' buxom serving maid. Their tutor, Dr. Pangloss, preaches the philosophy that all is for the best in "The Best of All Possible Worlds." Inspired by Pangloss’ private “lessons” to Paquette, Candide declares his love for Cunegonde. Discovered by the family, Candide, a social inferior, is expelled from Westpahlia and wanders alone — with only his optimism to cling to.
Discovered at dawn asleep in a field, Candide is press-ganged into the Bulgar Army. He tries to desert, but is recaptured and is made to run the gauntlet. He is just able to walk again when the Bulgars declare war on Westphalia where everyone is massacred.
Time passes. Alone in the world and starving, Candide gives the few coins he has to an old man with a tin nose, worse off than himself: syphilis has rotted away several of his fingers. Candide discovers that it is Pangloss brought back to life. He philosophizes that this is still the best of all possible worlds, however, for syphilis is a product of the New World. Both men are arrested for heresy and dragged off to Lisbon where Pangloss is sentenced by the Inquisitor and hanged. Candide escapes with a whipping. After his beating, a kind old lady rescues him and restores him to health. After he has recovered, the Old Lady sneaks him into Cunegonde's apartment. Candide is thrilled to find his former lover alive, but the reunion is cut short by the arrival of her lovers: a Jew and a Cardinal. Candide inadvertently stabs both the men— to death.
With the French police in pursuit for the murders in Paris, Candide accepts a commission to fight for the Jesuits in South America, with a free passage for Cunegonde and the Old Lady. So they take ship for the New World, but the vessel is attacked by pirates and the women are carried off for another round of ravishment. When Candide arrives in the New World, he finds both Paquette and Maximilian alive and sold into slavery. Candide brings them up-to-date on what has happened and swears that he will rescue Cunegonde once more and marry her. Maximilian, however, is still furious at the suggestion that his sister should marry Candide. As luck would have it, Candide accidentally kills Maximilian.
That night, Candide and Paquette escape into the jungle of South America and discover the jewel-filled city of El Dorado. After loading two sheep with gold and jewels, Candide and Paquette return to Cartagena only to learn that the pirates have taken Cunegonde to Constantinople. The Governor offers Candide a boat to pursue the pirates, which he readily accepts! Still, Candide, Paquette and the Old Lady, who has rejoined them after being rejected by the pirates, finally make their way to Constantinople where they buy Cunegonde's freedom with the gold they have recovered. They use the last of their remaining fortune to buy the freedom of Maximilian who has somehow wound up in the same household after being miraculously brought back to life!
Now, reunited but without a penny to their name, they are all unsure what to do next, so they decide to visit the Wisest Man in the World. There they find Dr. Pangloss, miraculously alive and having abandoned his old "best of all possible worlds" philosophy, spouting a new one: the work ethic. Candide, still quite committed to Pangloss, decides to follow this new creed, buy a little farm, grow a garden, and milk the cow which they have managed to acquire. Even as everyone agrees that this is, of course, a splendid decision, the cow falls dead with the pox.
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