50 years ago tonight...

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 12/1/06 at 2:43pm

CANDIDE, the Leonard Bernstein "comic operetta based on Voltaire's satire" played the first of its 73 performances at Broadway's Martin Beck Theatre with Barbara Cook, Robert Rounseville, Max Adrian and Irra Petina heading the cast.

This was the original version of CANDIDE with the somewhat heavy-handed book by Lillian Hellman buried under an even more heavy-handed classical styled staging by Tyrone Guthrie. It didn't work but did spin off a glorious cast album.

I will be featuring selections from CANDIDE on my weekly radio show FRONT ROW CENTRE this Sunday night from 7 to 8 pm eastern time. (Link to website: http://www.foxy885.com/homepage.php and select Listen Live from the top right corner.)

Last night I saw CANDIDE (Hugh Wheeler version) staged by students of Sheridan College in Oakville and it was a FANTASTIC production...well sung and acted, inventively staged. And very funny! Anyone in the Toronto area is well advised to get out there this week or next and see the production!