CANDIDE — Page 4

I thought it was ok for a concert, but it had some moments of sloppiness that I figured must have come from being underrehearsed. I noticed the same thing in the Sunday in the Park concert at Ravinia, also directed by Lonny Price. LuPone went off-pitch a couple of times in Assimilated and Groves went off-pitch in nearly every number he sang. There were several places where the orchestra and the actors were separated as the actors took off on their own tempos and the orchestra took a while to catch up. I don't know if this was a problem with the actors hearing the orchestra as they were singing or if there were no monitors to guide off the conductor. But it did have its moments of brilliance and I thought many of the ideas in staging were quite funny and clever. But overall, the production I saw with the Light Opera Works in Chicago based on the 1999 Royal National Theatre production was much more interesting and solid.

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is it even going to be put on DVD? I don't think it is. PBS has nothing available for it at all....= which is a shame. They should have gone all out with this one. DVD, double disc CD... ugh... woulda been beautiful.

Read the Voltare, it might clear things up for you. (Hint: it's a satire)

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I'm watching it at school. We watched the first act today and we're going to finish tomorrow. I really like the score, which is surprising, because West Side Story, also by Bernstein, has music that frays my nerves.

But what awful direction! Lifted 'ideas' all over the place, from the opening right out of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE to the character-describing t-shirts out of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG! Sabotaging the beauty and sincerity of It Must Be So with pointless shtick! Apparently, Mr. Price doesn't understand the difference between wit and camp.

I really liked this! I had no idea what it was about before I saw it. All I knew was that Kristin was in it. But I really enjoyed it. I had no idea it would be funny! It was a little confusing, though. I mean, how did Cunegonde end up not dead????
But Kristin was phenomenal!!!!

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I really enjoyed it! I love the cheno! She has such an amazing voice and great comic timing. I actually was just flipping through last night when I saw it on. I'm glad that I did!

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I had the immense pleasure of seeing Patti Lupone in the production of ANYTHING GOES at the Vivian Beaumont a few years back and she was absolutely magic on stage. Those of you that saw the production will agree. She has a great stage presence was fantastic as the Old Lady.

Candide was an ambitious and risky work for it's time, thus the 73 performances. I think many audeinces just don't "get it". The work requires you to do some thinking which may be beyond the average theater fan.

As is usual with Bernstein, the score is deep, complex and extremely difficult to navigate.

I enjoyed the entire program start to finish amd thought everyone was excellent. Nit picking aside, there should be more of this on television to introduce young people to the magic of the American Musical Theater. Once bitten, you're hooked for life.

The scene where they pass Candide the West Side Story album for his suitcase was classic, and a fitting tribute again to Bernstein and what I consider to be one of the greatest musicals ever written.

And of course, Cheno was dazzling. Glitter and be Gay brought tears to my eyes for the sheer technical brilliance of the performance.

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