There is a god! Daily News "Candide" review!

Kristin Chenoweth meets the stiff musical demands of Cunegonde. But am I the only one who's tired of her Kewpie doll approach to everything?

Voiceanth says: I hear ya Howard and no babe you are not alone:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater/story/190929p-165091c.htmlhttp://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater/story/190929p-165091c.html>http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater/story/190929p-165091c.html

Is it me, or in that picture does she looklike Sally Brown?

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Me thinks the Tony is looking Pink-ish by the moment!

You can see the backlash a mile away....I don't think she's gonna get it!

Yes.....it does!! LOL!

I agree!

Oh come on now Maggie....it's two yaer old...wait till I do my cabaret show with the shirtless flyer!

I don't understand everyone's hatred of Kristin Chenoweth. She is unbelievably talented! I mean, have you guys not heard her?! There's no denying that she has an outstanding voice. Not only can she belt really high, but then she goes and sings Glitter and be Gay! Who cares if she doesn't have the best character choices...the bottom line is she's simply amazing. Why is it that no one appreciates her talent?

My problem with her is that she always sounds the same. I'm not a Kristin expert by any stretch of the imagination, but everytime I've seen and heard her, she's using that little girl voice. It worked for Sally Brown, bothered me in Wicked, and has me perplexed as I listen to Candide. She is a wonderful vocalist, but it's time to sing and talk in an adult voice when playing an adult role. AND before anyone feels inclined to tell me "that's just how her voice is", I beg to differ...she was just interviewed on the NPR station, and guess what, a normal speaking voice is within the realm of the possible.

HAHA...the announcer just described her as a little "puff ball" on stage (referring to the costume, I presume) and said something about her being cute as a kewpie doll. OY.

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Updated On: 5/7/04 at 09:56 PM

CANDIDE at the NYPhil was the place to be tonight. Not an empty seat.

Fine job nearly all around. Lonny Price's staging was OK, but his directorial gimmicks were embarrassing. Casting and asking that Maximilian be played as a flouncing gay man was a tired idea and a bad choice. Asking some of the chorus member to prance and mince as gay men was equally in poor taste.

That aside, the Phil played the score impeccably. Marin Alsop was top notch on the podium. LuPone (The Old Lady) and Chenoweth (Cunegonde) were both excellent as were Paul Groves (Candide) and Sir Thomas Allen (Pangloss).

Chenoweth proved that the kewpie doll voice is a personna because she would sometimes use it speaking but never when singing. She was funny and she is today's Cunegonde. No one can come close to handling the singing role. Of the various Cunegondes I've heard on record and stage no one has come this close to Barbara Cook to date.

Bernstein is one of the great musical theatre composers. Lyrics by John LaTouche (THE GOLDEN APPLE), Richard Wilbur and Sondheim, too.

CANDIDE is a must for any lover of the musical. If you don't know anything more than the overture you'll be pleasantly surprised. If you do know it, listen again and make your garden grow.

Exactly. That "my helium canister is just offstage" sound is very close to how she speaks. Personally, I think she exaggerates it to heighten how powerful her singing voice can be when she lets rip. The opening of Act Two in Wicked would be a case in point. I was looking at her thinking "where on earth is that coming from?"

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