Posted 2007-08-05 20:52:48: Amazon.com Editoral Review: When a show's pit band is the New York Philharmonic, you can expect something special, and that's what this all-star Candide delivers. It is a concert performance, without scenery but with costumes, makeup, a bit of dancing, and a lot of acting. Musically, it sounds like the best of all possible Candides. Besides an unusually talented cast, its strong points include the pacing and accentuation of Marin Alsop, one of the brightest individuals in the younger generation of conductors; the polished presence of Thomas Allen, who doubles as the narrator and Dr. Pangloss, and the spirited participation of the brilliant Westminster Symphonic Choir.
Taught in childhood to believe they live in "the best of all possible worlds," the young characters struggle to preserve their optimism through a harrowing sequence of war, famine, shipwreck, piracy, slavery, rape, and disease with a sparkle in their eyes and a tune on their lips, until, with difficulty, they finally reach a sense of reality.
Candide spans the traditional division between opera and Broadway. The soloists, all headliners, are recruited from both worlds. Broadway is represented by Patti LuPone, who became a legend in Evita, and Tony award winner Kristin Chenoweth. Paul Groves and Stanford Olsen have distinguished operatic backgrounds. They all sing Leonard Bernstein's catchy tunes and the show's clever lyrics with gorgeous voices, a lot of acting skill and a witty, flippant response to Voltaire's cynical (or, rather, realistic) philosophy. --Joe McLellan > 2 Comments
