Scottish Opera Version
A comic operetta in two acts
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Book by Hugh Wheeler, after Voltaire
Lyrics by Richard Wilburn, Stephen Sondheim, John La Touche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, and Leonard Bernstein
Performed in English with English subtitles
Premiered at Theatre Royal, Glasgow on May 17, 1988
July 5, 6, 12 & 13 at 8:00pm
In the castle of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tronck in Westphalia, Dr. Pangloss tutors four children based on his philosophy that “all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.” The children are Cunegonde and Maximillian, the beautiful daughter and son of the Baron, Paquette, a servant girl, and Candide, a bastard cousin. Candide and Cunegonde fall in love and once their feelings are discovered, Candide is banished from Barony and tricked into joining the Bulgarian army to ravage his own homeland. After many misadventures, Candide is borne to Portugal where he discovers Cunegonde raped and almost dead. Pangloss, who is now a beggar, is also discovered and they are reunited and sentenced before the Spanish Inquisition and Pangloss is hanged. Candide managers to escape with Cunegonde, thanks to the Old Lady, and they set forth on a harrowing journey to the New World. There they are reunited with Maximillian (disguised as a woman) and Paquette, whom the Governor of Cartagena, Columbia has purchased as concubines. The Governor falls for Maximillian and is so disgusted upon learning his true gender that he decides to execute him, but later decides to sell him to a monastery instead. Candide and Maximillian argue over Cunegonde and Candide stabs Maximillian. After further misadventures and becoming separated from his friends once more, Candide ends up leaving the New World and making his way back across the ocean where he is again joined by Maximillian (newly brought back to life), Paquette, and eventually even Cunegonde who has since become a prostitute in a gambling casino. Destitute, the four go to see a wise man that turns out to be Pangloss who survived the hanging. Their old teacher reveals new wisdom to the quartet that man must “work from dawn til’ dusk, in the fields, patiently learning to make his garden grow.”
Boosey and Hawkes Synopsis
By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent for Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, publisher and copyright owner
Season Tickets Available NOW
Single Tickets Available April 2
Production Staff
| Conductor | Scott Schoonover |
| Director | Annamaria Pileggi* |
| Scenic Designer | Otis Sweezey* |
| Costume Designer | Teresa Doggett |
| Lighting Designer | Michael Sullivan* |
| Technical Director | Theatre Marine Productions |
Cast
| The Old Lady | Christine Brewer |
| Candide | Jesse Darden* |
| Voltaire/Dr. Pangloss | Thomas Gunther |
| Maximillian | Charlie Tingen* |
| Cunegonde | Brooklyn Snow* |
| Paquette | Gina Malone |
| Cardinal Archbishop of Paris; Captain; Governor of Buenos Aires; Vanderdendur |
Christopher Nelson* |
Ensemble:
Sharifa Black, R. Nathan Brown*, Aleksandar Dragojevic, Graham Emmons*, Danielle Feinstein, Grace Fisher, Michael Hawkins, Anthony Heinemann, Emily Heyl, Jeffrey Heyl, Greg Johnston*, Merry Keller, Liya Khaimova, Jason Mallory, Sophie Shugart, Joel Rogier, Leann Schuering, Philip Touchette
