This is a magnificent semi-staged production combing the forces of around 450 choristers of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, performers from Sydney’s Pacific Opera , 80 musicians from the Sydney Youth Orchestra and glittering stars from Opera Australia and musicals.It was directed by Mitchell Butel with a sure touch and with excellent phrasing ,timing and a wonderful comic touch .
Rarely performed ,the comic operetta originally premiered in 1956 and is adapted from a novella of the same name written by the Enlightenment-era philosopher Voltaire. It satirizes the predominant attitudes of Voltaire’s era , particularly those of the church and of monarchism , as well as class divisions and academe , has chocolate soldiers and question the meaning and purpose of life.
The plot is perhaps tangled and overly rambling , possibly a little weak in construction but is still very relevant to day and the score itself is infectiously enchanting and ranges in style from tango, Broadway , Gilbert and Sullivan to high opera. Musical director and conductor Brett Weymark energetically and enthusiastically led the Orchestra and HUGE choir superbly – musically and vocally this was a stunning performance .
There are now several versions, including John Mauceri’s for Scottish Opera in 1988, which Bernstein then re-worked slightly and conducted for a concert version at the Barbican in London in 1989.The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ concert performance, directed by Mitchell Butel, utilises a few different adaptations, including Mauceri’s orchestrations, Wheeler’s book and the narration created by Bernstein and John Wells for the 1989 London concert.
When the show opens we are in Westphalia at the castle of Thunder-ten-Tronck. Candide – the illegitimate son of the Baron’s sister – wants to become engaged to the Baron’s daughter Cunégonde. In an idealised and sheltered childhood , they have been taught by their teacher Dr Pangloss that everything happens for the best in this “best of all possible worlds”. However the Baron and his son Maximilian refuse to allow Candide to marry Cunégonde and exile him.
Candide’s adventures and travels take us to Paris , Lisbon , Cadiz and El Dorado where he learns about slavery , brutality , death , rape , war, brutality, hangings, prostitution, and disease and find that life is not fair and that the world is full of hypocrisy , injustice and suffering . When a more mature and pragmatic Candide is reunited with his beloved Cunégonde again at the end, they decide that they must look at the world differently and decide to “cultivate [their] own garden.”
The huge choir at times became waving crowds or threatening seas , did a Mexican wave, became an erupting volcano ,dramatically wore sunglasses , made tumultuous crashing waves of sound at times while at other points they were large church congregations , Pangloss’ class , or a delicate , almost angelic accompaniment .
Costumes as designed by Brendan de la Hay were very bright flamboyant and colourful almost cartoonish , and included lots of large sombreros as well as where appropriate an overlaid crinoline corset support .
The minimal set design (well what there was of it) was mostly small handheld props , a podium stage right and electrically lit neon ‘palm trees’ .A main part of the set was seven cubed box shapes that became stands, seats , tables , a ship etc.
Amy Campbells’ choreography ranged from tightly controlled and precise at various points for the choir, with their stylised movements (The Pilgrim’s Procession for example ), and exuberant fun with ‘fake Spanish’ (the gloriously over the top deliciously explosive I Am Easily Assimilated in Act 1 for The Old Lady , with nods to Ms O’Connor’s role in West Side Story ) .
Tall ,dark haired and lanky Alexander Lewis in the eponymous role of Candide is splendid and in thrilling , dynamic voice . At first , dressed in a University like striped blazer , he is all bright eyed naïve innocence but we see him develop and change and learn about the hard knocks of the real world. His “It must be so “ in Act 1 is a poignant heartbreaker , and his lament in Act1 also terrific. His Nothing More Than This towards the end is also most touching .
Annie Aitken as Cunegonde was delightful .She appears deliciously brittle, superficial and doll like in a ruffled purple dress she was poured into . I was rather reminded of Olympia from The Tales of Hofmann perhaps . Her showstopping number the set piece Glitter and Be Gay with its coloratura fireworks stops the show for several minutes .
Candide and Cunegonde’s reunion duet in Act 2 is somewhat reminiscent of Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy films .
What’s The Use is a cynical, cheeky whirling waltz for the Old Lady and other characters about the uses of money.
Various people acted as narrator but mostly it was Phillip Scott who also played the role of exuberant , eternal optimist Dr Pangloss and was obviously having a tremendous time .His Dear Boy was poignantly, beautifully sung and he deals with the other tongue twisting almost Gilbertian patter style lyrics in other sections of the show with marvellous panache .
Musical theatre legend Caroline O’Connor had great fun stealing the show as the acerbic Old Lady in a striking red and black costume .
Others in the stellar multi talented cast include lively tenor Kanen Breen who had great fun hamming it up as rather camp Maximillan, Katherine Allen (as the maid Paquette ), as well as Adam Player , Nicholas Jones ,Andrew Dickson, Elora Ledger and Rebecca MacCallion from Pacific Opera who all gave strong, delightful performances in their various roles often doubling/tripling characters .
A most moving , thrilling performance
At the end there was tumultuous applause, cheers and screams and a partial standing ovation.
CANDIDE was at the Sydney Opera House 2 performances .