CANDIDE at Cinnabar

27 of 34 cast members of Cinnabar's riotous staging of Candide now playing through April 10, 2009.

CANDIDE By Leonard Bernstein / Based on the Voltaire novel. Directed by Elly Lichenstein, Musical Direction by Nina Shuman. Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, California, 94942. 707-763-8920 or www.cinnabartheater.org.

March 20 to April 12, 2009

COLORFUL, EXUBERENT, BIZARRE, RACOUS “CANDIDE”

The production history of Leonard Bernstein’s comic opera adaptation of Voltaire’s satirical novella Candide that had a pitiful two month run on Broadway in December 1956 has had multiple revisions. In fact, the original libretto is not available even after such illustrious names as Lillian Hellman, John LaTouche, Dorothy Parker and Stephen Sondheim others had a crack at it. Of the multiple variations, the production by the National Theatre in London elicited the accolade, “They finally got it right!” Maybe so, other adaptations appeared with one, called the Chelsea version, seeming to be the one most often used today. The Cinnabar Theatre group has elected to use that version.

The play opens with a Voltaire introduction and we are transported to Westphalia where Life is Happiness Indeed and we meet Candide, the illegitimate nephew of a German baron. He, the baron’s daughter Cunégonde, her brother Maximillian and Paquette, the maid, are being tutored by scholar Pangloos who insists that this is the Best of All Possible Worlds. Candide, hopelessly in love with Cunegonde, is banished and conscripted into the Bulgarian army where he, for the first time, has a taste of brutality. In the meantime, the Bulgars have overrun Westphalia, captured and ravished Cunegonde.

Candide makes his way to Lisbon meeting Cunégonde who is the sex slave of a Jewish rabbi and a Catholic Bishop. Ever hopeful Cunégonde states “Complete ravaging of my body cannot affect my heart!” while singing Glitter and be Gay. In Lisbon, he meets Pangloss who has contracted syphilis from Paquette yet sings the praises of the New World that has also provided potatoes and tobacco in Dear Boy. Pangloss is hanged and Candide beaten by the Inquisitors for not believing in original sin.

Candide eventually slays (in an absolutely hysterically funny scene) the Rabbi and the Priest. An old woman shows up, tends Candide’s wounds, tells her horrific tale of woe ( horrors, she has only one buttock) and joins the lovers bound for South America and the first act ends with a riotous I Am Easily Assimilated sung by the old woman, three hilariously inept South American Dons, Candide and Cunégonde.

By this time you should have the picture of what is to come and you will not be disappointed. Act two opens in Cartagena where our hapless travelers come upon Paquette and Max, disguised as a woman (he too has been ravished by dastardly men), who are being sold at a slave market while the belt out We Are Women. The stay in Cartagena is short lived and on to Montevideo aboard a ship (like you’ve seen before) that leads into a rousing Allelujah as optimism is partially rejuvenated and fully restored when they reach the peaceful El Dorado where animals live in harmony with humans. And what a motley group of charming animals. But eventually all good things must come to an end and optimism is replace by pragmatism when they reach Home and the company joins in to sing Make Our Garden Grow. There is a little twist involving a charming cow that will not be revealed here.

Director Elly Lichenstein has selected a circus format, complete with narrator dressed in a ringmaster costume, populating the stage with clowns and wildly colorful characters too numerous to catalog. The sting of Voltaire’s satire loses impact with the break-neck speed of the pacing and takes a back seat to the staging. The entire production is a hoot and a holler, with jugglers, slapstick, sight gags, dancing and colorful costumes (Lisa Eldredge) that compete with each other for recognition. How choreographer Mikka Bonel keeps the non-stop action going with only minimal collisions between the 34 cast members is a wonder. He even has to contend with a real swing dropped from the rafters in both acts.

The principle cast members: William Neely (The narrator including Voltaire/Pangloss etc.), Will Hart Meyer (Candide), Sheila Willey (Cunégonde), Bonnie Brooks (The Old Lady), John Kendall Bailey (Maximillian) and Jennifer Kay (Paquette) are all in good voice and display mastery of the comic touch. The 13-member orchestra under Nina Shuman’s baton does justice to Leonard Bernstein’s music with sure direction that never misses a beat and is a great compliment to the non-stop action and controlled mayhem. The never-ending vignettes indulged in by ensemble deserve three cheers for all but are too numerous for individual accolades.

Congratulations are in order for the entire production. Running time is over two hours with intermission and I suggest that you bring a pillow to supplement the sparse padding in the straight-back chairs. It is open seating with all seats with excellent view.

Kedar K. Adour

Courtesy of TheatreWorld Internet Magazine