Candide review

It is difficult to write a review about such a musical, which visited so many countries and places, changing from terrible to average and to the fantastically phenomenal. If we consider its first staging in 1956, it is worth noting that they were disastrous – two acts of continuous sitcom and incoherence of the libretto and the musical mood that would be passed to it by creators – the atmosphere of charm of the 18th century, when the high society reigned passion for mega pompous hairstyles and outfits. If we talk about the most famous its resurrections – a few years after a disastrous beginning, it is this ascension from the dead should raise praises because it really made musical very successful. And on both sides of the ocean, it was acted a total of more than 1000 times just in two years after the second start. Then there were many of resurrection – the mere listing of years of the show would take a few lines.

This format is not even a musical. It is operetta, which lasted for two years in the Opera of New York. During its many variations, the makers have experimented with many options for the staging. There was even one where the scene was a multi-tiered, and instead of changing the scenery between scenes and acts, the viewer simply refocused on another part of the scene in which events unfolded. This was done as a result of fourth staging of operetta and the then recognized by critics as a very successful step.

In the story, the main character, after whom the play is named, experience the collapse of his personal views on life as he passes through the horrors of war, class hatred, fall to the bottom, prostitution, and many other troubles. He grew up like a capricious plant, which did not tolerate any heat or cold, and has always been in concern, wrapped behind the bonnets, fences and walls from the outside world. And now, when he was plunged into all the horrors of the world, he realizes that everything he knew up to that time is lies and nonsense.

Many critics did not like the original libretto of 1956, which made the operetta an unstageable monster, although the music itself was favorable. And even after the successful processing by Harold Prince, this opinion about the play had lived long still. However, between the first and second productions, it has changed so much that we can say that the play has become a truly original.

In 1988, after the huge amount of reworks, revisions and additions by a great host of creative people of all kinds, musical finally gained the most final version, which was performed by Bernstein – two years before his death.

However, that did not stop the play to develop further – and already in 1997 and to this day, this operetta undergoes multiple changes before each staging. In addition to constant changes associated with the book, a set of songs and choreography, so also every actor adds something own to this sitcom, which is now more like a farce than a theatrical performance.
Last Update:April, 06th 2016

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