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BASED on Voltaire's
satirical masterpiece, CANDIDE tells the story a young
man, Candide, who is determined to follow his instructor's creed
of mindless optimism. Even after being banished from his homeland,
captured by Bulgarians, beaten and left for dead by the Spanish
Inquisition, robbed of everything he owns, and torn repeatedly
from the woman he loves, Candide still clings to the philosophy
that everything is for the best in this, "the best of all
possible worlds." He and his friends eventually find themselves
in a cave in Turkestan, seeking guidance from the Wisest Man
in the World--a ghost from their past who has a surprising revelation
for them!
CANDIDE was originally produced at the Martin Beck
Theatre, New York, on December 1, 1956, with a cast that featured
Max Adrian (Dr. Pangloss), Robert Rounseville (Candide), Barbara
Cook (Cunegonde), Louis Edmonds (Maximilian), and Irra Petina
(Old Lady). In 1973, the play was revised in a one-act version
with a new book by Hugh Wheeler and additional lyrics by Stephen
Sondheim. This new version premiered at the Chelsea Theatre Centre,
Brooklyn, on December 19, 1973, and moved to the Broadway Theatre,
New York on March 8, 1974, with a cast that featured Lewis J.
Stadlen (Dr. Pangloss), Mark Baker (Candide), Maureen Brennan
(Cunegonde), Sam Freed (Maximilian), June Gable (Old Lady), and
Deborah St. Darr (Paquette). This production went on to win 3
Tony Awards: Best Director (Harold Prince), Best Book (Hugh Wheeler),
and Best Costume Design (Franne Lee). The 1997 Broadway revival
earned 4 Tony Award nominations and won Best Costume Design (Judith
Dolan).
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