The UW Theatre and Dance department is set to perform “Candide” to close out the department’s spring season.
The production runs April 29 through May 2 at 7:30 p.m. on the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts main stage. Tickets are available through the Fine Arts box office.
The production of the comic opera is directed by Music Professor Larry Hensel and conducted by Michael Griffith.
“Candide” first premiered on Broadway in 1956. The play is notable for having undergone a variety of revisions since its first showing, now known to have at least five different versions. All of its revisions have gone on to receive many award nominations and wins, including a nomination for best musical at the 1957 Tony Awards.
The musical is adopted from a novella by Voltaire of the same name, with lyrics originally written by poet Richard Wilbur. Stephen Sondheim and Dorothy Parker also shaped the lyrics, among others.
According to a UW press release, the opera “follows the relentlessly optimistic Candide on his journey throughout the old world and the new.” Candide is forced out of his home of Westphalia after falling in love with the Baron’s daughter.
“Candide” hit Broadway to mixed reviews, but has since become a crowd favorite for many due to the opportunity for actors and actresses to test themselves musically. The song “Glitter and Be Gay” has been known to be a tough, but rewarding piece for musicians to tackle.
