Candidly Candide

Laura Laing and Edward Larocque (from left) shine as leads Cunegonde and Candide.
Image by: Tim Fort
Laura Laing and Edward Larocque (from left) shine as leads Cunegonde and Candide.

The Department of Drama’s production of the classic musical extravaganza Candide opens today and is worth every penny of its $12 admission price. Based on Enlightenment thinker Voltaire’s 1759 novella of the same name, Candide features lyrics from poet laureate Richard Wilbur, music from Leonard Bernstein and is based upon Harold Prince’s 1974 Broadway version of the show. This rendition is packed with laughter, truly excellent singing and impressive performances from both the cast and the orchestra.

Candide tells the story of the eponymous youth, who, upon being thrown out into the world, sets out to test his teacher’s assertion that this is “the best of all possible worlds,” despite the numerous hardships he and his friends endure.

The set is fairly simple, with cute special effects, like a falcon on a string. The costumes fit the time period and the speed with which many of the performers changed costumes was astounding. While most of the musical numbers in Candide are shorter and less extravagant than in other musicals, they were all well done, and the orchestra sounded superb in all of them.

The entire cast is tremendously talented and does a fantastic job in their roles. Of particular note is Laura Laing as the young ingénue Cunegonde. Her impressive coloratura soprano voice sounds effortless in the complicated aria “Glitter and Be Gay,” and her voice is equally delightful in touching misery or frenzied glee. Edward Larocque as the fresh-faced, eternally optimistic Candide provided the perfect amount of youthful naïveté and energy for the role.

Matthew Stewart’s seamless transition between the roles of Voltaire and Dr. Pangloss is also worth mentioning. Peter Nielsen, although playing somewhat minor roles, brings tremendous dedication to his roles—his facial expressions were always highly amusing and involved even when he wasn’t in the thick of the action.

The cast brings a great comic energy to this light-hearted musical. Lauren Jackson as Paquette and Jonathan Bell as Maximillian were both very amusing, especially Jackson’s evocative facial expressions. Katie Hinchliffe was clearly the comic star of the play, and had a captivating presence on stage, in addition to her great voice.

Candide’s greatest triumph is without a doubt its environmental staging, which means that the audience is seated in the midst of the action. This sort of staging is customary for performances of Candide, but that doesn’t lessen its impact, rendering the performance dynamic and captivating.

Audience members seated in ‘the pit’ (right in the centre of the stage) are encouraged to participate at certain parts by standing or throwing popcorn on cue and general audience members are also encouraged to join in during one of the songs. It is impossible to get bored or distracted when scenes are, quite literally, unfolding inches away from your face.

According to Alain Richer, this is only the second musical performed in the history of the Queen’s Drama Department—and what a musical it is! Director Tim Fort is to be commended for the ebullient, talented cast and the interesting staging, which make for a can’t-miss performance.

Candide runs from Thursday March 3 until Sunday March 13. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. and matinees are at 2 p.m.

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