ombine Bernstein's 20th century musical genius with Voltaire's 18th century wit, add a libretto penned by the likes of satirist Dorothy Parker, poet Richard Wilbur and composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, and what do you get? Candide - a comic fantasy set to brilliant music with exceptionally witty lyrics.
Candide follows the adventures of a hapless lad who has embraced the philosophy that everything happens for the best. He embarks on a voyage that takes him to every corner of the globe and, experiencing one hardship after another, begins to trade blind optimism for a more realistic view of life. Along the way we encounter war, the Spanish Inquisition, streets paved with gold, singing sheep, a mysterious old lady, a lecherous governor, and the wisest man in the world. You won't want to miss the genuine humanity and power of this raucous trip.
Sets and costumes from Austin Lyric Opera use vivid slide projections and lightning-swift scene hanges to suggest the world as seen through Candide's extraordinary adventures.
Richard Troxell, a versatile tenor new to Portland Opera, plays Candide. Accomplished young soprano Margaret Lloyd debuts as Candide's love interest, Cunegonde. The inimitable Robert Orth, who delighted Portland audiences as Koko in Portland Opera's 2000 production of The Mikado, returns to the Portland Opera stage in the dual roles of Voltaire and Pangloss. Catherine Cook, our recent Fox in The Cunning Little Vixen, will perform the Old Lady.
Christopher Mattaliano - known to Portlanders for his staging of the critically acclaimed double bill Pagliacci/Carmina Burana - directs, and Michael Barrett conducts.
