Candide

About

Adapted from the novel by Voltaire of the same name, Candide is a comic operetta, musing on the validity of optimism in a world of endless trials. A seminal work from the French philosopher, it follows the life of Candide, a young man struggling with the teachings of his mentor Pangloss. As he trudges through life he reflects on its sordid realities with irony, candor and sharp humor. The show features a nimble and virtuosic score by Leonard Bernstein and is most often performed today with the revised book by Hugh Wheeler.