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A SUMPTUOUS ROMP THROUGH THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS COVER PRESENT CANDIDE Welcome Leonard Bernstein’s Candide famously opened on Broadway in 1956 and closed after some 73 performances. It could have easily slipped into the long list of forgotten musicals save for the fact that it spawned one of the most loved Broadway Original cast albums of all time, the fi rst track being ‘that’ overture. The show fi nally became a hit on Broadway in the 1974 Harold Prince production, winning a special Tony Award for outstanding contribution to the artistic development of the musical theatre. Termed a revival, this was almost a completely new show; the book had been totally rewritten, the orchestral forces reduced, much of the music was cut and the Auckland Town Hall voices, Broadway music theatre. 23 & 24 March at 7.30pm And even though he was grateful 25 March at 5pm Candide had fi nally found an Music by Leonard Bernstein, book by Hugh audience, the composer missed Wheeler after Voltaire, Lyrics by Richard the rest of his show: the music, Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen the orchestrations and the Sondheim, John La Touche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein voices. Orchestrations by Leonard Bernstein and Hershy Kay; Musical continuity and additional Tonight, some sixty years after orchestrations by John Mauceri. Licensed by Hal Leonard Australia, exclusive agent for the original production, and Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd. after many, many versions, you’ll hear the Candide that Please note: Information is correct at the time of printing. New Zealand Opera reserves the right to make alterations Bernstein authorised, the to the cast as required due to unavoidable circumstances. Use of cameras, cellular phones and recording devices is version that marries the strictly prohibited. Latecomers will not be admitted until a irreverence and joy of Hugh suitable break in the performance. Wheeler’s 1974 script with the full orchestral version of the score in all its audacity and brilliance. What better way to son jardin” (translated in the celebrate the centenary of the operetta as “Make our Garden birth of the great composer Grow’) into a stirring and himself? positive anthem, full of hope for a better world. This is, after Voltaire’s original story Candide all, the same Leonard Bernstein or Optimism, published in who, in response to the 1759, raises many issues. It is an assassination of John F Kennedy attack on the complacency of said: ‘This will be our reply to our modern world, on all ready violence; to make music more made, ‘self help book’ style intensely. More beautifully, more systems of belief. It’s a satire on devotedly than ever before’. organised religion, and a gloomy summing up of the man’s As our young hero, Candide inhumanity to man… how, if this and his virtuously challenged is the best of all possible worlds, consort face an evening of do you explain the horror of ever-increasing catastrophes: natural disasters? And like all shipwrecks, erupting volcanoes, great satires Candide just raises disease, poverty, treachery, the issues, it doesn’t provide any lechery, war, and injustice, all answers. the while insisting that ‘all is for the best in this best of all The critic Mark Steyn has said possible worlds’, they finally ‘…Candide will always occupy take stock in the final moments a unique niche in the Broadway of the musical. Through this canon, not least because its gorgeous piece of music we are dramatis personae includes a coaxed to appreciate what we’ve character with only one buttock. got, to make the most of it and To some of us, the whole show to ‘do the best we know’. Too is half-assed — for what could optimistic? Please heavens not. be madder than turning Candide into a musical? You’re adapting a Happy Birthday, Mr Bernstein! satire on optimism to a medium where optimism is mandatory.’ In the musical version, Voltaire’s skepticism is overthrown in the final moments. Bernstein’s Stuart Maunder incurable optimism turns General Director of New Zealand Opera and Voltaire’s moral, “Il faut cultiver Director of tonight’s production of Candide Creative Friedlander Foundation Friedlander supported by the Proudly DNZM Dame Jenny Gibbs supported by Proudly Conductor — Wyn Davies Director — Stuart Maunder Wyn works extensively as a conductor and For the last thirty years Stuart has been teacher and has been Director of Music at directing opera and music theatre in New Zealand Opera since 2005. Orchestral Australasia, United Kingdom and the USA. engagements include Hallé Orchestra, Currently General Director of New Zealand Scottish Chamber Orchestra, BBC National Opera, Stuart has directed Tosca, Sweeney Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Todd and The Mikado for the Company. In Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, July he will take up the position of Artistic and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Director of State Opera South Australia. Designer — Roger Kirk Lighting Designer — Trudy Dalgliesh Roger is a Tony Award-winning set and One of Australia’s most sought after Lighting costume designer for theatre, film and Designers, Trudy’s awards include: Helpmann, television who has designed costumes for The ‘Entech’, Green Room, and John Truscott Design Boy From Oz with Hugh Jackman, The King Award for Excellence. Lighting Designer in and I and King Kong the Musical. Roger has 2018 for: In the Heights, The Cunning Little worked extensively on set and costume design Vixen, Carousel, and Associate Lighting for Opera Australia. Designer for: The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Sound Designer — Jim Atkins Choreographer — Yvette Lee Jim Atkin’s recent work includes sound design Working for more than a decade in the dance and operation for Nixon in China (Auckland industry, Yvette has established herself as one Arts Festival); Victorian Opera’s productions of Australia’s leading choreographers. She of Sunday in the Park with George, Into the has worked alongside some of the world’s Woods, Sweeney Todd, The Riders, The leading musical talent and her extensive Flying Dutchman, Nixon in China, Banquet portfolio includes television, film, theatre and of Secrets and Dark Rider; and Ring Cycle live events. (Opera Australia). Cast Candide — James Benjamin Rodgers Voltaire / Dr Pangloss — Reg Livermore Born in Wellington, New-York based tenor Over his six decade career Reg has performed James has performed both Opera and Music many times with Opera Australia and Victoria Theatre. NZO roles include Anthony Hope: State Opera, in his own original works and Sweeney Todd, Kudrjas: Kátya Kabanová the first Australian productions of Hair, Jesus and Spoletta: Tosca. Upcoming roles include Christ Superstar and The Rocky Horror Show. Camille: The Merry Widow and Quasimodo: He won a Helpmann Award for his Wizard in Hunchback of Notre Dame. He is a passionate Wicked in 2015, and is the recipient of three advocate of the art song repertoire. Lifetime Achievement Awards. their continued supporttheir acknowledges and NZO scholarship 100 Circle of the recipient previous James Harrison is a Scholar Ryman Mina Foley Maximilian — James Harrison Cunégonde — Amelia Berry James studied at the Royal College of Music Born in Wellington, Amelia Berry graduated then went on to the National Opera Studio. with a first-class honours degree from the He has appeared in concerts at the Royal New Zealand School of Music, continuing her Albert Hall, the Barbican, Wigmore Hall studies at the prestigious Manhattan School and St John’s Smith Square. He has recently of Music. She has performed extensively for moved back to New Zealand and is now New Zealand Opera and is a previous winner in demand here as both a performer and of the Napier Aria, New Zealand Aria, teacher. Wellington Aria and Otago Daily Times Aria. Emerging Artist Emerging Dame Malvina Major Paquette — Natasha Wilson The Old Lady — Jacqueline Dark Natasha made her professional debut with Jacqueline is a multiple Helpmann and Green New Zealand Opera in The Mikado. She has Room Award-winning mezzo soprano. Fricka: performed internationally with the Australian Der Ring des Nibelungen, Amneris: Aida Brandenburg Orchestra and in 2017, was (Opera Australia); Herodias: Salome (OA, selected for the inaugural Dame Malvina Opera Hong Kong); Santuzza: Cavalleria Major Foundation Opera Studies programme. rusticana (Adelaide); Mother Abbess: The She is a member of the Kiri Te Kanawa Sound of Music (Gordon Frost). Soloist with Foundation’s mentoring programme. all the Australasian symphony orchestras. Cast Chorus Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus Sopranos Chelsea Dolman∆, Jessica Duirs, Fiona Li, Anna Mahon, Elizabeth Mandeno∆, Morag McDowell, Carla Parry, Blaire White. Governor / Vanderdendur— Kanen Breen Mezzo-Sopranos Kanen’s appearances include Rodolfo in Baz Luhrman’s Broadway La Bohème, the Witch Victoria Coleman, Wendy of Endor in Adelaide Festival’s 2017 Saul for Doyle∆, Helen Kim, Glenn which he won a Helpmann Award, principal Meade, Charlotte Pridham, roles for Opera Australia, Victorian Opera, Deborah Rogers∆, Emma Opera Queensland, Pinchgut Opera and Sloman, Jessica Wells. performances of Nanki Poo in NZO’s 2017 Tenors season of The Mikado. Lachlan Craig∆, Andrew Grenon∆, Harry Grigg, Nathan Hauraki, Patrick Kelly, Manase Latu◊, Giancarlo Lisi, Chris McRae. Baritones Arthur Adams-Close, Dragan Atanasov, Samuel Downes, Alexander Garvey, Rhys Hingston, Ben Kubiak, Angus Robert Tucker Simmons, David Wallace. Robert was an Emerging