"Candide" Is Reimagined
Fresh from its premiere in Chicago and rave reviews, a brand new version of "Candide" arrives in Washington.
This is not your Broadway and PBS versions, but a sparkling entity that retains much of Leonard Bernstein's score while re-imagining the characters and their travails.
The creative mind behind the production is Mary Zimmerman, a winner of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 1998 and a Tony Award in 2002 for Best Director of "Metamorphoses.
" After receiving permission from the Bernstein estate, she re-wrote the book about a young man who remains eternally optimistic despite unexpected tragedies.
Zimmerman's book follows Voltaire's novel with honesty.
The previous productions have been broad and cartoon-like while this is more serious with moments of humor.
A character named Martin, who is not in the other shows, appears in Act II.
He is a philosopher who raises questions about what is best and good and concludes that life is too complicated to stick to one philosophy.
The Chicago audience responded positively to the journey they were taken on by this beautiful and smart new version and critics gave its leads rave reviews.
The title role is performed by tenor Geoff Packard who doggedly pursues his true love, the elusive beauty Cunegonde, played by soprano Lauren Molina.
Both were teamed for two years in Broadway's lively "Rock of Ages.
" After graduating in Musical Theater from the University of Michigan, Molina headed to New York from Detroit where her father is the principal bassist in the Detroit Symphony and her mother runs an institute of dance.
Before originating the role of Regina for the Off-Broadway production of "Rock of Ages" that subsequently enjoyed a two-year run on Broadway, she originated the role of the cello-playing Johanna in the Broadway revival of "Sweeney Todd.
" She was a trained cellist who had played in friends bands, so the opportunity was too good to be true.
After five auditions, she performed for Sondheim and also had to play the piano and double bass, so she took a few lessons to brush up.
Her creativity as Johanna was rewarded with the 2007 Independent Reviewers of New England award for Best Supporting Actress.
She also performed with Sarah Brightman on the "La Luna" tour and was a featured singer in The Ladies Who Sing Sondheim concert with Barbara Cook, Patti LuPone and Kristin Chenoweth.
While in "Rock of Ages, she developed an improv comedy web series and was named by BroadwaySpace.
com as one of the "30 Under 30" people to watch.
Molina's songwriting skills come to the fore in her latest album, "Sea For Two," which contains several remixed and remastered songs from her 2007 debut album, "Doo-Be-Doo.
" The folk pop voice on the disc is geared for a contemporary commercial audience and bears little resemblance to the operatic high C's and beyond that she executes as Cunegonde.
"I'm a chameleon," she said, laughing.
"I've grown up with this voice and, as an actor, am forced to be versatile and sing every kind of music style from rock to legitimate and contemporary.
She regards "Glitter and Be Gay" as the hardest number she has ever sung, but since performing the role her voice has opened up a whole new range.
Now she can reach high F above high C.
Along with other cast members, she hopes that this exciting new production is Broadway bound.
This is not your Broadway and PBS versions, but a sparkling entity that retains much of Leonard Bernstein's score while re-imagining the characters and their travails.
The creative mind behind the production is Mary Zimmerman, a winner of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 1998 and a Tony Award in 2002 for Best Director of "Metamorphoses.
" After receiving permission from the Bernstein estate, she re-wrote the book about a young man who remains eternally optimistic despite unexpected tragedies.
Zimmerman's book follows Voltaire's novel with honesty.
The previous productions have been broad and cartoon-like while this is more serious with moments of humor.
A character named Martin, who is not in the other shows, appears in Act II.
He is a philosopher who raises questions about what is best and good and concludes that life is too complicated to stick to one philosophy.
The Chicago audience responded positively to the journey they were taken on by this beautiful and smart new version and critics gave its leads rave reviews.
The title role is performed by tenor Geoff Packard who doggedly pursues his true love, the elusive beauty Cunegonde, played by soprano Lauren Molina.
Both were teamed for two years in Broadway's lively "Rock of Ages.
" After graduating in Musical Theater from the University of Michigan, Molina headed to New York from Detroit where her father is the principal bassist in the Detroit Symphony and her mother runs an institute of dance.
Before originating the role of Regina for the Off-Broadway production of "Rock of Ages" that subsequently enjoyed a two-year run on Broadway, she originated the role of the cello-playing Johanna in the Broadway revival of "Sweeney Todd.
" She was a trained cellist who had played in friends bands, so the opportunity was too good to be true.
After five auditions, she performed for Sondheim and also had to play the piano and double bass, so she took a few lessons to brush up.
Her creativity as Johanna was rewarded with the 2007 Independent Reviewers of New England award for Best Supporting Actress.
She also performed with Sarah Brightman on the "La Luna" tour and was a featured singer in The Ladies Who Sing Sondheim concert with Barbara Cook, Patti LuPone and Kristin Chenoweth.
While in "Rock of Ages, she developed an improv comedy web series and was named by BroadwaySpace.
com as one of the "30 Under 30" people to watch.
Molina's songwriting skills come to the fore in her latest album, "Sea For Two," which contains several remixed and remastered songs from her 2007 debut album, "Doo-Be-Doo.
" The folk pop voice on the disc is geared for a contemporary commercial audience and bears little resemblance to the operatic high C's and beyond that she executes as Cunegonde.
"I'm a chameleon," she said, laughing.
"I've grown up with this voice and, as an actor, am forced to be versatile and sing every kind of music style from rock to legitimate and contemporary.
She regards "Glitter and Be Gay" as the hardest number she has ever sung, but since performing the role her voice has opened up a whole new range.
Now she can reach high F above high C.
Along with other cast members, she hopes that this exciting new production is Broadway bound.
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