Candide

From the first notes of its sweeping overture through the final swells of the spine-tingling chorale “Make Our Garden Grow,” Candide remains one of the most singular works in the musical theatre canon. From its debut as as a “comic operetta” as in 1956 to its presentation in an “opera house” version as finalized by Leonard Bernstein in 1989, the musical and its powerfully lyrical score have transfixed audiences with a blend of humor, satire, adventure, romance, emotion, and philosophy, Voltaire-style. Now, over 70 years after the debut of the original Broadway production, 54 Below celebrates the eternal music of Candide in a joyful concert presenting highlights from the score composed by Bernstein with lyrics by Bernstein, Richard Wilbur, Stephen Sondheim, John LaTouche, Dorothy Parker, and Lillian Hellman. The concert, produced by Joe Marchese and Andy Skurow and featuring musical direction by Michael Lavine, will take advantage of 54 Below’s intimate environs to place the focus on Candide’s resplendent and wondrous score as well as its incredible history. The concert will reunite cast members from various productions of the musical and bring together Broadway stars who haven’t appeared in a production (yet!) to mark more than seven decades of this mesmerizing musical. It’s truly the best of all possible worlds.