'Candide' opera to close 'Magic, Mystery' season

The season of "Magic, Mystery and Mayhem" at the IU Opera Theater will close with the April 6, 7, 13 and 14 run of Leonard Bernstein's "Candide." Despite war, separation from loved ones and even a shipwreck, the title character remains optimistic as he learns valuable life lessons.\nBased on the satiric stylings of Voltaire, the comedy of misadventure has undergone several transformations since it opened on Broadway in 1956. The IU production will feature the "Scottish Opera" version finished in 1988. \nGuest conductor Michael Barrett, who served as Bernstein's assistant conductor from 1985 to 1990, will lead the performance, according to a press release.\nThe opera explores the life of Candide, a young, enthusiastic man who at first looks on the bright side of any situation. As he experiences life lessons, he undergoes a change of character, said doctoral student David Allen Ray, who plays the title role in some performances. The show is double-cast.\n"Candide begins the opera as a naive, quasi-pretentious young man. Up to this point, he has unquestionably believed in the 'good' in everything, as he was taught by Pangloss, his tutor," Ray said. "But numerous bad things happen to Candide or to those he holds dear, and he struggles throughout the show, trying to rationalize those events."\nThose "numerous bad things" provide humor and excitement for the audience. Much of the action centers around Candide's love for the beautiful Cunegonde, the daughter of the Baron of Westphalia. The baron is not pleased with the match, and banishes Candide from the castle. \nMeanwhile, Westpahlia is on the brink of war with neighboring Bulgaria. Candide is tricked into enlisting in the Bulgarian army. Separated from his love and his land, he endures many hardships, twists of fate and hilarious adventures before being reunited with the ones he loves.\nGraduate student Joshua Vincent, who also plays Candide, said he has enjoyed the rehearsal process because the character is unique.\n"One doesn't often get a chance to reflect upon how profound an experience it was to lose your naivete," Vincent said. "Playing the role of Candide is just such a reflection and the music Bernstein wrote captures the turmoil of Candide's epiphanies beautifully."\nRay said that he agreed and that the audience will enjoy watching the characters find themselves. "It is an interesting journey that he goes on -- discovering what the world is really like," Ray said. "And it is that aspect of the piece and the character that is most enjoyable. We all at one time thought the world was a happy-go-lucky place, but eventually had to find comfort in the fact that the world provides myriad experiences, both good and bad, that we learn and mature from."\nRay said he hopes the audience will enjoy the more serious aspects of the opera as well as the humor.\n"The original work, Voltaire's 'Candide,' is a highly satirical read, and hopefully, that will come across in the production," he said. "But again, there is an underlying theme that life isn't always fun, but in the end, it is really worth experiencing and learning from."\nVincent said he hopes the audience will find the true meaning of the opera.\n"While it can often be frivolous to the point of ridiculousness, there is always an underscoringof seriousness in the way all the craziness of life impacts the naive young soul of Candide." \nAll performances begin at 8 p.m. at the Musical Arts Center. Tickets are on sale now at the MAC box office and all Ticketmaster locations or by phone through Ticketmaster, 333-9955.