{"id":50069,"date":"2017-12-29T18:28:29","date_gmt":"2017-12-29T23:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=50069"},"modified":"2017-12-29T18:28:29","modified_gmt":"2017-12-29T23:28:29","slug":"scrutiny-toronto-operetta-theatres-candide-kicks-off-the-bernstein-centenary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2017\/12\/29\/scrutiny-toronto-operetta-theatres-candide-kicks-off-the-bernstein-centenary\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Toronto Operetta Theatre\u2019s Candide Kicks Off the Bernstein Centenary"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Elizabeth
Elizabeth Beeler with cast in Leonard Bernstein’s Candide\/Toronto Operetta Theatre (Photo: Gary Beechey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Candide by Leonard Bernstein:\u00a0Toronto Operetta Theatre at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Runs Dec. 28 \u2013 Jan. 7. For more information, visit:\u00a0www.torontooperetta.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Technically speaking, Leonard Bernstein\u2019s centenary year begins at midnight Sunday night, but by then Toronto Operetta Theatre will be well ahead of the pack of homage-payers, after three performances of Bernstein\u2019s idiosyncratic work of genius, Candide.\u00a0<\/em>In the midst of this punishing cold snap, Guillermo Silva-Marin provided a welcome warm-up to the yearlong celebrations with an energetic rendition of this delightful but problematic comic operetta.<\/p>\n

Something like an infant who almost dies in childbirth and then improbably lives to a ripe age, Candide is still going strong, despite needing emergency interventions by teams of brilliant book writers (including Lillian Hellman) directors, (the first being the legendary Tyrone Guthrie) lyricists (as luminary as Dorothy Parker and Stephen Sondheim) and orchestrators since its debut in 1956.\u00a0 There are no fewer than six versions, five of which are still licensed for performance.\u00a0 What\u2019s kept Candide <\/em>alive is the powerful musical DNA, which has persisted through its many expansions and contractions, and is still especially evident in its rousing Overture, and the bitingly ironic lyrics that result in a collection of show-stopping numbers that can be career-making making star turns. (The legendary Barbara Cook, who sang at Koerner Hall when she was over 80, was launched on a stratospheric path when she created the role of Cunegonde<\/a> in 1956.)<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)
(l-r) Elizabeth Beeler (Old Lady), Vania Chan (Cunegonde) (Photo: Gary Beechey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The updated 2013 version that TOT is presenting showcases several fine performers who give many of these musical moments their due.\u00a0 Tonatiuh Abrego is the ideal Candide, handsome, with a secure stage presence, and an ability to make the character touchingly innocent, tender, and ultimately dignified.\u00a0 \u00a0Abrego modulated his lovely tenor to make Candide\u2019s reflective moments, especially “It Must Be So”, genuinely moving in the midst of the prevailing mood of cynicism and corruption.\u00a0 Elizabeth Beeler, as the world-weary Old Lady who has the anatomical distinction of possessing only one buttock, has the scene-stealing timing of Carol Burnett combined with a strong, occasionally ballsy soprano and a delicious Polish accent. \u00a0As the companion and protector of the comely ing\u00e9nue Cunegonde, Beeler literally towers over the petite Vania Chan, giving them a comical \u201cMutt and Jeff\u201d quality.\u00a0 \u00a0Cunegonde, who survives at the pleasure of the men she encounters, has the most memorable aria of the show, \u201cGlitter and Be Gay\u201d, with four high E-flats.\u00a0 Chan, (who commented in an e-interview that this music is a joy to sing) hit the mark each time, bringing a coquettish glee to the part, more toddler than temptress. Cian Horrobin embodied the manipulative Governor gymnastically, hitting high notes while leaping gracefully backwards off a trunk.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)
(l-r) Vania Chan (Cunegonde), Elizabeth Beeler (Old Lady), and Tonatiuih Abrego (Candide) (Photo: Gary Beechey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In an interview before opening night, stage director Guillermo Silva-Martin, who has staged Candide <\/em>several times, described himself as \u201cminimalist at heart,\u201d and this approach serves the work exceptionally well.\u00a0 On a stage of empty risers with minimal props carried on and off, Candide\u2019s exaggerated vicissitudes can unfold without the distraction of excessive stage business.\u00a0 Voltaire, the author of the book on which Candide <\/em>is based, created polemical caricatures and episodes to skewer the notion of simplistic optimism that was doing the rounds during his lifetime, (and is making a comeback now) heaping multiple outlandish misfortunes on the dramatis personae to make his point.\u00a0 When Candide\u00a0<\/em>is too lavishly detailed or elaborately choreographed, the simplistic thinking that Voltaire wants to expose gets lost.<\/p>\n

\"(l-r)
(l-r) \u2013 Nicholas Borg as Pangloss, Tonatiuh Abrego as Candide and Patrick Bowman as Maximilian (Photo: Gary Beechey)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In some scenes, however<\/em>, Bernstein\u2019s warm heart overrides Voltaire\u2019s cool intellect, resulting in moments that are unexpectedly moving instead of thought-provoking.\u00a0 The confrontation with the Inquisition, even amidst the witty lyrics of \u00a0Auto-De-Fe<\/em>, is chilling and cautionary.\u00a0 And the final whole-company Chorus, Make Our Garden Grow<\/em>, which was richly sung by TOT\u2019s chorus, has a comforting quality that departs from Voltaire\u2019s flat realism.<\/p>\n

It would be pedantry on my part to wish away this inspiring anthem.\u00a0 Even so, I do wish that Bernstein had lived long enough to give Candide <\/em>at least one more spin. \u00a0The sexual hypocrisy, violation and disease that affords a lot of Candide\u2019s <\/em>humour is not only dated in a #MeToo<\/em> world, it is fast becoming unacceptable.\u00a0 We\u2019ll never know, of course, what the next iteration would be like, but I speculate that it would have contained more of Voltaire\u2019s bitter irony and less high-spirited comedy.<\/p>\n

Ludwig van Toronto<\/i>
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

Want more updates on Toronto-centric classical music news and reviews before anyone else finds out? Follow us on\u00a0<\/i>Facebook<\/i><\/u><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/i>Twitter<\/i><\/u><\/a>\u00a0for all the latest.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Technically speaking, Leonard Bernstein\u2019s centenary year begins at midnight Sunday night, but by then Toronto Operetta Theatre will be well ahead of the pack of homage-payers, after three performances of Bernstein\u2019s idiosyncratic work of genius, Candide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":50074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6439,52,62,63],"tags":[639,3353],"yst_prominent_words":[15222,15214,15225,15201,15226,15204,15213,15223,15217,15212,15219,14873,15218,15215,10535,15221,14867,14864,15216,15224],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/12\/Beeler_lifted.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-d1z","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50069"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50069"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50080,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50069\/revisions\/50080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50069"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=50069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}