Opera. Dark, heavy and boring, right? Wrong!
'Candide' is the complete opposite. It is light, funny charming and very engaging. An English-language comedic cross between opera, musical and panto, 'Candide' is light-hearted satire. Mariah Carey at her best has nothing on the sopranos of Opera Queensland. Narrated by the dry, sarcastic wit of Bryan Probets, 'Candide' opens with a monologue introducing the piece, written in the 1950’s by Leonard Bernstein and based on Voltaire’s 1759 work of the same name.
But don’t be put off by these dates. The opening introduction serves to make parallels between the operetta’s drama and the current state of Australian politics, earning belly laughs from the audience. The themes of 'Candide' can be applied to many epochs of social change: in fact, the operetta has been revised several times, changing to remain relevant to the issues of the day. A Broadway revival of the work in the 1970’s won critical acclaim, including five Tony awards. Bernstein’s final revision was in 1988 for the Scottish Opera, making it a truly contemporary piece.
The music and visuals were also very light and accessible. Trusty, classically-trained partner in tow to decode the intricacies of the musical score to seem smart in this review, I needed no such help. The music was light, fun and enjoyable. The set design's modern approach made a cramped stage look absolutely spacious. They also used the digital ticker tape around the stage to full advantage, spelling out new locations and adding modern graphics which enhanced the light, fun atmosphere.
{youtube}toLbIdmP-Vg{/youtube}
All-in-all, 'Candide' was a wonderful evening. The characters of the narrator and Old Woman were crowd favourites, earning whoops and cheers at the end of the show. An accessible night out for both opera buffs and people new to the genre, the performance hopes to engage young movers and shakers to expand their horizons in culture.
Audiences were also fashion fabulous, so be sure to dress up and make an entrance.
'Candide' plays Queensland Performing Arts Centre until 1 August.
