In 1956 Leonard Bernstein and Lillian Hellman staged a musical out of Voltaire’s Candide — the satiric French novel from 1759 that made a laughingstock of optimism. The Bernstein/Hellman musical was one of the most esteemed failures in American theatre. Over the years, Candide has been revived many times. The New York Philharmonic made the magnificent overture to Candide a signature piece, and next week (May 5th– 8th), for the first time, the Philharmonic will play the entire score, with Kristin Chenoweth and Paul Groves singing the leads. Sara Fishko looks back at the life of this unique musical.
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