Candide

Candide is an operetta by Leonard Bernstein [1] with a 1956 libretto by Lillian Hellman [2] and a 1974 libretto by Hugh Wheeler [3] based on the novella of the same name by Voltaire [4].

Performance history in South Africa

1977: Candide was the opening production of the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town on 19 November 1977, directed by Mavis Taylor with Mark Baker [5] (Candide), Henry Goodman (Dr Voltaire), Roxane Folley (Cunegonde), Roberta Lassen de Aguiar (Paquette), Murray Woodfield (Maximillian), Michelle Fine (Old Lady), Meryl Handler, Cobus Steyn, Steve Smith, Lee French, Joseph Ribeiro, Sean Taylor, Gabrielle Lomberg, Cameron Hogg, Miranda Park, Barrie Shah, Rodney Pienaar, Paula van der Merwe, Leslie Mongezi, Rick Rogers. Michael Tuffin was the Musical Director, choreography by Gary Gordon and costumes by John Caviggia.

1989: NAPAC staged Candide, directed by Janice Honeyman, as part of a triple bill of musicals. The other productions were Sweet Charity and Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Staged at The Drama, Natal Playhouse, Durban, from 7 July - 20 August 1989.

1990: Performed in the Nico Malan Opera House under the direction of Janice Honeyman in July. Music conducted by Graham Scott, designs by Andrew Botha, lighting by Stan Knight, starring David Dennis, Mark Richardson, Colleen Rae-Holmes, Joseph Clark, Gay Lambert, Terry Lester, Christien Coetzee, Brian Miller, Anton Stoltz.

Sources

Baxter Theatre Production programme, 1977.

The Rand Daily Mail, 29 October 1977.

Nico Malan Theatre pamphlet June - August 1990.

Petru & Carel Trichardt theatre programme collection.

Barrow, Brian & Williams-Short, Yvonne (eds.). 1988. Theatre Alive! The Baxter Story 1977-1987).

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