CANDIDE Comes to Skylight Music Theatre in October

Skylight Music Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for the long-awaited production of Leonard Bernstein’s masterpiece, Candide. Delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Candide will now open the 2023-2024 season with direction, scenic design, and puppet design by visionary New York City designer, playwright, and director, James Ortiz.

Performances take place October 13 - 29 in the beautiful Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway, in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Skylight is Milwaukee’s professional Equity music theatre company.

Director James Ortiz Returns to Skylight

Candide marks Ortiz’s return to Skylight after wowing audiences with his astounding vision for Skylight’s production of Grétry’s opera, Beauty and the Beast (Zemire et Azor) in 2017, for which he directed and designed scenery and puppets. His memorable, larger-than-life Azor puppet was operated by four dancers. Ortiz recently created the puppet design for the 2022 Broadway revival of Into the Woods and earned the 2022 Drama Desk Award for his puppet design for Lincoln Center’s The Skin of Our Teeth. His and Edward W. Hardy's acclaimed production of off-Broadway’s The Woodsman won him a 2016 Obie Award. Ortiz had begun work on the 2020 production of Skylight’s Candide when the pandemic shut down the process.

“Candide is one of the greatest gifts Leonard Bernstein and his co-artists bestowed upon the American Musical Theatre,” said Skylight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Unger. “We are delighted to kick off our 64th season with this beloved show and to welcome James Ortiz back, along with many Skylight favorites. James is one of the most innovative, inspired, and imaginative artists working in theatre today. He returns to Skylight to work his magic again, setting Candide in an explosively surreal and colorful 1950s setting, which will incorporate his signature, impressive puppetry design.”

Based on Voltaire’s satire of innocence, optimism, and life’s unexpected lessons, Candide tells the story of two young people, their round-the-world romp, and their series of absurdly unfortunate events.

Ortiz described Candide as “about the quest we all continually go on to become the best version of ourselves. The only way to do that demands that you peel back the layers of what you've been taught in order to form your own unique identity. We get to watch these characters of every age be forced to ‘grow up’ in sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes hilarious ways.”

‘Candide’ Setting Inspired by 1950s

He decided to set Candide “in a colorful, 1950s, Leave it to Beaver-style nuclear family setting, which then evolves over the course of the play into something a lot more complex, rich, funny and, hopefully, very human,” said Ortiz. “Fans of this story may be surprised by this choice of setting, but I would note that this is a musical adaptation of a satirical novella by the French wit, Voltaire, and was adapted in the 1950’s by Americans (including Leonard Bernstein and Dorothy Parker, wits in their own right) and who, like Voltaire, were actively lampooning the societal and political norms of the day.”

‘Candide’ Features Skylight Favorites and Debuts

Featuring an 8-piece orchestra, Candide’s music director will be Jeffrey Saver, making his Skylight debut. His extensive credits include Broadway productions of Allegiance, End of the Rainbow, Sister Act, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, The Rink, and A Chorus Line.

The production will be choreographed by Ryan Cappleman, who has choreographed Skylight Productions including Hairspray (2018) and Urinetown, the Musical (2017), and performed in numerous Skylight shows.

Making their Skylight debuts in Candide are Sam Simahk (Candide), Sara Stern (Old Woman), and Molly Wiley (Ensemble). Returning to the Skylight stage will be Susie Robinson (Cunegonde), Andrew Varela (Pangloss), Doug Clemons (Maximillian), Samantha Sostarich (Paquette), Shawn Holmes (Cacambo), Ben George (Martin), Nathan Marinan (Vanderdendur), and Lydia Rose Eiche (Ensemble).

‘Candide’ in Skylight & Broadway History

Bridging the gap between musicals and opera, Candide holds a special place in Skylight history, having been produced twice at Skylight’s old space on Jefferson Street. This is its first time on the Cabot stage.

Candide opened on Broadway in 1956 and underwent a series of Broadway revivals under the direction of Harold Prince. In 1974 Prince commissioned a new, one-act book from Hugh Wheeler, and Bernstein continued to make edits until his final revised version premiered in 1989.

“Candide, the operetta, has had a journey nearly as fraught with trials and tribulations as its titular hero,” said Unger. “Through all of its productions and permutations, it has gathered 10 legendary writers and Candide received five Tony awards including Best Book and Best Musical Revival, five Drama Desk Awards, and two Laurence Olivier Awards.” Skylight will be presenting London’s National Theatre version, which reimagines this masterwork by combining several previous versions.

Candide Executive Producer Sponsors are Jan Serr and John Shannon. The show is recommended for ages 13 and up.

 

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