Candide

Leonard Bernstein's 1956 musical adaptation of Voltaire's 1759 satirical novel about a naive young man's experiences in a tough world has always been more valued for its score than its book. In fact, Lillian Hellman's original libretto has been rewritten or replaced so often that it's become pretty much a museum piece, and the lyrics, which even at the start came from several hands, have also been tinkered with considerably over the years. This 2004 Lincoln Center semi-staging is based on the new book written by Hugh Wheeler for the 1973 revival, but it's been further “adapted” by director Lonny Price, who's added plenty of topical jokes and bits of business. The result isn't pretty--one throwaway gag about a cleric purchasing a guy dressed in female garb is particularly gruesome, as is a Donald Trump The Apprentice scene--but this mounting, presented in stereo and originally broadcast on the PBS Great Performances series, is worth having simply on musical grounds. Marin Alsop leads the splendid New York Philharmonic in a crisp, energetic reading of the score, and the cast, which includes both Broadway stalwarts (Kristin Chenoweth, Patti LuPone) and operatic types (Paul Groves, Sir Thomas Allen) is superb. Chenoweth's rendition of “Glitter and Be Gay” may not entirely efface memories of Barbara Cook's, for example, but it's a showstopper in its own right. So while this may not be a perfect Candide, that's partially because Candide isn't a perfect musical, it certainly gets the best parts right. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)