Glitter and Be Gay

THE LOEB PRODUCTION of Candide may not be the best of all possible Candides, but it is very good and in this imperfect world, that is usually enough.

If any book written before the dawn of the Broadway musical lends itself to adaptation into a Broadway musical, Voltaire's Candide does. It is funny enough in its own right that one only needs to set music to the text to get a slick and enjoyable musical comedy. In many instances, Leonard Bernstein and Hugh Wheeler do exactly that, quoting whole passages straight out of the book. Bernstein's music--which the orchestra performs excellently--parodies opera, Bach, the conventions of Broadway musicals, and a lot in between. The whole satiric pastiche is topped off with lyrics that are faithful to the wry, ironic wit of the book.

About the only thing that could ruin Candide would be slow pacing. Given enough time to dwell on the frothiness of the whole thing, many audiences might become wearied with the obvious foolishness of Dr. Pangloss and company. To guard against such a reaction, Director George Hamlin has turned Candide into a three-ring circus that moves at the speed of light. The set sprawls the width of the theater, using the balconies over the theater entrance and a walkway that cuts through the 30 or 40 seats in the pit. Actors appear from every door in the theater, sometimes exiting stage right to appear moments later in the balcony with a totally different costume. Halfway through the hour and 45 minute show the audience is in a whirl trying to keep up with all the quick changes and leaping about, but they get no intermission to allow time to sort it all out.

The hectic pace demands actors who can keep up with it, and here the Loeb production is blessed. William Falk--who plays Voltaire, Dr. Pangloss, the malevolent Spanish Governor, a Sultan and a Sage--gives five masterful performances and dominates the show from start to finish. With breathtakingly fast costume changes, Falk bounces between characters and never loses control. Even his face seems to change when he switches from the kindly Voltaire to the murderous Governor. His various accents are all convincing and consistent.

Many of the actors carry multiple roles, but the best of the supporting quick change artists is undoubtedly Paris Barclay as the Baron of Thunder Ten Troncke, the Grand Inquisitor, the Slave Driver and a Sheik. Even in these bit roles, Barclay's stage presence steals every scene. His subtle gestures and expressions turn his characters in minor tours de force.

THE MAIN actors who remain the same characters throughout the show struggle a bit to develop consistently amid the cartoon zaniness of the supporting roles, but for the most part they cope very well. Cornelia Ravenal, as the ever-willing Paquette, bubbles guilelessly along, creating an enjoyable caricature. Stephen Hayes starts a bit shakily as Maximillian, Candide's foppish foster brother, but he becomes more convincing with each episode until he shines in a wonderful passage with the Governor in which he gets sold as a female slave only to have his coconuts exposed at the last minute. Hayes sometimes fails to sing loudly enough, but his acting eventually makes up for that.

Katherine Kean as Cunegonde, though somewhat overshadowed by the prevailing lunacy, gives a coy and engaging performance. Kean has a stunning voice which she displays in a solo called "Glitter and Be Gay." Her operatic fireworks brought a two-minute ovation. Kean's acting is almost as good as her voice, though she tends to overdo the fluffy-headed childishness of the gold-digging Cunegonde.

Unfortuneately, Steven Jacob's Candide isn't exaggerated enough, and seems very flat against the background provided by the rest of the production. He sings very well, but his acting relies too heavily on blow-dried good looks and glassy stares, even for a character as naive as Candide. The fault may be with the director for trying too hard to make Candide reflect the contrast between Dr. Pangloss's world view and the world itself. The result, however, is a boring character substituted for a sympathetic one. Jacob's performance doesn't hinder one's enjoyment of the show, it just doesn't advance the show as much as it could.

The most endearing single character is Carol Ellingson as Cunegonde's old servant lady. Ellingson plays the Old Lady as a Yiddish grandmother, and she gets more and more campy as the show goes on, raving and waddling about the stage.

A character with one buttock and Yiddish mannerisms would be hard-pressed not to get laughs, but Ellingson deserves all she gets for her animated performance.

Because Candide is so farcical, (and any show that involves actors in ape suits is by definition a farce), you aren't likely to be emotionally affected by it in any deep way. But in this grimmest of all possible worlds, a fast-paced piece of pure entertainment is always welcome. It beats tending your garden.