Candide Review: filmed at the Grange Festival

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/operavision.eu/

As this was going off soon, I decided a bit of a change of pace. The Grange Festival has aired their concert of Leonard Bernstein's Candide from 2018 on their YouTube channel, starring Rob Houchen (City of Angels) and Katie Hall (Les Mis tour).

When young Candide's marriage offer to a baron's daughter backfires, the naïve student of optimism is hurled into an eye-opening journey around the globe, discovering the horrors of existence at every step.

Now bear in mind that this is a concert performance and not a full staging, but I will say that it was very hard to follow. I wonder whether they cut out bits of the plot like that sometimes do at the Proms for these kind of things?

The story jumped around a lot though, whether they did cut anything out or not. One minute Candide was somewhere in Spain, the next, he was in El Dorado looking at golden sheep (... yeah you tell me). 

Having said that though, it is a score by Bernstein that must be a dream to play for an orchestra and Hall and Houchen were as fabulous as ever. I am wondering if there is anything that Rob Houchen cannot do/sing (aside from Candide being one of the biggest wet lettuces I've seen in a musical (sorry not sorry)). Katie Hall singing Glitter And Be Gay is 100% worth a listen - she vocally fits the role of Cunegonde like a hand in glove!

If you do want to check this out before it goes off (Friday I think), then by all means go for it. I'm glad I tried it, but I don't think it was my personal cup of tea. 

To watch Candide, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4zzNZ307c0