Bernstein's Candide has been called the "most labored-over show in theatrical history". It took four years from its initial conception until its first production 1957 and then it was revised and rewritten repeatedly for about fifty years.

Lillian Hellman suggested making a musical based on Voltaire's Candide to Leonard Bernstein in 1953. She saw a parallel between the Inquisition and the "Washington Witch Trials" by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and she began the book for a play with incidental music. At first Bernstein turned it down but later agreed. However, he saw it as an opera with a full chorus and a ballet. John LaTouche was hired as the lyricist and Bernstein started musical sketches but other projects got in his way. Eventually LaTouche (who wrote the "syphilis song") was replaced by Richard Wilbur, Dorothy Parker contributed lyrics, and Leonard and Felicia Bernstein created the words for the Old Lady's tango "I am easily assimilated". Hellman wrote "Eldorado".

The group worked on it sporadically for two years, Bernstein delayed by waiting for lyrics. He was teaching at Brandeis University at the time and would assign his students to write music for the same scene he was working on at the time, then discuss the results. After a Boston tryout directed by Tyrone Guthrie (earlier Gene Kelly had been suggested), Candide opened at the Martin Beck Theater in New York on December 1, 1956. The reviews were mixed — everything from "brilliant musical satire" to "really spectacular disaster". There were five Tony nominations but no awards. Critics thought the satire was too cerebral and heavy-handed, "too serious for the mocking lyricism of ...[the] score". Yet this version omitted most of what makes Voltaire's Candide unique and great. In the end, there were not enough sophisticated viewers who could appreciate an eighteenth century philosophical tale and the modern implications were not understood. Most audiences for musicals were used to lighter, romantic love stories. There was no single villain in the failure, but accusations flew, and Hellman said it was her "most unpleasant experience in the theater". Candide closed on February 2, 1957 after 73 performances. It was Bernstein's first flop. However, the original cast had been recorded, the music became a cult hit, and Bernstein worked on a symphonic version of the Overture which is frequently performed.

There were full-scale productions in London 1958 and 1959 and music was added including We are Women. Again the reviews were mixed. There was no major production in the United States until 1966. This was at UCLA with Carroll O'Connor of All in the Family fame as Pangloss. This time the reviews were glowing. Meanwhile, Lillian Hellman withdrew her version so the original was not available for production. Others, usually with revisions, continued to appear until 1973 when the "Chelsea version" debuted. To facilitate the numerous scene changes, the audience was seated in the middle of the action and encouraged to eat peanuts while the performance moved around the perimeter. Almost half of the music was eliminated. A popular and critical success, this version is still available today. In 1982 the New York City Opera presented a full two-act operatic version reinstating music that had been cut and adding new scenes by Hugh Wheeler. This is more faithful to Voltaire, and it continues to be performed by opera companies around the world.

The Scottish Opera Version
Finally, in 1988, a new version was prepared by John Mauceri for Scottish Opera. It did away with much of the farce of Hugh Wheeler, added new music, and restored even more of Voltaire's satire. This was a great success, and Bernstein decided to add his own final touches using the Scottish Opera version as a basis. He and John Wells created a narration which connected the musical numbers, moved action along, and made the satire more understandable. Presented in a concert version in London in December 1989 with Bernstein himself conducting. He was ill himself with the flu which was sweeping London, but one would never suspect this while watching his performancecomplete with his trademark leaps. It is available on DVD (Deutsche Grammophon 80006905). One final version was produced after Bernstein's death by John Caird which was even closer to Voltaire. Since then, Candide has continued to be presented in one or another of the later versions. Changes are often made in the text but not to Bernstein's music. Especially suitable for young voices, it is particularly popular with music schools.

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Revised August 2008
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