When I first heard that the Eastman Opera Theatre would give Bernstein’s Candide a punk makeover, I was suspicious that it was all for spectacle rather than meaning. But after seeing the production, the Vivienne Westwood-inspired garments allowed for several significations to emerge. But even if some of the deeper anti-establishment messaging in the clothes are lost in the entertainment, the production folds in many hilarious touches that will reward attentive audiences. It’s a fast-paced production, which uses the operetta’s condensed Chelsea version, and Kilbourn Hall’s intimate space allows for an immediacy between stage and audience. You can read more about the production at Rochester Overture, ahead of the EOT’s final two performances in Kilbourn Hall, tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Eastman Opera Theatre’s ‘Candide’ is High on Comedy and Punk Anti-Establishment Attitude
Photo by Jay Kline.