Leonard Bernstein's Candide (Great Performances)
When a show's pit band is the New York Philharmonic, you  can expect something special, and that's what this all-starCandidedelivers. It is a concert performance, without scenery but with  costumes, makeup, a bit of dancing, and a lot of acting. Musically,  it sounds like the best of all possibleCandides.Besides an unusually talented cast, its strong points include the  pacing and accentuation of Marin Alsop, one of the brightest  individuals in the younger generation of conductors; the polished  presence of Thomas Allen, who doubles as the narrator and Dr.  Pangloss, and the spirited participation of the brilliant  Westminster Symphonic Choir.Taught in childhood to believe they live in "the best of all  possible worlds," the young characters struggle to preserve their  optimism through a harrowing sequence of war, famine,  shipwreck, piracy, slavery, rape, and disease with a sparkle in  their eyes and a tune on their lips, until, with difficulty,  they finally reach a sense of reality.Candidespans the traditional division between opera  and Broadway. The soloists, all headliners, are recruited from  both worlds. Broadway is represented by Patti LuPone, who  became a legend inEvita, and Tony award winner Kristin  Chenoweth. Paul Groves and Stanford Olsen have distinguished  operatic backgrounds. They all sing Leonard Bernstein's catchy  tunes and the show's clever lyrics with gorgeous voices, a lot of  acting skill and a witty, flippant response to Voltaire's cynical   (or, rather, realistic) philosophy.--Joe McLellan