The New York City Opera's production of "Candide" was the culmination of the long journey of this property from it's original Broadway production through numerous concert performances, a repeat (and hugely sucessful) Broadway production in a "space stage" concept by Hal to this final and triumphant arrival in the Opera House. I had been a lover of the show and its ravishing score for a quarter century when the call came from Hal to get on board on very short notice. I designed the whole twenty-six scenes in less than a month of feverish work requiring eight assistants to get the work done in time. The opening night audience stood and cheered for what seemed hours to those of us onstage at the curtain calls. There was no time for us to enjoy the success at leisure----our Chicago Lyric Opera opening of Pucinni's "Madama Butterfly" followed less than three weeks later!

The concept was very simple, considering the twenty-six scenes. A traveling circus, down on its luck, has finally come to its final resting place somewhere in rural France, not far from Voltaire's home. He amuses himself and anyone who will come with his tale of the trials and tribulations of the naive Candide, Dr. Pangloss and friends, not to mention several pink sheep.

This production of Candide was seen on PBS Television's "Live from Lincoln Center" and has been seen at the Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Wolf Trap, and the Los Angeles Opera. This 1982 production also became a part of the expanded Chicago Lyric Opera production of 1995 and finally our 1997 return to Broadway.