by Aaron Butts
According to Bill Kennedy, it has always been the purpose of the theatre department at Capital to push the boundaries of what can and cannot be done with the limited resources that are available in the Cabaret Theatre. The department’s upcoming production of Candide will most certainly test the creativity and talent of students in ways that promise a spectacular showcase of student achievement.
For those that have never seen or heard of Candide before, it is an Operetta adapted from a novella by Voltaire, and it follows the story of an optimistic young man named Candide (played by Brian Hupp) and his adventure through the world in search of contentment, love, and happiness; although, he finds more misfortune than he plans on in the process.
The music was composed by acclaimed Leonard Bernstein and has been a cult sensation since the show’s premiere over 50 years ago. This production is a joint effort between the theatre department and the conservatory, which may be a new idea for some of the students, but is familiar to some of the faculty working on the production.
“Usually the musical is done in an opera house,” Candide director Bill Kennedy said, “one of the biggest challenges has been figuring out how to put this big sprawling show in the Cabaret.”
People who are well acquainted with the production will see something totally different from what they may be used to in the past as Kennedy adapted the gigantic operetta into a small theatre production. However, Kennedy says that is what is so fun about the theatre; it’s the challenge of it.
“I had a freshman at orientation say to me when I told him we were doing Candide, ‘Oh, you can’t, it’s not big enough!’ so I told him not to worry, it was my job to solve it. But I see a lot of people think this,” Kennedy said. “Older people who know Candide may go to Mees, assuming that is where it is going to be performed.”
Casting was another difficulty faced with limited resources when planning for the production of this musical.
“Usually the cast is huge,” Kennedy said. “However, here at Capital we have a cast of only 21 or so. We have some people playing five or six roles.”
One of those people is senior Matthew Hazzard, who stepped into his role as a baron, judge, farmer, slave, and a pirate only a week ago due to an illness that left the already small cast shorthanded.
“I am enjoying the cast, even at such a late period,” Hazzard said.
One interesting piece of casting is the roles being played by Katie DiPietro, who is playing both Dr. Pangloss and the old woman.
“That is a change from how it is usually done which is that Pangloss is played by a man and the Old Woman is played by a woman,” Kennedy said. “But I thought this would be an interesting acting challenge for her, and she is doing a terrific job with it.”
An audience that is not so well acquainted with the musical before now may find this performance to be one of the best that has ever been put on in the Cabaret, as it accentuates the talents of Capital students in extraordinary ways. According to Kennedy, this production is just another way for the University to show off the immense talent that Capital has to display.
“Students have such a reason to be proud of themselves and their peers because of the things that they are able and willing to do,” Kennedy said. “They should be proud that they are a part of a community that does some wonderful stuff and this is one of those things. They do really extraordinary stuff. I get students in class sometimes saying, ‘Wow, I didn’t know that person could do that.’ And I say ‘Yeah, and they’re sitting right next to you!”
Talents are also emerging of those playing supporting roles in the crew. Lighting, sound, and choreography are just a few examples of the extensive backstage work that has been done by Capital students on this production.
Senior Patrick Grandpre is someone who has a special interest in this production and despite not being an actor on the stage, he is very important for this production and has adopted a role that is not typically filled by a student.
“For this production I am the lighting designer,” Grandpre said. “This is a part of my Capstone which I have spent a long time working on.”
Grandpre describes this large role that he is allowed to do as a model for the future of the theatre program. Students in the future can play larger roles and gain more experience through the technical aspect of the production.
“It gives the chance for students that go through this program to get the experience,” Grandpre said. “If they want to design lights, or handle technical aspects of lighting, they would have experience moving forward.”
Tickets for Candide are available by calling the Cabaret Theatre box office at (614) 236-7174. Performances are taking place Thursday, Nov. 15, through Saturday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m., and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18, although tickets for the Friday performance are already sold out.
abutts@capital.edu