James Dreyfuss joins West End cast of Candide

James Dreyfus will return to the role of Pangloss  to star in LMTO's concert staging of Candide directed by Shaun Kerrison at Cadogan Hall on Friday 21st July.
 

Dreyfus played the role in the Menier Chocolate Factory production in 2013 and  has theatre credits including The Producers, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Harvey.

With a score by legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, Candide tells the story of Candide, the bastard cousin of Baron Thunder-Ten-Tonck, who is expelled from home, dragged into the Bulgarian army, brought before the Spanish Inquisition, swindled out of a fortune, shipwrecked on a desert isle, and separated time and again from his true love Cunegonde. She, too, bears a barrage of misfortunes including, sale into prostitution, forced marriage to an exorbitantly wealthy man, and slavery. Through it all, however, they try to hold onto the lessons of their dear master Dr. Pangloss: “Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds.”. The musical features the songs "Glitter and Be Gay", "We Are Women" and "Make Our Garden Grow".

Based on Voltaire's novel, this concert production of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's musical will feature a 34-piece orchestra conducted by Freddie Tapner.
 

He joins the previously announced Rob Houchen as Candide with Louise Gold (Blood Brothers), Michael Matus (The Phantom Of The Opera), Stewart Clarke (Easy Virtue) as Maximillian, Anna O'Byrne (The Phantom of the Opera) as Cunegonde and Jessica Duncan (Les Miserables) as Paquette.

Dreyfus said: "I am very excited to be joining the London Musical Theatre Orchestra for their evening at the Cadogan Hall, especially as it's to revisit Dr Pangloss in Candide. To be surrounded by such talented young singers and musicians is very comforting! Can't wait."

Tickets for Candide

Full Cast Announced for Candide at the Menier

The Menier Chocolate Factory is presenting a revival of Leonard Bernstein's 1956 musical Candide this Christmas with previews starting on 22nd November and the show opening on 2nd December to 22nd February 2014.

Two more cast members have just been announced:

Jackie Clune (old lady) has most recently played Violet in the national tour of the musical 9 to 5.  Her other stage credits include the international tour of Mamma Mia,  playing Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre and  Mogadishu at the Lyric Hammersmith.

James Dreyfus (Dr Pangloss) played the Emcee in Cabaret, Lyric Theatre; Carmen Ghia in The Producers, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane; Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Theatre Royal, Haymarket; and Lady In The Dark at the National Theatre for which he won an Olivier Award. TV/film credits include Gimme, Gimme, Gimme; The Thin Blue Line and Notting Hill.

The cast also includes Fra Fee as Candide, Cassidy Janson/Paquette, Ben Lewis/Govenor and Vanderdendur, Scarlett Strallen/Cunegonde and David Thaxton/Maximillian. They will be joined by Carly Anderson, Jeremy Batt, Michael Cahill, Christopher Jacobsen, Frankie Jenna, Rachel Spurrell, Helen Walsh and Matt Wilman.


Tickets for Candide

Fra Fee, Cassidy Janson David Thaxton and Ben Lewis in Candide at the Menier

Updated 11th September:  Booking opens this morning for Candide with the announcement of some of the cast members.  Fra Fee is playing Candide and he will be joined by Cassidy Janson, Ben Lewis, Scarlet Strallen, David Thaxton, Carly Anderson, Jeremy Batt, Christopher Jacobsen, Frankie Jenna, Rachel Spurrell, Helen Walsh and Matt Wilman.

Fra Fee: A Man of No Importance (Salisbury Playhouse);  Young Buddy in Follies (Oṕera de Toulon, France); Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre); Fame (RTE Irish Tour) and Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre).Courfeyrac in the film version of Les Miserables.

Cassidy Janson/Paquette:  Lend Me A Tenor – The Musical (Gielgud), Avenue Q (Gielgud), Elphaba in Wicked (Apollo Victoria) and Tick Tick Boom (Menier Chocolate Factory).

Ben Lewis/Govenor and Vanderdendur: The Phantom in the Australian production of Love Never Dies,A Little Night Music (Opera Australia) and Australian productions of Spamalot and
Priscilla -- Queen of the Desert.

Scarlett Strallen/Cunegonde: A Chorus Line (London Palladium); Singin’ In The Rain (Chichester Festival and Palace Theatre London - Olivier nomination, Best Actress in a Musical), Passion (Donmar Warehouse); and the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway and in the West End. Her performance as Josephine in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of HMS Pinafore also won her an Olivier nomination.

David Thaxton/Maximilian: 2011 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Giorgio in Passion (Donmar). Other theatre credits include Raoul in Love Never Dies (Adelphi) and Les Miserables (Queen’s).

More casting news still to come.

Book tickets for Candide

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 The Menier Chocolate Factory is to present a revival of Leonard Bernstein's 1956 musical Candide this Christmas with previews starting on 22nd November and the show opening on 2nd December to 22nd February 2014.

Based on Voltaire's 1759 novel, Candide has music by Leonard Bernstein with a book originally adapted by Hugh Wheeler, then adapted again by Robert Carsden and Ian Burton. The lyrics are by Richard Wilbur with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Bernstein. It premiered on Broadway in 1956 at the Martin Beck Theatre starring Barbara Cook.

The production will be directed by Matthew White (Top Hat), choreography by Royal Ballet principal and now star of musical theatre Adam Cooper (Singin' in the Rain) with design by Paul Farnsworth, lighting design Paul Anderson, sound design Gareth Owen, musical supervisor David Charles Abell and musical director Seann Alderking.