Candide presented by Music Theater Works at Cahn Auditorium

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...The individual voices here are superb, and when the cast of 26 join forces - riding high on the formidable 14-piece orchestra led by Roger L. Bingaman - their clarion sound and the beautiful finale, "Make Our Garden Grow," are enough to reinforce your belief in mankind, if only for the moment."

ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended

"...Get to see Candide this week only to witness the last major operetta of the 20th Century that has the fun and humor of a traditional Broadway musical comedy with a lush score by Leonard Berstein. This is a glorious production fit for everyone. It is one of the finest shows ever by Musical Theater Works (former Light Opera Works)."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...This is a romp thru history and Bernstein’s music and the lyrics by the amazing writers he assembled to make this happen are outstanding. It is a long production- each act is over an hour-fifteen minutes with a 20 minute intermission, BUT, it moves so quickly, it never feels long. Being at a special viewing where I may have been the youngest audience member ( and I am almost 75), I noticed no one was sleeping and everyone was talking at intermission that they coud not believe that the first act was over an hour. That is a tribute to the writer, the director and the cast!"

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...In addition to Hogenmiller’s spot-on direction and Bingaman’s brilliant musical guidance, including leading his gifted 22-member pit orchestra, kudos go to Clayton Cross for his intricate, stylish choreography, Adam Veness for his inventive, very theatrical scenic design, Alice Salazar’s fashionable wigs and hair and Alexa Weinzierl for her amazing profusion of whimsical and anachronistic costumes. All-in-all this adaptation of a challenging, seldom-produced American classic, that borders on operetta, is a musical delight. Despite its length and episodic structure there’s much to enjoy in this Best of All Possible Worlds."

Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended

"...The Music Theater Works deserves the highest props for taking on such a problematic show and coming up with an essentially agreeable result. This is a production without a weakness. The problems remain with the adaptation and they may never be resolved. Still, the Leonard Bernstein music is a rich pastiche of opera, light opera, Broadway, and Gilbert and Sullivan. It may be the success of the show resides more in a concert performance than a fully acted effort. Still, there is so much quality work on the Cahn Auditorium stage and behind the scenes that anyone with a serious interest in musical theater needs to give it a look, with only a handful of performances left."