"This pepped-up production has much to recommend it as a serious comedic enterprise and a solid endgame of splendid entertainment…Prince’s instinct to have fun with it strikes gold; his bits of business, sight gags and cleverness play brilliantly from the libretto, aided by a talented cast of actors, singers and dancers…The remarkable cast is made up of opera singers who can seriously act, and Broadway actors who can seriously sing. As an aggregate, they glitter with gaiety and glee."
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"Such glorious music! Such a ridiculous, silly plot! Such a mixed bag of performances! Such clumsy gags and dated caricatures! The production has its ups and downs...It seemed like the company could have used a few more days of rehearsal...The real beauty of the evening was Meghan Picerno, clear of voice and crisp of diction, who managed the challenging 'Glitter and be Gay' with aplomb...Although it isn’t merited by the absurd and ignorable story, the finale actually brought a tear to my eye."
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"It’s not the unimpeachable masterpiece that Lenny’s West Side Story is–the book is famously problematic–but it is still enough of a joy that as long as you nail that sublime Bernstein score, it’ll be a grand night out. Nail it this company does, and the results are glorious...The sprightly, brilliant score is one of the best things Bernstein ever wrote...While the staging is showing some signs of age, Prince has refurbished many moments for an overall better flow...Recommended."
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"More a recreation than a rethinking...It has mainly been cast by Broadway performers...Meghan Picerno sings 'Glitter and Be Gay' brilliantly and is a charming Cunegonde. Broadway veteran Gregg Edelman is funny in all the comic roles without being too hammy...The rest of the cast is fine, the chorus superb, and the orchestral playing good...It's a lovely looking production, though every bit as empty headed as its title character. Still, the score is gorgeous and the company does it justice."
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"Despite vocally uneven results, the show radiates a high level of quality that recalls the now bygone Broadway of Prince’s past, before all the Disney and jukebox musicals moved in...Under the baton of Prince’s son, the conductor Charles Prince, the City Opera Orchestra interprets Leonard Bernstein’s score with richness, verve, and only a few missteps...The chorus soared to superb heights, particularly in finale."
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"Delivers lively, enveloping entertainment, great for a date night with its score showing Bernstein at his best in a circus-cum-vaudeville style production...The cast features operatic voices where needed and big Broadway personalities when not...It's like high-budget garage theater — this is a compliment — with actors donning a variety of wigs in plain sight in a broad acting style. Maybe too broad. The humanity of the characters is especially lost in the first half hour."
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"The lavish staging of ‘Candide’ by the estimable Harold Prince is, but for a few casting glitches, glorious…The overture sounds like an old friend, filling one with happy anticipation…The veteran director never once loses awareness of aesthetics on another large, somewhat complicated set…Excepting those of Edleman and Lavin, Prince handles flamboyant character turns with eyebrow raised finesse."
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"Friday’s opener of Bernstein’s 'Candide,' though wanting a little polish, was a superb entertainment, a light evening of shameless comedy and bubbling music, highlighted with several strong performances...Edelman led a cast of singers and actors drawn mostly from the New York theater circuit, a casting strategy that led to some mixed results...Prince manages to give a lavish feel while working on a budget, and does so by creating atmosphere more than pure spectacle."
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