When bad things happen to good people ... you might as well laugh about it. That's a key premise within Leonard Bernstein's operetta, "Candide." Based on Voltaire's 18th-century novella (required reading in most classics curricula), it puts the optimistic philosophy of Gottfried Leibniz to a series of grueling tests, confronting its characters (and the audience) with that "problem of evil" quandary that's been tripping up theologians for millennia.

But Skylark Opera's production of "Candide" doesn't bog down in intellectual exercises. It's more of a dark farce, a rapidly paced picaresque odyssey in which its central character and those closest to him are subjected to one nasty thing after another. Yet Skylark comes darn close to making it fluffy fun.

Almost, but not quite. While director Robert Neu and his talented cast aspire to a spirit of slapstick and silliness, the production never strikes a balance between the work's cynicism and hopefulness, heft and frivolousness. There's a reason that "Candide" is considered one of literature's great masterpieces and that Bernstein is regarded as a master of melody, but Skylark's staging does more impressive things with the music than the story. It's a campy "Candide" that could benefit from a brisker pace and more over-the-top abandon. While entertaining, it misses opportunities to be funnier and more deeply rewarding.

Not that it isn't a likable production. There's a breeziness to it that can be ideal for light summer entertainment.


But there was something about the way the performers were so strenuously selling it on opening night that seemed to be begging for the audience's approval. And that kind of subtext of "Is this working?" betrays a lack of confidence in the material or interpretation.

While "Candide" is a whirlwind of a yarn, an action-packed story that bounces between continents and calamities, I seldom felt like I was really getting to know my fellow travelers on this journey. Few were the characters of whom I didn't seek a deeper understanding or more complex shadings.

That said, the singing was generally strong. Peter Middlecamp brought a robust tenor to the title character, while Jennifer Baldwin Peden's Cunegonde was bright of voice and engagingly girlish. But this interpretation so skimmed over the surface that I never got a sense of what made either of them tick. The same for Kathleen Humphrey's kvetching old lady and Jennifer Maren's retro sex kitten of a Paquette. Only Andrew Wannigman made a strong impression as the insecure narcissist, Maximilian.

Bernstein's ebullient score was given its due by a 24-piece chamber orchestra, the full-cast numbers had a lot of spark and sass, and many songs were admirably executed, particularly the quartet on "Life is Happiness Indeed" and the inspiring finale, "Make Our Garden Grow." But uneven amplification issues made understanding lyrics a hit-or-miss proposition.

Get into the production's bawdy, winking spirit and you can have a good time with this show. But you're unlikely to come away with a new appreciation for the source material.

Rob Hubbard can be reached at rhubbard@pioneerpress.com.

What: Skylark Opera's production of "Candide"

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: E.M. Pearson Theatre, Concordia University, 312 N. Hamline Ave., St. Paul

Tickets: $45-$20, available at 612-343-3390 or ticketworks.com

Capsule: Light, campy and deep as a puddle.