A lighthearted take on some not-so lighthearted topics, Candide is, at heart, a philosophical query undertaken in the most somber manner imaginable: song and dance. Voltaire's classic satirical novel, reinterpreted for the stage with music by Leonard Bernstein and libretto by Hugh Weeler, follows the wanderings of its eponymous protagonist through the cold and callous reality of "The Best of All Possible Worlds,"€ and his attempts to reconcile his optimistic dogma with horrible tragedy.

By chronicling these misfortunes and misadventures, Candide manages to find humor in the optimistic explanations for horrendous calamities that were as common in the 18th century as they are today. However, Candide does not seek to preach pessimism or transform its audience into misanthropes. Rather, it removes the audience's rose-colored glasses in the hopes of unveiling the evils that exist in our world, inciting people to correct these wrongs through a philosophical message of unwavering hope and eagerness for a brighter tomorrow.