Act One

• 2.0 Life is Happiness Indeed - Voltaire, Candide, Cunegonde, Maximilian, Paquette
• 3.5 The Best of All Possible Worlds - Dr. Pangloss, Candide, Cunegonde, Maximilian, Paquette
• 5.0 Oh, Happy We - Candide, Cunegonde
• 6.0 It Must Be So - Candide
• 12.0 Glitter and Be Gay - Cunegonde
• 10.3 Auto-da-fé - Grand Inquisitor, Judge, Heresy Agent, Cunegonde, Dr. Pangloss, Company
• 8.5 Candide's Lament - Candide
• 13.0 You Were Dead, You Know - Candide, Cunegonde
• 14.0 I Am Easily Assimilated - Old Lady, Dons, Company
• 15.5 Quartet Finale - Candide, Cunegonde, Old Lady, Voltaire

Act Two

• ----- Entr'acte - Orchestra
• 21.5 Ballad of the New World - Candide, Ensemble
• 14.0 I Am Easily Assimilated (reprise) - Orchestra
• 16.0 My Love - Governor, Maximilian
• 20.0 Eldorado - Orchestra
• ----- Sheep Song - Pink Sheep, Lion, Pacquette, Ensemble
• 11.0 The Governor's Waltz - Orchestra
• 23.0 Bon Voyage - Governor, Ensemble
• 19.0 Quiet - Candide, Old Lady, Paquette
• 26.0 What's the Use? - Pasha Prefect, 2nd Gambler, Ensemble
• 29.0 Make Our Garden Grow - Candide, Cunegonde, Company

Act One

Voltaire introduces characters from his celebrated novel: Candide — an illegitimate cousin who lives in the castle of the Baron of Thunder-Ten-Tronck; Cunegonde — the Baron's nubile daughter; Maximilian — the Baron's handsome son; and Paquette — an at­tractive young chambermaid.  During the course of the introductions [Life is Happiness Indeed] Voltaire has as­sumed the identity of Dr. Pangloss, the pedan­tic teacher of the young people.  Pangloss expounds the central theory of his philosophy: "This is The Best of All Possible Worlds."

Cunegonde comes upon Candide doing his physical exercises.  They exchange kisses and look forward to their wedding.  [Oh, Happy We]  This bliss is destroyed by the arrival of Maximilian, who is quickly joined by Pangloss, Paquette and Cunegonde's parents.  All are shocked by this scandalous behavior.  Deeming Candide in­eligible for marriage to Cunegonde because of the irregularity of his birth, they throw him off the premises.

Candide does his best to reconcile the treat­ment he has just received with Dr, Pangloss's philosophy.  [It Must Be So]  Two men arrive and offer Candide some wine; then they claim he has, by accept­ing it, enlisted in the Bulgarian army.  They abduct him.

Bulgarian soldiers attack the castle of Thunder-Ten-Tronck, stabbing the Baron, Bar­oness and Maximilian, abducting Cunegonde.

After being assaulted by the Bulgarian sol­diers, Cunegonde has gone from brothel to brothel and has wound up as the mistress of a rich Jew in Lisbon, Don Issachar, who shares her favors with the Grand Inquisitor.  [Glitter and Be Gay] 

An earthquake rocks Lisbon and environs, including the village where Candide has ar­rived after many adventures.  He meets Dr. Pangloss, and the pair engage in a philosophi­cal discussion with one of the few survivors, who turns out to be an agent of the Inquisition.  Candide and Pangloss are arrested for heresy.  To avert future earthquakes, the Inquisition holds an Auto-da-fé.  Following tradition, a village girl has been chosen to portray Our Lady of Opporto.  This year's choice bears an uncanny resemblance to Paquette.  A splendid­ly dressed Cunegonde, accompanied by an Old Lady, takes a conspicuous seat to watch the rituals.  Dr. Pangloss is brought forward and condemned to hanging; Candide, to flogging. [Candide's Lament] 

The Old Lady rescues the half-unconscious Candide.  She leads him to Cunegonde.  [You Were Dead, You Know]  Don Issachar surprises the happy couple.  In his at­tempt to slay Candide, Don Issachar trips, falls on his own sword and dies.  The Grand In­quisitor enters and in a fit of jealous rage orders Candide and Cunegonde to be burned at the stake.  Candide has no alternative but to kill the cleric.  The Old Lady counsels flight to Cadiz.

The trio awaken in Cadiz to find they have been robbed of Cunegonde's jewels and money.  The Old Lady tries to seduce some elderly Spanish gentlemen to raise funds for their travels.  [I Am Easily Assimilated]  She fails.  A stranger suggests to Candide that he enter the service of the Jesuits of Montevideo, who are beset by the neighbor­ing heathen.  The three accept the offer.  [Quartet Finale] 

Act Two

Aboard ship, Candide and the crew con­template a new life in the New World.  [Ballad of the New World] 

The lecherous Governor of Cartagena greets the arrival of two "female" slaves, who turn out to be Paquette and Maximilian in female attire.  The Governor rejects Paquette but buys Maximilian, to whom he makes amorous advances [My Love]  which Maximilian resists with "maidenly" modesty until his true identity is discovered. 

Meanwhile, aboard a ship, the Old Lady regales Candide and Cunegonde with the sad story of her life.  Pirates attack the ship and carry off the two women.

Candide arrives in Montevideo and presents himself at the Jesuits' stronghold.  He meets Paquette and Maximilian in clerical garb.  They have miraculously survived and are jubilant to leam that Cunegonde is also still alive.  When Candide declares his intention to find her and marry her, Maximilian bristles at the thought of tarnishing his family's bonor with such an alliance.  During a scuffle between the two men, a statue of St. Francis is over­turned and crushes Maximilian.

Candide and Paquette flee through the jungle and eventually emerge in Eldorado where there is no war, no hunger, no greed.  A flock of sheep interrupts its grazing to sing, "Here each man is each man's brother."  [Sheep Song]  After joining in the song, Candide and Paquette begin picking up gold ingots and rubies strewn around the ground and load them on the backs of the sheep.  They say farewell to Eldorado and set off in search of Cunegonde.

The travelers emerge from the jungle in Cartagena and meet the Old Lady in the Governor's palace.  [Governor's Waltz]  She tells them that Cunegonde has been taken to Constantinople by the pirates.  The Governor gazes covetously on the laden sheep and offers the trio passage on his ship which is about to sail for Constan­tinople.  He has his assistant take charge of "placing the sheep on board."

The Governor and the Cartagenians wish Candide, Paquette and the Old Lady Bon Voyage as they board the skiff which will take them to the ship.  In the distance, the small boat with its occupants sinks.

Marooned on a desert island, Paquette and the Old Lady exasperate Candide with their complaining.  [Quiet] 

The scene shifts to the private gaming room of the Prefect of Constantinople.  The Prefect offers an evening with Snowflake (nee Cunegonde) to the highest winner.  The Prefect and individual gamblers alternate with the en­tire assembly in satirical stanzas about the futility of chicanery if one must pass along the ill-gotten gains.  [What's the Use?]  Candide, Paquette and the O1d Lady come in, carrying bags of gold and jewels.  Candide and Cunegonde quickly recognize each other.  Candide gambles all his gold for a chance to win Cunegonde.  Thanks to a friendly croupier — none other than Maxi­milian — Candide wins.  Paquette comes up with another bag of gold to liberate Maximilian from the service of the now-bored Prefect.  Bewildered as to how to proceed now that they are penniless, they decide to seek counsel from the Wisest Man in the World.  Cir­cumstances force them to settle for the Wisest Man's assistant.  This is their old teacher, Dr. Pangloss.