Actor Scott Bakula, recognizable to many Southern Californians from his time-traveling role on “Quantum Leap” and later on “Star Trek: Enterprise” and “NCIS: New Orleans,” will make his LA Opera debut next month. Bakula is slated to perform in Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles.
For his stage introduction to the LA Opera, Bakula will take on a dual role, portraying both the French philosopher and writer Voltaire and Dr. Pangloss, the relentlessly optimistic tutor to the title character. He is scheduled for six performances between November 21 and December 13.
He joins a cast that includes three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone, who will return to the LA Opera stage as the Old Lady. LuPone has previously appeared with LA Opera in “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” and “The Ghosts of Versailles.” Tenor Duke Kim will star in the title role of Candide, and soprano Meghan Picerno, known for her Broadway turn as Christine Daaé in “The Phantom of the Opera,” will make her own LA Opera debut as Cunegonde. Kim has also performed with LA Opera before, in productions of “Roméo et Juliette” and “West Side Story.”
Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera’s president and CEO, remarked on Bakula's broad career. Koelsch said that Bakula's career has moved “effortlessly between theater, television, film and music,” and praised his wit, warmth, and musicality, calling him an ideal fit for “Candide.”
While his television and film work has garnered significant attention—including a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations for “Quantum Leap,” an Emmy nomination for the HBO film “Behind the Candelabra,” and roles in films like “American Beauty”—Bakula’s roots are in theater. He made his Broadway debut in 1983 as Joe DiMaggio in “Marilyn: An American Fable” and received a Tony Award nomination in 1988 for his starring role in the musical “Romance/Romance.” More recently, he appeared opposite Ariana DeBose in an Off-Broadway production of “The Baker’s Wife” and has performed in productions such as “Man of La Mancha,” “Guys and and Dolls,” and “Three Guys Naked from the Waist Down.”
“Candide” itself is based on Voltaire’s 1759 satirical novel, following a young man whose optimistic worldview is challenged by a series of misfortunes as he travels to find his beloved Cunegonde. The production features music by Bernstein and a book by Hugh Wheeler, adapted from Voltaire’s novel in a new version by John Caird. Notable musical numbers from the work include “Glitter and Be Gay” and “Make Our Garden Grow.”
This staging, directed by Francesca Zambello, was previously presented by LA Opera in 2018. It will be conducted by resident conductor Lina González-Granados, who will lead the company’s orchestra and chorus.
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on November 21, December 2, December 5, and December 10. Matinee performances will take place at 2 p.m. on November 29 and December 13. All shows will be held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 N. Grand Ave. The production has a running time of approximately two hours and 30 minutes, which includes one intermission.
