Posted by It has been announced that Scarlett Strallen, Fra Fee, Cassidy Janson, Ben Lewis and David Thaxton will star in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s Christmas musical Candide. The show features music by Leonard Bernstein, book adapted from Voltaire by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Richard Wilbur and additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John Latouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker and Leonard Bernstein.
Scarlett Strallen, Fra Fee & Cassidy Janson,
From Westphalia to the far reaches of the New World, Candide’s journey of discovery is anything but dull. Through anguish, happiness, loss and love this is a whirlwind adventure that seeks to prove ‘life is happiness indeed’. Leonard Bernstein’s joyous musical comedy features a classic overture and ‘Make Our Garden Grow’ (both of which were performed on the Last Night of the Proms) and ‘Glitter and Be Gay’.
Scarlett Strallen will star as Cunegonde. She most recently played Cassie in A Chorus Line at the London Palladium and Kathy in the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of Singin’ In The Rain which later transferred to the West End’s Palace Theatre. Scarlett’s other theatre credits include: Passion (Donmar Warehouse), Mary Poppins (Broadway & West End), Josephine in HMS Pinafore (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium) as well as the original casts of Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward), The Witches of Eastwick (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) and Peggy Sue Got Married (Shaftesbury).
Fra Fee will play Candide. His theatre credits include A Man of No Importance (Salisbury Playhouse), Young Buddy in Follies (Opera de Toulon, France), Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre), Fame (RTE Irish Tour) and Dirty Dancing (Aldwych Theatre). Fra recently played Courfeyrac in the film version of Les Miserables.
David Thaxton will play Maximilian. He won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Giorgio in Passion (Donmar). David’s other theatre credits include playing Raoul in Love Never Dies (Adelphi), Les Miserables (Queen’s) and The West End Men (Vaudeville).
Cassidy Janson will play Paquette. Her theatre credits include Lend Me A Tenor The Musical (Gielgud), Avenue Q (Gielgud), Standby Elphaba in Wicked (Apollo Victoria), Tick Tick Boom (Menier Chocolate Factory) and most recently Rooms (Finborough Theatre).
Ben Lewis plays the Govenor and Vanderdendur . Ben appeared as the Phantom in the Australian production of Love Never Dies. His other theatre credits include A Little Night Music (Opera Australia) and the Australian productions of Spamalot and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
The cast also includes Carly Anderson, Jeremy Batt, Christopher Jacobsen, Frankie Jenna, Rachel Spurrell, Helen Walsh and Matt Wilman. Further casting will be announced shortly.
The production is directed by Matthew White. The creative team also includes David Charles Abell (Musical Supervision), Paul Farnsworth (Set & Costume Design), Paul Anderson (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design), Seann Alderking (Musical Direction) and Jason Carr (Orchestrations).