I’m not saying AMARILLO OPERA’S  Candide rehearsals are mayhem. Quite the contrary, they are highly structured affairs run with military discipline and precision. I’m saying the show itself is brimming with mayhem. It’s As Westphalia Turns………

Much rehearsal time was consumed last evening with battle scenes and copious amounts of stage-death. Loved it!

Croaking onstage looks to be about the most fun and dramatic thing ev-uh! A few of the females expire, but it’s mostly the men doing the serious dying.

Don’t misunderstand my talk of dying. It’s funny. In some instances, outrageously hilarious. I chuckled and chortled, because I appreciate dark humor.

There’s definitely an art to dying onstage. Many of the guys were wishing for knee pads and complaining of sore hips. They were really grumbling after they’d fallen to the floor for the 5th or 6th time. Some of the men are as old as me. Imagine that!

The themes in Candide are as applicable today as they were in 1760. Where can happiness be found?

Don’t think I’m giving away too much when I say Voltaire and Bernstein agree happiness is found in your own backyard.

We’ll move the rehearsals to our performing arts center on Sunday. That’ll give us a little more room to dramatically expire. Good.

We are blessed with abundant talent in the show in every area….actors, singers, directors, conductors, musicians and all those who make things work behind the scenes. Hopefully, I can tell you about some of them in future posts.

Did I mention I’m having a blast? Like a geeky kid at theater camp. A belly laugh is a tonic that keeps me healthy. I should be in excellent shape when Candide is over.

Now, go and enjoy the happiness in your own yard!

Tonic-love to all.