Scott Bakula LA Opera Candide 2026: Cast, Dates and Tickets
Scott Bakula will make his LA Opera debut in Candide alongside Patti LuPone. Explore the cast, six November–December 2026 performances and official visitor information.
Scott Bakula joins LA Opera’s Candide in 2026, making his company debut as both Voltaire and Dr. Pangloss. The October 15 casting announcement brings a familiar television performer into Leonard Bernstein’s comic world, alongside Patti LuPone, Duke Kim and Meghan Picerno. Six performances are scheduled at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from November 21 through December 13.
Scott Bakula LA Opera Candide 2026: the cast announcement
LA Opera’s official announcement identifies Bakula’s dual assignment as the author whose satire inspired the work and the optimistic tutor who shapes Candide’s outlook. Television viewers know him from Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise and NCIS: New Orleans, but the company also points to his Broadway background and Tony nomination for Romance/Romance.
Kim sings Candide, Picerno makes her LA Opera debut as Cunegonde, and LuPone returns as the Old Lady. Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados leads the LA Opera Orchestra and Chorus in Francesca Zambello’s production, which first appeared with the company in 2018. The casting connects opera, musical theater and television without turning the evening into a concert of unrelated selections.
Candide Los Angeles performance dates and tickets
The current production page lists the following 2026 performances:
- Saturday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, November 29, at 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 2, at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, December 10, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, December 13, at 2 p.m.
The estimated running time is two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission. The performance is sung in English with projected subtitles. Use the official production page to choose a date and check current seat availability and pricing; this guide does not quote a ticket price that may change.
Why Bernstein’s satire keeps returning
Candide follows a young traveler whose belief in optimism meets disasters, injustice and romantic setbacks. Bernstein’s score includes “Glitter and Be Gay” and “Make Our Garden Grow,” placing vocal spectacle alongside the story’s philosophical argument.
The Leonard Bernstein Office’s history traces the project to Lillian Hellman’s 1953 proposal to adapt Voltaire. Its first Broadway production opened on December 1, 1956, then closed in February 1957. The cast recording helped the music endure, and subsequent revisions gradually reshaped the show.
Los Angeles has its own place in that history: a 1966 UCLA production directed by Gordon Davidson featured Carroll O’Connor as Pangloss. Later versions moved between theater and opera settings. That history helps explain why audiences encounter different scripts and configurations rather than one immutable version. LA Opera credits Hugh Wheeler’s adaptation in a new version by John Caird.
The Bernstein Office notes that the original 1956 version is no longer available for performance. A smaller 1973 staging helped establish the work’s later success, while New York City Opera presented an expanded two-act version in 1982. For ticket buyers, the practical lesson is to check the production’s specific credits and running time rather than assuming every Candide is identical.
Plan the visit before booking
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles. LA Opera’s arrival guide gives a separate rideshare pickup and drop-off address: 218 North Hope Street. Nearby Metro options include Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill and Civic Center/Grand Park stations. Check your route and service before traveling.
The company’s accessibility page identifies accessible seating in the orchestra and loge. Complimentary assistive listening devices are available with identification left as a deposit. Guests needing curbside wheelchair transport should contact Music Center Guest Services at least 24 hours beforehand.
For another way to explore the company this month, see Hollywood Weekly’s October 17 Carmen free-simulcast guide. Candide offers a different next step: a staged Bernstein production with a newly announced screen-and-stage lead.