Scott Bakula to Make LA Opera Debut in Candide
Scott Bakula will take the roles of Voltaire and Dr. Pangloss in Francesca Zambello's production, running November 21 to December 13.
Scott Bakula will make his LA Opera debut this fall in Francesca Zambello's production of Leonard Bernstein's Candide, the company announced on October 15, 2026. He will take the dual role of Voltaire and Dr. Pangloss.
Patti LuPone returns to the production as the Old Lady, reprising the performance she first gave in 2004. Tenor Duke Kim sings the title role, with soprano Meghan Picerno as Cunegonde, and Lina González-Granados conducts.
The production runs for six performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from November 21 through December 13.
Bakula's stage and screen career
Bakula made his Broadway debut in 1983 as Joe DiMaggio in Marilyn: An American Fable, and received a Tony Award nomination in 1988 for Romance/Romance. In 2025 he starred in Classic Stage Company's Off Broadway production of The Baker's Wife.
Zambello's staging of Candide was first seen at LA Opera in 2018. The Bernstein work is based on Voltaire's 1759 novel of the same name, according to Deadline.
Quick answers
When does Candide run at LA Opera?
Six performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from November 21 through December 13, 2026.
Who stars in the production?
Scott Bakula as Voltaire and Dr. Pangloss, Patti LuPone as the Old Lady, Duke Kim in the title role and Meghan Picerno as Cunegonde.
Who directs and conducts?
Francesca Zambello directs and Lina González-Granados conducts.