This past weekend, I had the privilege of performing in Tulane’s Fall Musical Theater Workshop Production, Let’s Get Political!, a satirical revue consisting of Broadway songs with political undertones. The show featured many grand-scale numbers, with one of our sellouts being “What is This Feeling?” from Wicked, led by our very own ‘Donald Trump’ and ‘Hillary Clinton’ (see above photo; I’m the one to the left of Trump and Hill!). In between cute tunes with dazzling choreography and underlying jokes about the surreal situation we find ourselves in this election season, our directors included solemn and serious songs as well. Our closing number was “Make Our Garden Grow” from Candide by Leonard Bernstein. This operetta follows the eponymous character through his life as he tries to endure hardships, living by the philosophy that all things happen for good. Originally a satirical novel by Voltaire, the story comments on social values in regards to money, relationships, slavery, religion, and the wickedness of people. At the end of his adventure, Candide buys a farm for his family, and cue the ballad!
But why would the directors of Let’s Get Political! decide to end on such a note? If you are unfamiliar with the song, take a look at the lyrics below:
CANDIDE: You've been a fool and so have I, but come and be my wife.
And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life.
We're neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow...and make our garden grow.
CUNEGONDE: I thought the world was sugar cake for so our master said.
But, now I'll teach my hands to bake our loaf of daily bread.
CANDIDE AND CUNEGONDE: We're neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow...and make our garden grow.
CANDIDE, CUNEGONDE, MAXIMILLIAN, PAQUETTE, OLD LADY, DR. PANGLOSS
Let dreamers dream what worlds they please
Those Edens can't be found.
The sweetest flowers, the fairest trees are grown in solid ground.
ENSEMBLE
We're neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We'll do the best we know.
We'll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow.
And make our garden grow!
Perhaps the point that Bernstein was trying to make is this: life is nonsensical and unpredictable, but we are experiencing it together. The final verse is sung a cappella – sans music – and with the entire cast. It is stripped of the elaborate orchestra melody, leaving only a chorus of many different voices that come together to make beautiful harmonies. This embodies the idea that Voltaire illustrated in his novel, that all else in life is superficial and meaningless. Candide was too consumed in the idea of good and bad, when he should have been focusing more on simply being. By eliminating inauthenticities, we allow for real connections to occur between people.
In addition to the powerful dynamics in the music, the chorus features lyrics that have resonated with me since the first time I listened to the song. It serves as a reminder that we are all flawed, yet we are all also trying our best to get by. This election season has struck a chord of major dissonance between the citizens of our country, but it is our duty to continue on together. We must accept our differences, laugh at this election, and remember that we are responsible for the quality of our future. We are responsible for prosperity. It is our role as American citizens to not only accept our new president, but also to accept each other. It is up to us as a whole and as a community to make our garden grow.
