The Broadway revival of Leonard Bernstein's musical, Candide, will open April 29, 1997 at the Gershwin Theatre and star Jim Dale, Andrea Martin, Harolyn Blackwell, Arte Johnson and Mal Z. Lawrence, all under Harold Prince's direction.

Tickets are now on sale; previews begin April 19.

Dale, who will play Pangloss, won the 1980 Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical, for Barnum. Martin, who will play the Old Lady, won the 1991 Tony Award at Best Featured Actress in My Favorite Year. She's also known for her work on the "SCTV" TV comedy series and her recent one-woman, autobiographical show, Nude, Nude, Totally Nude.

The operatically trained Blackwell (Cunegonde) sang "Green Finch and Linnet Bird" on the Stephen Sondheim Celebration at Carnegie Hall album, and has recorded a CD of Maury Yeston songs. The title character will be played by Jason Danieley, late of off-Broadway's Floyd Collins. Also in the cast are Brent Barrett, Stacey Logan, Catskills On Broadway funnyman Mal Z. Lawrence, and "Laugh In's" very interesting Arte Johnson.

Produced by Livent Inc., the company behind Show Boat and Kiss of the Spider Woman, this revival is expected to echo ones Prince staged at New York City Opera, based on his 1974 revival, which dispensed with Lillian Hellman's 1956 book. The "new" version has a book by Hugh Wheeler (A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd). Lyrics are by Richard Wilbur, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and John LaTouche. Patricia Birch choreographs the show, which will utilize orchestrations by Bernstein and Hershy Kay.
The Gershwin's Theatre's current tenant, Drabinsky's Show Boat has announced a January 1997 closing.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (212) 307-4100. Outside NY metro area: (800) 755-4000.