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The Little Prince (opera)
Encyclopedia
The Little Prince, subtitled A Magical Opera, is an opera
in two acts by Rachel Portman
to an English libretto
by Nicholas Wright
, based on the 1943 book of the same name
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
. It was first performed in Houston, Texas
in 2003.
and premiered in May 2003 with Nate Irvin as The Little Prince and Teddy Tahu Rhodes as the Pilot. It was then performed by the Skylight Opera Theatre
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, and the Boston Lyric Opera
with Jeffrey Walter as the Little Prince. Houston Grand Opera had a return engagement in December 2004 with Jeffrey Walter as the Little Prince and Jeffrey Allison. The University of Kentucky opera (April 2005), The New York City Opera
(November 2005), as well as Tulsa Opera
and the Santa Fe Opera. The San Francisco Opera and Cal Performances did a joint production in May 2008. Ithaca College Opera also put on a production in Feb/March 2010.
In the U.K.
, it was filmed by the BBC
following a nationwide talent search for children to play the roles of the Prince, the Rose and a chorus of thirty-six vocalists. Over 25,000 children applied, with over 6,500 taking part in auditions. The television show Blue Peter
documented the search for the singers, and filmed their training and rehearsals. The Little Prince was broadcast on BBC2 on Saturday, 27 November 2004 at 7:30 PM.
The BBC Cast :
The San Francisco Opera Cast:
The Crew :
in conjunction with Sony Classical released a double-CD and DVD production of The Little Prince on Monday 29 November 2004. Upon release the CD set entered the classical charts.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry category listing of articles
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in two acts by Rachel Portman
Rachel Portman
Rachel Mary Berkeley Portman, OBE is a British composer, best known for her film work. She was the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Score...
to an English libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Nicholas Wright
Nicholas Wright
Nicholas or Nick Wright may refer to:* Sir Nicholas Wright , English academic* Nick Wright , English footballer* Nick Wright , English footballer...
, based on the 1943 book of the same name
The Little Prince
The Little Prince , first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ....
by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry , officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry , was a French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of France's highest literary awards, and in 1939 was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award...
. It was first performed in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
in 2003.
History
The Little Prince was commissioned by the Houston Grand OperaHouston Grand Opera
Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit, Edward Bing and Charles Cockrell...
and premiered in May 2003 with Nate Irvin as The Little Prince and Teddy Tahu Rhodes as the Pilot. It was then performed by the Skylight Opera Theatre
Skylight opera theatre
The Skylight Opera Theatre is a professional light opera company located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1959, Skylight performs in the 358-seat Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee...
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and the Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera is an American opera company based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1976.Each season, BLO produces three mainstage productions at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre in Boston and a fully staged, one-hour English language version of a popular opera for school...
with Jeffrey Walter as the Little Prince. Houston Grand Opera had a return engagement in December 2004 with Jeffrey Walter as the Little Prince and Jeffrey Allison. The University of Kentucky opera (April 2005), The New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
(November 2005), as well as Tulsa Opera
Tulsa Opera
The Tulsa Opera, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the 18th oldest opera company in the United States and is ranked among the top 10 regional opera companies in the nation. The company produces three opera productions each season performed at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center...
and the Santa Fe Opera. The San Francisco Opera and Cal Performances did a joint production in May 2008. Ithaca College Opera also put on a production in Feb/March 2010.
In the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it was filmed by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
following a nationwide talent search for children to play the roles of the Prince, the Rose and a chorus of thirty-six vocalists. Over 25,000 children applied, with over 6,500 taking part in auditions. The television show Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
documented the search for the singers, and filmed their training and rehearsals. The Little Prince was broadcast on BBC2 on Saturday, 27 November 2004 at 7:30 PM.
Cast and crew
Please note : these concern the BBC productionThe BBC Cast :
- The Little Prince - Joseph McMannersJoseph McMannersJoseph McManners is an English actor and singer. He lives on a non-working farm in Petham near Canterbury and recently left Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys for Tonbridge School after being awarded a drama and academic scholarship.-Singing career:McManners decided to become a singer after he...
(Soprano) - The Pilot - Teddy Tahu RhodesTeddy Tahu Rhodes-Early life:Teddy Tahu Rhodes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 30 August 1966, to a British mother and a New Zealand father. The Maori word "Tahu", which means "to set on fire", was added to the family name soon after they settled in New Zealand...
(Baritone) - The Fox - Lesley GarrettLesley GarrettLesley Garrett CBE is an English musician, broadcaster and media personality.- Early life :Garrett was born in the town of Thorne near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, into a musical family. She attended Thorne Grammar School, where she performed in school plays and musicals. As she grew up she...
(Mezzo-soprano) - The Rose - Mairead Carlin (Soprano)
- The Water - Gweneth-Ann Jeffers (Soprano)
- The Snake - Tom Randle (Tenor)
- The Lamplighter - Timothy Robinson (Tenor)
- The Businessman - Richard SuartRichard SuartRichard Suart is an English opera singer and actor, who has specialised in the comic roles of Gilbert and Sullivan operas and in operetta, as well as in avant-garde modern operas...
(Baritone) - The King - Willard WhiteWillard WhiteSir Willard Wentworth White, OM, CBE is a Jamaican-born British bass-baritone.-Early life:He was born into a poor but supportive Jamaican family in Kingston. His father was a dockworker, his mother a housewife. White first began to learn music by listening to the radio and singing Nat King Cole...
(Baritone) - The Vain Man - Richard Coxon (Tenor)
- The Drunkard - Aled JonesAled JonesAled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
(Tenor) - The Children (stars & birds) - Children's choir
The San Francisco Opera Cast:
- The Little Prince- Tovi Wayne/Tyler Polen (Soprano)
- The Pilot - Eugene Brancoveanu (Baritone)
- The Fox - Marie Lenormand (Mezzo-soprano)
- The Rose - Ji Young Yang (Soprano)
- The Water - Tamara Wapinsky (Soprano)
- The Snake - Thomas Glenn (Tenor)
- The Lamplighter - Andrew Bidlack (Tenor)
- The Businessman - Brian Leerhuber (Baritone)
- The King - Kenneth Kellogg (Baritone)
- The Vain Man - Thomas Glenn (Tenor)
- The Drunkard - Andrew Bidlack (Tenor)
- The Children (stars & birds) - Exclusive members of the Concert Group of the San Francisco Boys Chorus and Level IV of the San Francisco Girls Chorus
The Crew :
- Directed by : Francesca ZambelloFrancesca ZambelloFrancesca Zambello is a leading American opera and theatre director. Zambello lived in Europe when she was a child, learning to speak French, Italian, German and Russian. Zambello is of Italian descent, the daughter of Jean , an actress and Charles C. Zambello, a former actor who became head of...
- Libretto by : Nicholas WrightNicholas WrightNicholas or Nick Wright may refer to:* Sir Nicholas Wright , English academic* Nick Wright , English footballer* Nick Wright , English footballer...
- Music by : Rachel PortmanRachel PortmanRachel Mary Berkeley Portman, OBE is a British composer, best known for her film work. She was the first female composer to win an Academy Award in the category of Best Original Score...
- Costume & Production design : Maria BjörnsonMaria BjörnsonMaria Björnson was an acclaimed theatre stage designer, born in Paris to Norwegian and Romanian parents....
(original) - Based on the book by : Antoine de Saint-ExupéryAntoine de Saint-ExupéryAntoine de Saint-Exupéry , officially Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, comte de Saint Exupéry , was a French writer, poet and pioneering aviator. He became a laureate of France's highest literary awards, and in 1939 was the winner of the U.S. National Book Award...
Release details
Following the television broadcast, BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in conjunction with Sony Classical released a double-CD and DVD production of The Little Prince on Monday 29 November 2004. Upon release the CD set entered the classical charts.
- The CD release contains the entire performance on two CDs (Acts 1 & 2), and comes in a fold-out case with the 74-page libretto, containing photographs from the opera and illustrations from the original book. It was recorded at Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. - The DVD release includes the full performance as screened on BBC2, plus bonus features of the Blue Peter special, The Little Prince music video and a photograph gallery.
See also
- List of The Little Prince adaptations, a listing of The Little Prince story adapted into various media.
- The Little Prince (film)The Little Prince (film)The Little Prince is a 1974 American/British science fiction musical film with screenplay and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
, a 1974 musical film directed by Stanley Donen - The Little Prince (play)The Little Prince (play)The Little Prince is a play based on the book of the same name by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, adapted by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar before 2000. Rick Cummins wrote the music, and John Scoullar wrote the script and lyrics...
, a theatrical adaptation - The Adventures of The Little Prince (TV series), an animé series
- The Little Prince and the AviatorThe Little Prince and the AviatorThe Little Prince and the Aviator is a musical with a book by Hugh Wheeler, lyrics by Don Black, and music by John Barry.Based on the classic book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the musical deviates from the original in that aviator Toni, whose plane crashes in the Sahara Desert, explicitly is...
, a 1981 musical theatre adaptation
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry category listing of articles