Ok, right off the top: I loved this production. I thought it was a faithful and joyful adaptation of a work that is dear to my heart.
If you have not been introduced to the Little Prince before, it is, I acknowledge a somewhat strange story. It is the pilot’s retelling of meeting the little prince in the desert after having crashed his plane. The little prince is somewhat reluctant in telling his own story to the pilot, but reveals a magical journey from his home planet (a small asteroid) and all the characters he had met along the way. Even though this story takes place on earth, it assumes an acceptance of a certain level of magical realism. It is juvenile in its playfulness, but profound in its seemingly simple philosophy. It’s a story that cuts to the heart of love but also mediates on the foibles of grownups.
Seeing this staged, it reminds me of why this simple book has such lasting power – it’s profundity never weighs down the magic, and every reading, every reader (or in this case, every audience member), can take home a lesson that reaches their heart at that moment.
The set looks almost barren before the action begins, this lends itself well to becoming a platform for imaginative play to set each scene. A wall is flown in and out to allow for projections of the illustrations, but otherwise a few small set pieces are moved on and off stage, and there is a gorgeous skyscape up top that looks childlike, like something you would see in a nursery with hand drawn stars and planets that light up at different times in the show.
I thought the addition of the Victoria children’s choir was a spectacular choice! Incredibly sweet, they brought a lightness and joy to each scene. Their movements were purposeful, adding texture and background to each scene. They felt so critical to the telling of this piece!
The costuming was very effective, with movement, energy, and looking like they stepped out of the book in their attention to detail, but are wholly Pacific Opera’s own creation. This is indicative of what the opera did so well with this adaptation: to adapt a book that is so well loved is a risk in itself, you don’t want to do a direct page to stage without any vision, but you also don’t want to remove it so fully from the source material that it is unrecognizable. Pacific Opera Victoria has walked a delicate balance and delivered us a beautifully told tale of a book that means so much to so many, and done so with their own identity clearly visible.
Overall, while this is a show that can be a great introduction for young people to the opera, it isn’t a show “just” for kids. There is real magic to be experienced and the whimsy welcomes all of us to go on the journey with the little prince. The Little Prince runs until Feb 25th, and I highly recommend treating yourself to this delightful gem.
Disclaimer: I received free tickets to the show as a result of other volunteer work I do. No review was expected or requested.
