The
long-awaited new opera version of The Little Prince is set
for its small screen debut and its release on Sony Classical
this winter. Reaching our television sets on 27th November
in the form of a BBC 2 screen adaptation, the opera was
composed by the Oscar-winning musician Rachel Portman and
directed by the renowned Francesca Zambello.
The opera is based on the internationally-loved children’s
book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery which has been translated
into over 20 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide.
It tells the tale of an airman who after crashing in the
Sahara desert is approached by The Little Prince, a child
who asks him to draw a sheep for him. As their friendship
grows, the airman learns more of the tiny planet from which
the Prince comes, and of a beautiful rose who the Prince
is in love with. It is an immensely touching story that
has continued to strike a chord with children and adults
alike since its publication in 1945.
As well as starring familiar faces such as Willard White,
Aled Jones and Lesley Garrett, The Little Prince also showcases
a cast chosen by an extensive BBC talent search. Over 25,000
children applied to take part in the scheme with over 6,5000
turning up to auditions held all over the country. The BBC
scheme was aimed at discovering talented singers aged 7-16
for the lead roles of the Rose and the Prince, as well as
for a chorus of 36 vocalists. The singers were filmed by
Blue Peter as they trained for their roles and prepared
for their performances.
The Little Prince will air on BBC 2 at 7.30pm, while the
double CD and DVD of this beautiful production will be available
on Sony Classical on the following Monday, 29th November.
As well as the production itself, the DVD will also include
the Blue Peter special as bonus footage.
The
Little Prince and the Pilot
The
Little Prince and theFox
THE LITTLE PRINCE - SYNOPSIS
Prologue: The Pilot explains that, when he was a child, he
drew pictures that the grown ups didn't understand. Now
he is a pilot, flying far above the earth among the stars.
Act I
A group of stars above the Sahara desert sees a sandstorm
forcing the Pilot's airplane to the ground. The Pilot is
reflecting on the danger he is in, when a curious little
boy - the Little Prince - appears. He asks the Pilot to
draw him a sheep. Intrigued, the Pilot tries to learn more
about him. Gradually, the Little Prince tells his story.
He explains that he comes from a tiny planet, Asteroid B
- 612, which is in danger of being taken over by the Baobab
trees. That is why he wanted a sheep in the first place:
he hopes it will eat the baobab sprouts. He is worried however,
that the sheep will also eat flowers, as there is a special
flower - a Rose that the Little Prince wants very much to
protect.
A flock of birds takes the Little Prince on a journey. He
visits the planets of a King, a Vain Man, a Drunkard, a
Business Man and a Lamplighter. The Little Prince is bewildered
by the behaviour of all these grownups. Finally the Little
Prince visits the planet of The Geographer, who shows no
interest when the Little Prince tells him about his Rose.
Determined to continue his travels, The Little Prince flies
on to the Planet Earth.
Act II
The Little Prince arrives on Earth and meets a Snake, who
mysteriously claims that with one touch he can send him
back to the place from which he came. "I'll help you
find your way back home" the Snake promises. The Little
Prince continues exploring Earth and finds a rose garden.
He is distressed to see so many beautiful flowers, because
he thought his Rose was the only one for her kind. Fox -
hunters appear with their guns.
Once they have gone, their quarry comes out of hiding. The
Little Prince asks the Fox to play with him. But the Fox
refuses, saying "I've not been tamed." The Little
Prince learns what "taming" means. "Tamers
care for what they've tamed. You'll always be responsible
for your Rose," the Fox explains. The Little Prince
realises that his Rose is, after all, unique, because of
his love for her. He has finished recounting his adventures,
and the Pilot reminds him that it's been eight days since
his plane went down and they are running out of water. They
set off in search of a well, and are saved by the Water
they find. But the Little Prince's visit to Earth is coming
to an end. He explains that it is time for him to return
to his planet. He reassures the Pilot that he is not about
to die, and that his body is just a shell: "Anything
essential is invisible to the eye."
The Snake strikes and the Little Prince disappears, leaving
the Pilot alone in the desert. The Pilot addresses the audience:
"Wait a while beneath a star, and if a child arrives
with golden hair, who laughs and disappears, make sure you
tell me he's returned."
Characters:
The
Little Prince
Soprano
Joseph
Mcmanners
The Pilote
Bariton
Teddy Tahu Rhodes
The Fox
Mezzo-soprano
Lesley Garret
The Rose
Soprano
Mairead Carlin
The Water
Soprano
Gweneth-Ann Jeffers
The Snake
Tenor
Tom Randle
The Lamplighter
Tenor
Timothy Robinson
The Businessman
Bariton
Richard Suart
The King
Bariton
Williard White
The Vain Man
Tenor
Richard Coxon
The Drunkard
Tenor
Aled Jones
The children (stars
& birds)
chorus
children
Casting:
Over 25,000 children applied
online and thousands turned up at open auditions to take
part in the scheme, with BBC Talent holding audition workshops
across the UK seeing over 6,500 hopefuls. We were looking
for great singers aged 7-16 years who had never sung on
television before, for the lead roles of Rose and the Prince
and the chorus.
The Pilot
The Stars
The Pilot Meets The Prince
Sunsets
The Prince's Planet
The Baobabs
'On My Planet'
The Rose
'The Cranes Are Flying'
The King
The Vain Man
The Drunkard
The Businessman
The Lamplighter
'We Light Our Lamps' Album Version
CD 2:
The Snake
The Rose Garden
The Hunters
The Fox
The Taming
'Here's My Secret'
'If We Don't Find A Well'
The Walk To The Well
The Well
'The Time Has Come'
The Snake Returns
'It Is The Place'
'Look At The Stars'
The Little Prince Song
DVD
with extra features Blue
Peter Special
Photo Gallery "The
Little Prince Song"
