By Jennifer Andelin
As you walk downtown in Salt Lake City to Utah Opera‘s Capitol Theatre, trees sparkling with lights guide your way to the magic that awaits you at The Little Prince. Based on the novella of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, this opera transports you to other worlds through the eyes of The Pilot (Jared Bybee) who sees differently after spending time with the Little Prince, played pluckily and sweetly by Nitai “Ty” Fluchel. Author de Saint-Exupéry wrote the book in his native French while living in New York during World War II. He gave the manuscript to journalist Sylvia Hamilton Reinhardt, a friend of his, before he left to fight the war as a reconnaissance pilot. She had it published, and it quickly became popular and influential worldwide.
When the Houston Opera commissioned Academy Award-winning Rachel Portman to compose an opera, she decided to use The Little Prince as her inspiration and outline. Portman wanted an opera specifically composed for children, but the story of the Prince, the Pilot, the Fox and others resonates with all ages. The opera’s performance is less than two hours long: enough time to capture children’s attention and allow them the adventure of seeing the world like the Little Prince, but also short enough to allow them to return to the important work of play. Portman composes an incredible score that the Utah Symphony plays beautifully under the direction of Maestro James Lowe. The music is soothing, playful, and warm. It’s what I think innocence and wonder would sound like.
Set and Costume Designer Jacob A. Climer outdoes himself with a brand-new, imaginative, and stunning set. The first thing you notice when you look at the stage is a beautiful library with framed copies of de Saint-Exupéry’s original drawings for The Little Prince. The set quickly changes into a desert made from the pages of books. Even the volcanoes are books and the baobabs are represented by book pages. The set reminds us at all times that this opera is a story, one that we are stepping into and seeing played out. We can be absorbed into it just as the characters are. The set is what most impressed my 10-year-old daughter. She had read the book beforehand and loved it so she was especially excited to see it brought to life on stage. She says, “I liked how the floor opened up to show different features like The Water (soprano Melissa Heath) coming out of the well and the baobabs coming out of the meteorite. And I liked how they made the smoke come out of the volcanoes. I really liked those parts. I thought it was really cool that they could open up the stage and use it for different things.”
Most of the songs are titled after the character who sings it unless otherwise noted such as the song, “We Light Our Lamps”: a beautiful piece that represents the wonderful and diverse places of our planet. While The Little Prince is sung in English, subtitles are still used, for which I was grateful because there were times when the lyrics were not sung louder than or distinctive from the accompanying music. My daughter enjoyed The Vain Man song the most, saying, “He was funny and the tune was kind of catchy.” Tenor Joshua Lindsay sings the part of The Vain Man as well as The Snake; the Vain Man makes for an eccentric, kazoo-playing character who sings poignant lyrics that children can laugh at as well as fear when sung, thanks to librettist Nicholas Wright. The audience is in awe and laughs when The King, bass Tyrell Wilde, enters the stage. His flying throne, his deep voice, and high-pitched laugh creates undulating sounds and visuals for the audience. Other visits to the planets of the Lamplighter/Drunkard (tenor Addison Marlor) and Businessman (baritone Jesús Vicente Murillo) continue the fun-paced, comical, and characterized songs. These performances entertain the audience while carefully representing oft-encountered human weaknesses.
The focus of the evening, of course, is on The Little Prince—and Fluchel’s soprano floats through the lovely theater like an angel. He is a delight to listen to and recreates what one imagines the Little Prince would look and sound like. His sound is pure, powerful, curious, and thoughtful. He and baritone Jared Bybee as The Pilot make a great pair, creating wonderful duets that build a friendship throughout the opera. This is especially true during the song “Sunsets” which is augmented by Lighting Designer Mark Stanley‘s use of color. His use of twinkling lights help us feel the beauty of the night sky during songs like “Look at the Stars.”My favorite pairings, however, are Fluchel with The Fox (mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar) and with The Rose (soprano Grace Kahl). Their songs are beautiful and felt true to their characteristics created by de Saint-Exupéry. Their costumes are exquisitely detailed thanks again to Climer. Makeup Designer Kate Casalino creates colorful, vibrant looks that help the performers stand out even from afar.
What makes this opera not only unique but truly successful is the children choristers from The Madeleine Choir School under the direction of Melanie Malinka. I love their contribution. Their pure, harmonious, bell-like voices along with how Director Tara Faircloth blocks them throughout the show creates a movement that crescendoed in all the right places for me. The sheer number of children onstage (25 plus The Prince) connects the audience immediately to the show. The ensemble of children bring an openness and familiarity that seems to invite the audience to enjoy the show as much as they are. We all felt like singing, listening, and asking questions.
The Little Prince is a wonderful introduction to the opera and is perfect for the whole family. Not only are the music, costumes, set, and performances incredible, but the story itself transcends all ages and is most memorable. Come ready for a visual and auditory adventure that explores the soul and opens the heart to understanding what’s important. Utah Opera and Utah Symphony have also offered free tickets to government employees furloughed during the shutdown. Also, on Monday and Wednesday night, Utah Opera is offering family pricing ($30 for two adults and two children and discounted tickets for more children, if needed) and an earlier start time to accommodate children attending The Little Prince.
Utah Opera presents The Little Prince by Rachel Portman, English libretto by Nicholas Wright
Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
Jan 19, 25, 2019 7:30 PM, Jan 21, 23 7:00 PM, Jan 27 2:00 PM
Tickets
Contact: 801-533-NOTE (801-533-6683)
Utah Opera Facebook Page
Utah Symphony Facebook Page
Photo credit: Dana Sohm/Utah Opera
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