By Rachel Portman
Libretto by Nicholas Wright
Based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Production: Francesca Zambello
Designer: Maria Bjørnson
Lighting Designer: Rick Fisher
Cal Performances and the San Francisco Opera team up to bring you the West Coast premiere of this warm, wondrous opera for the whole family. A beloved classic of children's literature, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's fable about a pilot who crash lands in the desert and meets an open-hearted boy from another planet is a gentle reminder to hold on to what is truly important in life. It has been set to music by Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman, whose score has been praised by critics as "graceful and tuneful" and "colorful and charming." Francesca Zambello's production, with witty sets and costumes by Maria Bjørnson, adds richness and depth to the book's charming illustrations. Sung in English with English supertitles.
The Little Prince is supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation. Additional support provided by Annette Campbell-White and Dr. Ruediger Naumann-Etienne.
Special pricing for young audiences: Ages 16 and under save 50% on single-ticket prices for all performances!
You may include this event as part of a Choose-Your-Own Subscription or add it to your Series Subscription; however Choose-Your-Own and Subscriber add-on 10% discounts do not apply (Child discounts do apply).
Make your family's big outing to the opera easy and fun! Visit the downtown café at Cal Performances beginning at 6 pm for evening performances and 1:30 pm for matinee performances and enjoy a meal, including special child-friendly items in honor of The Little Prince! For more information and complete menu selections, go to Eat-Arts.com.
Please note early curtain times.
Photos ©Carol Rosegg from the NYCO production of The Little Prince.
These performances made possible, in part, by Bank of America
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Program Notes
Program notes are available online. [PDF]
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Video Clips
( Real One Player)
| The Little Prince (from the premiere performance at the Houston Grand Opera, June 2003) |
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Audio Clips
( Windows Media Player)
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Podcast
A talk by San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley about The Little Prince and the co-presentation with Cal Performances. (Length: 10:00)
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Sightlines
Fri, May 2, 6:30-7 pm, Zellerbach Hall
Pre-performance talk with director, Francesca Zambello. This Sightlines event is free to all event ticket holders.
Listen to Director Francesca Zambello's opening night pre-performance talk about the production:
Part 1:  ,
Part 2: ,
Part 3:
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Education/Community Events
The Little Prince, May 2008
This co-production with the SF Opera will include a program of educational events for both children and adults, to be announced. (More information).
EXPLORATION WORKSHOP: Inside The Little Prince
Sunday, May 4,
11 am and 1 pm
UC Berkeley Alumni House
Led by Caroline Altman, Director of Education of San Francisco Opera Guild
RSVP: Nicole Anthony, Cal Performances 510-643-2712
Free and open to the public; reservations requested.
The story and themes of Exupéry's timeless tale unfold in a family-friendly, interactive workshop based on the story and themes of The Little Prince. Through three vignettes, the group will discover how the author reveals his own views about the human folly and the simple truths that people seem to forget as they grow older; explore how the story is transformed on the fantastical operatic stage through scenic design; and feel how perfectly the music illustrates The Little Prince's famous message: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." (More information).
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Artists links: Official San Francisco Opera site
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Purchase Tickets
| Fri, May 2, 7:30pm |  | 
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| Sat, May 3, 7:30pm | |
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| Sun, May 4, 3pm | |
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| Fri, May 9, 7:30pm | |
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| Sat, May 10, 7:30pm | |
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| Sun, May 11, 3pm | |
| Please note early curtain times. |
Venue: Zellerbach Hall A
Price: $40/$50/$60
Subscription Series:
Choose-Your-Own
 
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calperfs.berkeley.edu