If there ever were to be a metaphor for 2025 B次元官网网址� a crash landing, a being from outer space, the clash between business and the arts, and the desire to own things that simply arenB次元官网网址檛 for sale B次元官网网址� The Little Prince opera would capture it all.

Combine the magic of Pacific Opera Victoria with enchanting melodies and a brilliant storyline, and you have a production that brings Antoine de Saint-Exup茅ryB次元官网网址檚 beloved 1943 classic to life.

B次元官网网址淭he piece inspires us to have hope, to think about goodness, patience, and how to be better,B次元官网网址� says Brenna Corner, Pacific Opera VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 artistic director, and The Little PrinceB次元官网网址檚 stage director.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a story that invites the audience to reflect on their own journeys.B次元官网网址�

And journeys there are.

The story begins with an aviator crash-landing in the Sahara Desert, where he meets the Little Prince, a mysterious boy who shares tales of his journey through whimsical planets inhabited by symbolic characters like a vain man, a king, and a businessman who sings about the joys of counting things that twinkle in the sky and plotting ways to own the stars themselves.

Each encounter offers insights into human behaviour, while the Little PrinceB次元官网网址檚 love for a single rose on his home planet teaches him about relationships, responsibility, and care.

On Earth, he befriends a Fox, who imparts the profound lesson: B次元官网网址淲hat is essential is invisible to the eye.B次元官网网址�

With a score by Rachel Portman and a brilliant libretto by Nicholas Wright, The Little Prince is a rich tapestry on many levels, appealing to young audiences and adults alike.

B次元官网网址淥ne of my big goals with the company is to work on different ways to get youth on stage,B次元官网网址� says Corner.

That goal is fulfilled beautifully by Callum Spivack and Jake Apricity Hetherington, who alternate in the role of the Little Prince.

Hetherington, at just nine years old, is already a seasoned performer, having appeared on NetflixB次元官网网址檚 Virgin River and HallmarkB次元官网网址檚 Three Wiser Men and a Boy, as well as in Vancouver OperaB次元官网网址檚 Carmen and A Midsummer NightB次元官网网址檚 Dream.

Meanwhile, SpivackB次元官网网址檚 commanding stage presence and focus bring strength to the character, offering a unique interpretation of the role.

The Victoria ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Choir plays a vital role in the production, embodying stars and birds with celestial voices that bring light and magic to the stage.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of conversation in the show about how we light up worlds and light up darkness,B次元官网网址� Corner says.

With the ensemble of adults cycling through roles like the Fox and Snake, the chorus acting as stars, and the whole production aided by puppetry, the opera creates an experience that literally transcends this world.

In the end, The Little Prince is about love and responsibility. ItB次元官网网址檚 also about the magic of seeing the world through a childB次元官网网址檚 eyes, where even the simplest things can be filled with wonder and meaning.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 so much beauty in the way kids see the world,B次元官网网址� Corner says. B次元官网网址淎nd my hope is that, when audiences leave the piece, they remember that.B次元官网网址�

See The Little Prince at the Royal Theatre, with performances scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 19; Friday, Feb. 21; Sunday, Feb. 23; and Tuesday, Feb. 25. Learn more at pacificopera.ca