Fun for kids

I suspect I was in the minority at The Little Prince, in that I am not familiar with the beloved children’s book but am quite familiar with the work of composer Rachel Portman. Besides opera, I enjoy a good movie soundtrack, and Portman’s score for the 2000 film “Chocolat” is remarkable. It holds a top spot on my instrumental playlist, so I went into this opera with very high hopes for the music.

The music was indeed lovely. The orchestration was so nice that I often found myself wishing it wasn’t obscured by singing. Portman is very clearly a film composer; the score has this indefinably cinematic quality to it. My companion summed it up perfectly: “It’s great, but it just doesn’t quite sound like an opera.” As a lover of modern opera, I am fully supportive of new sounds, but here it sometimes felt like the singing was an afterthought rather than the main attraction.

That feeling was enhanced by the extensive use of children’s voices. I feel like such a grump saying this, but the opera would have benefited from less reliance on the children’s chorus. They were good (very good!), but their presence meant there was a less robust sound overall. Combined with having a young singer in the title role (who understandably needed miking), the piece sometimes felt more like a choral work than a traditional opera. That said, Everett Baumgarten deserves much praise for his acting and singing as the titular prince. He carried the evening with sincerity and charm.

“The Little Prince” never made it into my childhood bedtime rotation. (We were more of a Greek mythology household.) So this was my first exposure to the actual plot. While I’m not entirely sure I understand its enduring appeal, it was undeniably a fun story for the stage. Francesca Zambello, director of the original production and longtime artistic leader at Washington National Opera, brought everything together in a way that kept the tone light and accessible.

I can’t say I loved it, but it absolutely deserves a place in the repertoire. It was bright, fun, under two hours, and a perfect introduction to opera for children. If nothing else, I’ll happily add more Rachel Portman to my playlists.

Opera: The Little Prince
Composer: Rachel Portman
Venue: Dallas Opera
Date: February 14, 2026
Link: https://dallasopera.org/performance/the-little-prince/