The world of children’s literature is making the leap from the page to the stage with Opera in the Heights’ new production of Academy Award-winning film composer Rachel Portman and Nicholas Wright’s The Little Prince. Based on the iconic novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, originally published in 1943, this production runs through December 15 at Lambert Hall.
In The Little Prince, a young boy travels from planet to planet, meeting numerous eccentric characters who teach him life lessons about human nature. When he travels to Earth, he forms a deep bond with a stranded pilot and shares stories of his adventures and his wish to be reunited with his beloved rose. With a whimsical libretto and an enchanting score, The Little Prince is an engaging and transporting opera experience for audiences of all ages.
Local actor Johnny Salvesen took a break from the rehearsal schedule to discuss the timeless appeal of the story.
“The Little Prince is an incredibly remarkable story,” he says. “The author was not afraid to delve into more profound issues such as loss of love and being left out.”
While the premise sounds somewhat stark, Salvesen promises that the story is ultimately uplifting, and one that is relatable to all ages.
“The author wrote the book in a way that children can understand it,” he said. “It is very brilliantly written in that it is simultaneously entertaining but also not afraid to address thoughtful issues that will resonate with adults, too.”
Salvesen notes that the story brings attention to the changes that take place as children develop into adults. The audience witnesses the characters learning resilience despite hardships, and the changes over time that are a natural result of maturing into adulthood.
“In the story,” says Salvesen, “the prince is really attached to his rose, but he realizes that people change and move on as they navigate their way through life. As such, the prince also matures very quickly in the opera, and therefore he must move on to different parts of his life. I think adults will really appreciate the journey that the prince goes through, and also the pilot who wants to care for somebody, but realizes that children sometimes have to discover things on their own.”
To keep the plot lighthearted, the production also introduces a handful of other characters who represent adulthood’s many facets. Salvesen says the supporting characters are relevant to the main characters’ development in addition to providing comic relief. The end result is that people of all ages can find characters in the story that they can relate to.
Salvesen’s appearance in The Little Prince is the culmination of his lifelong passion for music and the arts. To fine-tune his skills, Salvesen studied at Texas Christian University and the University of Houston prior to becoming a staple of Houston’s theater scene.
Lambert Hall is the place to find him this holiday season, but his talents can be found in several other venues throughout the year. He is a member of the Houston Grand Opera Chorus and will perform the role of Sergeant in the upcoming production of La Bohème. He made his HGO mainstage debut in 2024 as Admiral von Schreiber in The Sound of Music. With the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston, he performed as the Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance in July 2023 and appeared in Ruddigore earlier this year.
To round out his star-studded résumé, Salvesen is the director of music at Messiah Lutheran Church, where he plays piano and organ and also maintains a private piano studio.
What: Opera in the Heights presents Portman and Wright’s production of The Little Prince
When: December 6 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 8, 14, and 15 at 2 p.m.
Where: Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd.
Info: operaintheheights.org/2024-2025-the-little-prince
