The Little Prince

The Dallas Opera brings The Little Prince to the Winspear Opera House on Sunday, November 8, at 2 PM. It's a production created specifically for young audiences, so if you've been looking for a way to introduce kids to opera without the usual three-hour commitment, this is a good place to start.

The story is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's children's classic brought to the stage. It follows the little prince and his pilot friend as they cross paths with a fox, a snake, and a very chatty rose, picking up lessons about caring and friendship along the way. The music is by Rachel Portman, with a libretto by Nicholas Wright, based on the novel and adapted by Mary Dibbern, Ph.D. The Dallas Opera Orchestra provides the live accompaniment.

One of the most practical things about this production is the length. It's billed as an opera "under an hour for budding music lovers," and it runs about 50 minutes with no intermission. It's sung in English with English titles, so there's no language barrier to worry about. Between the short runtime and the familiar story, it's a low-pressure afternoon for families.

It's at the Winspear Opera House, part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center at 2403 Flora Street in Dallas. The performance is Sunday, November 8, at 2 PM.