CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, April 06, 2022

Go Inside the World of The Little Prince on Broadway

TheaterMania: Broadway performances of The Little Prince have begun at the Broadway Theatre, and we were recently given the opportunity to capture select sequences from the high-flying new show, which opens Monday, April 11.

8 comments:

Sophia Coscia said...

The concept of children's stories turned to Broadway shows is always so interesting to me. I think it is mostly because animated and illustrated stories can have so many different interpretations when coming to life on stage. For example, the "Winnie the Pooh" musical looks like a show for children ,the designs feature oversized puppets and more what you would expect from the classic characters. However the new "Spirited Away" production based on an anime, uses similar puppet designs in collaboration with costumed actors in street clothes and some more extravagant special fx makeup. Yes, these two productions are very different on a book level, however, my point on the interpretation on animated characters stands. I personally, love how the creative team of "The Little Prince" is striving for something different here. This looks like it could appeal to audiences of multiple generations. It also seems to bring an original twist to a classic story. I really hope to see the production because it looks stunning.

Maureen Pace said...

This show looks incredible: the photos are beautiful, the design work looks so, so intricate and wonderful!! Like Sophia, bringing children’s stories to life on a Broadway stage is a really interesting concept to me. Based on the photos in this article though, I think they have done a good job of bringing some of that magic from the book into the space. I remember having a copy of The Little Prince in my bedroom growing up, but can barely remember anything in the story so I’d be really interested to be able to see this production if I ever had the chance, because I really wouldn’t have any expectations going in. The show doesn’t look like it’s too childish in its concept, and can be fun for anyone to go see (granted, not that childish things aren’t fun, they definitely are, but sometimes not everyone loves that). Hopefully I can see the show at some point!

John Alexander Farrell said...

I’m not all too sure how to feel about this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love The Little Prince. It was, without a doubt, one of my favorite little books as a child. However, looking at pictures from the upcoming Broadway production, I’m not sure how to feel. I very much like the highly acrobatic nature of the artistic vision, yet I wonder if it’s deviated too much into a circus-like production. And I guess the same could be said for the video media design surrounding the dancers/characters. In my mind, it very much seems to be a disjointed idea from theatrical conventions, but it’s also not a spectacle, merely a circus? This makes me wonder a few things. First, what does the script/book look like– how well does it read? And for that matter, how does it sound? I mean, it’s a musical, that’s a big part of it.

Olivia Curry said...

I remember really liking The Little Prince when I first read it as a kid, and while I haven’t recently engaged with it, I think it’s a great idea for a theatrical adaptation. The fantasy world and imagination in the story are very inspiring. The most exciting photo in the article to me is the picture of the actor in a harness above a circle of performers on the ground. The space looks huge, and really immersive as a representation of space. I do wonder if the show is a direct adaptation, or is more loosely inspired and has unique story elements. It looks almost like a Cirque du Soleil show with all the acrobatic movement, and I am curious whether there is any singing or live music in the show. It also looks like a show that would appeal to kids and adults, and parents will be able to show the story to their kids in a new, exciting way.

Lilian Nara Kim said...

Oh my gosh this is so cute. I love the creativity that went into such a whimsical story. I think stories like this are so fun to design, however it can also be difficult because there is something to be said about trying to turn something abstract into a reality. I like how they used projection design in order to try and capture a little bit of that magic of the story. The photos themselves seem amazing. I love how there are some fluorescent touches in the scene themselves. I really like glow in the dark because it passively gives the audience a sense of childhood, kind of like the green glowing star stickers that seemed to adorn the ceilings of every other child in the world. I think designs like these are really cool, and I wish I can see things like this but they are never in Pittsburgh. Perhaps the next time I am in New York City, I will still be able to see it.

Megan Hanna said...

This kind of show is right up my alley, so why is this the first time I have heard about it? This is actually the first play I remember seeing in elementary school because my school’s drama club put it on. The creativity was always something that drew me to the production, like even in elementary school they set up one of those old transparency projectors and one of the students would draw out images during the show. I can’t wait for that to be taken so much farther with the involvement of media and even more so aerial acrobatics, another thing I’m extremely passionate about. I did aerial arts for years and dreamed of running off with the circus. I have never thought of connecting this show with some sort of acrobatics, but it makes so much sense. Watching any type of aerial performance reminds me that anything is possible.

Andrew Morris said...

One of the first Broadway shows I was able to see was finding Neverland, a Broadway play based on the classic children’s novel of Peter Pan. I’ve always found plays and musicals based on children’s media to be so interesting especially because they have a wide range of audience that they appeal to. The little Prince is a classic animation that I remember watching as a kid and I’m very intrigued to see how the acrobatic new take on the classic children’s book is running at the Broadway theatre. Based on some of the images the show appears to mix the elements of light sound and acrobatics to Bring this animated feature to life. I want to go see this show the next time that I’m in New York City and I am particularly interested to see this theatrical spectacle since I’ve heard that it has groundbreaking video mapping technology that brings the classic adventure story loved by generations to life.

Louise Anne Cutter said...

My school did this production for a middle school play! At the time, I was no longer in middle school but wormed my way into working as the projection operator for the production. While I am usually anti theatre that is based on a movie, I am giving the little prince a pass, as it is more commonly known for its book, and overall is a very loved story. It poses a lot of fantastic design challenges that allow a lot of opportunity for creativity with the vast range of worlds and characters explored. My high school relied heavily on projection design to create these other worlds, something the Broadway production also does. The combination of merging lights and shapes allows the visuals to transcend our reality, and become dream-like, whimsical, and flowing. These are all characteristics I associate with the story, The Little Prince, so I think it was a great design choice.