FFO - The Little Prince

THE LITTLE PRINCE Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Composed by Rachel Portman Libretto by Nicholas Wright

Freeze Frame Opera is a Perth-based not-for-profit opera company that celebrates opera and creates new productions using outstanding local artists and creatives.

Since our first show in 2016, we have brought over 400 performances to the stage and streets of Perth. We have employed more than 120 Western Australian based arts workers and reached audiences of over 10,000 people.

Freeze Frame Opera acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation as the traditional owners and custodians of this beautiful land on which we are privileged to live, work, tell stories and dream.

FFO acknowledges with deep sorrow the stolen generations and the disproportionate incarceration of Aboriginal people.

FFO hopes for greater understanding and truthtelling about history and greater unity and equality for all Australians.

This season of The Little Prince is dedicated to the beautiful life of Ros Minchin CAST The Pilot - Teddy Tahu Rhodes The Little Prince - Liam Fitzpatrick / Camille Alonso The Water - Sara Macliver The Rose - Rachelle Durkin The Fox - Hattie Marshall The Businessman - Brett Peart The Vain Man / The Lamplighter - Kohsei Gilkes The Drunkard / The Snake - Perry Joyce The King - Jake Bigwood Rose 1 - Fiona Tan & Madeleine Murphy Rose 2 - Harriett Dawson & Charlotte O’Hara Rose 3 - Alaia Torralbo Straton & Ashley Croft Rose Chorus - Mikaela Jones, Ava Laurie, Miso Jung Desert Stars - Dior Chai, Odette Prince-Lizama, Abigail Weaver Hunters/TTBB Ensemble - Thomas Lovegrove, Leandro Holmes, Hudson Kitney-Koek, Ian Leeks, Ribgy Barnes Treble Chorus of Stars, Birds and Lamplighters - WAYV Choristers

CREATIVES Director - Adam Mitchell Music Director - Katie How Designer - Rhi Walker Lighting Designer - Jerry Reinhardt Choreographer - Scott Elstermann Production Manager - Stephen Carr Stage Manager - Danika Bentley Assistant Stage Manager - Katharina Brieden WAYV Preparation - Perry Joyce, Katie How, Adrian Soares Musical Arrangement - Adrian Soares The Band - Tommaso Pollio, Sam Parry, Adrian Soares, Katie How and Sophie Curtis WAYV CHORISTERS Camille Alonso

Asher Gillespie

Ian Leeks

Liam Fitzpatrick

Sophia Healdgrove

Thomas Lovegrove

Rigby Barnes

Leandro Holmes

Arielle Lu

Ella Byers

Raymond Hopkins

Miranda Lynch

Dior Chai

Mikaela Jones

Hasan Mirza

Rachel Chong

Romilly Jones

Eva McDonald

Ashley Croft

Adela Jung

Sofia McDonald

Harriett Dawson

Olivia Kenny

Madeleine Murphy

Fraser de Mouncey

Hudson Kitney-Koek

Cecilia Natale

Francois du Toit

Ava Laurie

Charlotte O’Hara

Amelia Foster

Abby Lawer

Odette PrinceLizama Anya Rozenkevich Allan Tan Fiona Tan Alaia Torralbo Straton Tessa Trosic Abigail Weaver Angela Zhang

Act 1 The Pilot recalls that, when he was six, he

a dome. She rebukes him sharply: placing

saw a picture of a wild beast being eaten

her under a glass is not the way to please

by a boa constrictor. He was inspired

her. She urges him to seek wisdom in the

to draw a picture of his own, showing a

worlds around him, and then return to her.

snake digesting its prey. But the grownups he showed it to discouraged him from drawing and told him to concentrate on conventional subjects. Now he is a pilot, flying far above the earth among the stars.

The stars sing to each other. A group of stars above the Sahara sees a sandstorm forcing the Pilot’s airplane to the ground.

The Little Prince appears. He asks the Pilot to draw him a sheep. Intrigued, the Pilot tries to learn more about the boy. He discovers the Prince is worried that the sheep will eat the Rose on his planet. The Pilot promises to draw a muzzle for the sheep.

The Pilot describes the Prince nurturing his Rose and waiting for her to come into bloom.

When the Prince learns that her greatest fear is of catching a chill, he hastens to find

A flock of birds takes the Prince on his journey. He visits the planets of a King, a Vain Man, a Drunkard, a Businessman, and a Lamplighter.

The Prince is bewildered by the behaviour of all these grownups, except the Lamplighter, whom he respects—by tending his lamp, he is doing something useful. The Prince thinks anxiously about his beloved Rose, whom he has left alone and defenceless.

Determined to continue his travels, however, he flies on to the planet Earth.

(Interval)

Act 2 The Little Prince arrives on Earth and meets

they are running out of water. They set

a Snake, who cryptically claims that with

off in search of a well, and are refreshed

one touch, he can send him back to the place

and saved by the water they find.

from which he came. “I’ll help you find your way back home,” the Snake promises.

The Little Prince’s visit to Earth is coming to an end. He tells the Pilot to go back

The Prince continues exploring Earth and

to his plane and return the next night.

finds a rose garden. He is distressed to

Filled with dread, the Pilot leaves. When

see so many beautiful flowers, as it makes

he comes back, he finds the Prince

him doubt that his Rose is special.

making an agreement with the Snake.

Fox hunters appear with their weapons. Once

The Prince tells the Pilot that it is time for

they have gone, their quarry emerges.

him to return to his planet. He reassures

The Prince asks the Fox to play with him.

But the Fox says “I’ve not been tamed.” The Prince learns what “taming” means. “Tamers

the Pilot that he is not about to die, and that his body is just a shell: “Anything essential is invisible to the eye.”

care for what they’ve tamed. You’ll always be

The Snake strikes and the Little

responsible for your Rose,” the Fox explains.

Prince disappears, leaving the

The Prince realises that his Rose is, after

Pilot alone in the desert.

all, unique, because of his love for her.

The Pilot addresses the audience: “Wait a

The Prince finishes recounting his

while beneath a star, and if a child arrives

adventures. The Pilot reminds him that it’s

with golden hair, who laughs and disappears,

been eight days since his plane crash and

make sure you tell me he’s returned.”

Chairman’s Statement Welcome to Freeze Frame Opera’s production

Funds received from the brilliant ARTS Impact

of The Little Prince - the Western Australian

WA Inc. has enabled us to bring this story to

operatic premiere of the best-selling novel of

life. Thanks also to our donors, volunteers, the

the same name.

tireless Adele Williamson (GM) and to Hattie

FFO presents amazing operatic music in a contemporary setting to a broad audience,

Marshall (Founder and Artistic Director). It is their generosity that inspires and enables us.

at the same time providing opportunities for

A special mention to WA Young Voices for its

outstanding local singers and creatives. We

contribution to this opera – 40 young people

have enabled hundreds of performances to

who have rehearsed intensively and who

thousands of adults, school children and many

will debut alongside our stellar senior cast

people whose circumstances would normally

members, who have generously mentored the

prevent them from experiencing the magic

young singers and have given them a memory

of opera.

that will last a lifetime.

Our Opera Truck alone has enabled more than

Thank you for attending, we hope to see

400 performances for aged care homes, people

you again!

in lockdown, and many others. People may not

Gilbert George - Chairman

have heard of Freeze Frame Opera, but a great number have heard of the Opera Truck!

Janet Holmes à Court AC - Patron

Director’s Notes “All grown-ups were once children... but only

Rachel Portman’s operatic adaptation adds

few of them remember it.” The Little Prince

a new layer to the emotional landscape of

One of my favourite moments of the day is right before our feisty two-year-old heads to bed. Every night, he insists on seeing the “moooon,” and we find ourselves sneaking outside to our driveway, gazing up at the sky,

Saint-Exupéry’s tale. Hopefully, we have captured the whimsy of the Little Prince’s interstellar journey, the melancholy of the fox’s wisdom, and the profound truths hidden within the encounters on various planets.

wondering about the mysteries beyond. His

I am so very grateful to the large team that has

curiosity about the simplest things is truly

brought so much passion and perseverance

delightful. At its core, our story invites us to

to this project. From our musical team with

revisit the purity and wonder of childhood,

their exacting persistence to our exceptional

encouraging us to see the world with the

singers and the many young voices that make

unfiltered eyes of a child.

up WAYV (and their parents), each has been

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a pioneering aviator and writer, penned “The Little Prince” in 1943 during a tumultuous period in world history. As a pilot, Saint-Exupéry experienced the vastness of the Sahara Desert and the isolation of long flights, which profoundly influenced his exploration of loneliness and the importance of looking beyond the surface.

so generous. And to our creatives, technical teams, many volunteers and producers, thank you. We simply wouldn’t be here without you.

Enjoy the performance, Adam Mitchell

About WAYV (In affiliation with Voice Moves WA)

WA Young Voices (WAYV) is the premier

vast skill and experience. We are extremely

state children’s choir of Western Australia

grateful for the generous support of Arts

for singers aged 7 to 18 years. Our mission

Impact WA which has allowed this production

is to provide exceptional choral and

to go ahead. This experience has opened so

singing instruction, musical education,

many doors for WAYV choristers and helped to

and performance experience to West

foster in them a love and passion for Opera.

Australian children; to foster their innate creativity, encourage participation in the community, and promote the creation, performance, and advancement of new and existing Australian music.

WAYV is proud to present The Little Prince with Freeze Frame Opera on the 80th anniversary of the publication of the book

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Working with Freeze Frame Opera on this production has truly been a dream come true. It has provided WAYV choristers with a platform to hone their performance skills and boost their confidence. It has also been a great privilege to work alongside industry-professionals at the peak of their game, and to learn from their

Thanks again for joining us on this wonderful journey and we hope you enjoy the show!

Click here if you want to find out more (including how you can join WAYV)

Our Supporters Your generosity makes magic.

Thank you to everyone who made The Little Prince possible.

Principal Partner

FFO Board & Patron

The McCusker Charitable Foundation

Janet Holmes à Court AC (Patron), Gilbert George (Chair), Sara van den Hoogen

Education Partners Stan Perron Charitable Foundation Hawaiian Major Sponsor Arts Impact WA Inc Audit Partner Stantons

(Secretary), Kerrie-Anne King (Treasurer), Deborah Attard-Portughes, Sara Macliver, Laurie Shervington, Harriet Marshall, Liz Perrott.

Artistic Director - Harriet Marshall Musical Director - Tommaso Pollio General Manager - Adele Williamson

Production Donors Allison Fyfe

Graham Droppert

Nicole Iffla

Angela Roberts

Kathryn Hogan

Nicole Youl

Annie Fang

Hannah Lane

Olivia Humphrey

Annie Patrick

Helen Brown

Paul Kotsoglo

Annie Silberstein

Howard & Lindsey Read

Paul Robinson

Audrey Lombardi

Jack Pearson

Pennie & David Hall

Bedley Holdings Pty Ltd

Janet Holmes à Court AC

Peta Gourlay

Ben & Elle Statham

Jen & Ian Marshall

Peter & Leslie Davies

Bernadette Naughton

John McKay & Claire Brittain OAM

Peter & Sue Harley

Brian Wall

John Turner

Peter & Stella Blaxell

Bruce & Charmaine Cameron

Judd Milner

Phil Thick & Paula Rogers

Caitlin Cassidy

Judy McGuinness

Randal & Monique Humich

Catherine Cole

Julian Cope

Richard Gorham

Charis Postmus

Kate Hamilton

Rick Camins

Chris Marshall

Keiko Uno Jewellery

Rosalind Smith

Christine Burson

Leeanda Paino

Ruth Shean

Christine Lawson-Smith

Linda Savage

Sara Macliver

David McIntyre

Liz & John Mair

Sarah & Rob Lovegrove

David & Ros Minchin

Liz & Tom Perrott

Shirley Egan

Debra Peart

Loz Copley

Stephanie Nicholls

Denise Fairclough

Maizan & Peter Ahern

Steven Heath

Di Collins

Marco Dorsogna & Terry Scott

Susan Croudace

Diana Teplyj

Margaret Stockton

Susan Gillett

Doug & Clare Kerr

Margaret Taylor

Susan Robinson

Fiona Campbell

Margrete Helgeby Chaney &

Tanya Watt

Frances Cassidy

Michael Chaney AO

Tessa La Mela

Gaysie Atkinson

Mary Townsend

Tracy O’Shannessy

Gilbert George

Mary-Alice Paton

Trik Photography

Gillian Lilleyman

Meg O’Neill & Vicky Hayes

Vasse Felix

Gordon & Bev Martin

Michael & Helen Tuite

Warwick Hemsley AO

FFO is thrilled to announce we are the successful recipients of Plus 1 matched funding up to $50,000 from Creative Australia. Creative Australia will match your tax deductible donations, dollar for dollar.

To donate to our 2024 Season, please: 1. Send a cheque to Freeze Frame Opera Inc, PO Box 4022, Mosman Park, WA, 6012; 2. Make a bank transfer to FREEZE FRAME OPERA PUBLIC FUND, BSB: 036 034, ACC: 455 163 (and please email gm@freezeframeopera.com to let us know); or 3. Donate by credit card through our website.

The impact your donations will have FFO will be able to continue to deliver outstanding locally made productions in 2024, including: •

A new primary schools tour of The Magic Flute (“The Magic Kazoo”)

•

Puccini’s Tosca at the Quarry in March 2024

•

Mozart’s Don Giovanni in August 2024

•

Sondeheim under the Whale in November 2024 and

•

Christmas at the Quarry in December 2024

In 2022, we reached audiences of over 10,000 and employed 40 different artists for over 8,000 hours.

In 2022, 45% of our income was from private donations. Support for this local company from our amazing donors is vital.

Please help us to make our dreams for 2024 come true with a donation that the government has promised to match. And know that you’re keeping WA artists in the business of doing what they do best, in their home state, for the joy of all West Australians!

Christmas at The Quarry 15 – 17 December

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