The Happy Prince
The Happy Prince is an allegorical children's opera by Malcolm Williamson, based on the story of the same name by Oscar Wilde. This family-friendly opera teaches the importance of charity and sacrifice and loving our fellow human beings.
Produced and performed by the Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus.
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Production Team
Conductor - Dianna Hochella
Director - Michael Yashinsky
Pianist - Joseph Jackson
Second Pianist - John Pavik
Set Design - Monika Essen
Costume Design - Suzanne Hanna
Lighting Design - Bobby Tacoma
Hair and Makeup Design - Elizabeth Geck
Stage Manager - Nan Luchini
Supertitles - Dee Dorsey
Cast
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In order of vocal appearance The Mayor: Miles Eichenhorn The Swallow: Aurora Haziri The Prince: Antonio Cipriano The Seamstress’ Son: Isabel Rocha The Seamstress: Anya Chudov A Rich Girl: Cassia Burley The Author: Ameerah Shakoor The Matchgirl: Christina Wallag Parentheses denote understudies. |
Citizens |
Children |
Angels |
Synopsis
In the public square of a battered city, children dream of a better world. For solace, they look to the statue of the Happy Prince. The ruby on his sword- hilt, the sapphires in his eyes, and the gold leaf covering his form remind them of an angel. One night while migrating south for winter, a carefree Swallow rests at the statue’s feet. The Prince speaks to the Swallow, revealing that when alive, he lived a life of pleasure secluded in a great mansion, and was deemed happy. But pleasure is not happiness, and now that he has been placed above the city and can see all of its desperation, his name has become truly unfitting. He begs the Swallow to carry out a single errand: plucking out his ruby and bringing it to a feverish boy whose mother cannot afford nourishing food. This the bird does, and returns. The Prince asks the Swallow to help him with but one more sacrifice: removing one of his sapphire-eyes, and delivering it to a starving author who, numb with cold, cannot finish his play. This, too, the Swallow does, and though the weather grows ever icier, returns to the Prince. The statue now begs the bird to extract his other eye and take it to a penniless matchgirl whose wares have fallen into the street. Though hating to do the Prince harm, the Swallow does as told, and flies the sapphire to the grateful girl.
The Prince is now blind, and encourages his friend the Swallow finally to fly south. But the Swallow, near frozen in body but warmed of heart, promises never to leave the Prince. And so the Prince asks the Swallow to do him, and the people, one more kindness --pecking out all of his gold leaf, and distributing it among the suffering populace. The Swallow does so, and now, having stayed too long in the wintry metropolis, dies. The Prince’s heart breaks. The Mayor orders the bird and dulled statue incinerated, for that which “is no longer beautiful...is no longer useful.” The people watch, stunned, as the bird and the heart of the statue, though consumed in flame, do not burn. A band of angels descends and declares the dead Swallow and the leaden heart of the Prince the two most precious things in the city.
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