THE LITTLE PRINCE Comes to Quintessence Theatre This Weekend

The Little Prince is the simply illustrated and beloved Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novella (Le Petit Prince) that was translated from French into hundreds of languages, and was adapted to film, a radio broadcast, opera, ballet, a graphic novel, and even a dedicated Little Prince Museum in Japan. This holiday season Quintessence is presenting The Little Prince - The Musical with Book and Lyrics by John Scoullar and Music by Rick Cummins.  

The Little Prince is the tale of an aviator who crash lands in the desert and is greeted by a young Prince who sweetly requests that the aviator “draw him a sheep.” As they search for water, and the aviator tries to repair his plane, the Prince shares stories of his own tiny planet inhabited by his best friend - a beautiful rose - and tiny volcanoes that he cares for. Their intergalactic journey takes them to six other planets where the Prince shares his innocent observations on the confusing behavior of adults, love, friendship and loss.  He shares his secret discovery: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. 

“During the holiday season receiving the perfect gift often decides a person’s happiness, and despite the parties and family gatherings many feel more alone than ever," said Artistic Director, Alex Burns. “A favorite book of young people around the world, Quintessence brings Saint-Exupéry’s intergalactic adventure to our stage to celebrate what is essential in our universe, the complexity of companionship, and the ephemeral nature of all things. A musical journey for all ages, we look forward to making you and your family fall in love with The Little Prince all over again.”

The Little Prince, The Musical runs December 2-December 31. Pay-What-You-Can is Saturday, December 2 at 11 a.m. Opening Night is Friday December 8 at 7 p.m. All performances are at the Sedgwick Theater located at 7137 Germantown Avenue in Mt. Airy. Public and street parking is available.

Adult General Admission tickets start at $30. Season Subscriptions are on sale now and discounts are available for groups, seniors, students and educators, active military, youth and industry. Reserved Premium seating is also available for $10 per ticket. For tickets visit the 24-hour online Box Office at www.qtgrep.org or call Mon-Fri, noon-5pm at 215-987-4450, ext. 1. Additional information is available online at www.qtgrep.org, or by emailing boxoffice@qtgrep.org.

The cast is filled with performers recognizable to Quintessence audiences, and newcomers. Recent Fringie winner for her one-woman show Koal, Jacinta Yelland (The Skin of our Teeth, The Little Princess, One Man, Two Guvnors) returns to play the Boy. Wilma Hothouse member Jered McLenigan* (Mary Poppins, The Tempest and others) returns to play the Aviator. Making their Quintessence debut are Meagan Kimberly Smith as The Rose, Matthew Wautier-Rodriguez as The Fox, and Colleen Welsh as the Men on the Planets.

Kyle Metzger makes his Quintessence debut as the director of The Little Prince. Megan Jones (Quintessence’s Awake and Sing!) is the Set Designer. Paul Dake is the Stage Manager. Lily Fossner is the Lighting Designer. Anna Sorrentino (Quintessence’s Camille and Written by Phillis)  is the Costume Designer. Projections will be created by Chris Carcione. 

“The Little Prince is a celebration of the imagination, and asks the audience to see the world through the eyes of a child. Well actually, an alien,” said Metzger. “In this intimate, magical production, you will learn to see only with the heart. ‘Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.’ For many of us, today's world can be scary and confusing. More than ever, we need the ability to imagine how things could be, and see the great capacity for love in each other and ourselves. This gorgeous musical is bursting with delightful songs, playful animation and your favorite Philly actors bringing these beloved characters to life. Join us this holiday season as we traverse the whimsical worlds of The Little Prince.”

Founded in 2009, the award-winning Quintessence Theatre Group is dedicated to bringing epic works of classic drama and literature to the Contemporary Stage. 

As Philadelphia’s text-based, actor-focused repertory theatre, Quintessence re-envisions the classics to inspire our community to consider what is essential in theatre and in human nature. 

Now in its 14th season at the Sedgwick Theater in Philadelphia’s Northwest neighborhood of Mt. Airy, Quintessence is led by Artistic Director, Alex Burns and Executive Director, Grace Grillet.  

*denotes a member of Actors’ Equity Association. 

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