Two Fridays ago, we headed to the British School of Beijing (Sanlitun Campus) for an exclusive look at Beijing Playhouse Academy of Performing Arts’ performance of “A Little Prince.” The cast, ages 6-14, shine in the heart warming interpretation of the popular play, all the while interjecting enough adult-friendly humor to entertain the grown-ups.
In Summary
The story of A Little Prince begins on Earth. We are first introduced to a character called the Pilot, a little girl who loves to draw, but the adults tell her to study something else. When her plane crashes in an African desert, she meets the Little Prince, his sister the Little Princess, and the pair’s cat and dog. They explain they come from a planet with only one flower and that they must return home to protect it. The five embark on a journey to several planets made up of different and rather accurate populations of adults.
A couple of the planets include the “Arrogant Peoples’ Planet” where the group meets a king and queen obsessed with being rich and admired, and the “Business Man Planet, where businessmen spend all their times counting and recounting stars. The final lesson from the course of their travels is, “What is important is invisible to the eye; it is with the heart that we can really see.”
Our Favorite Moments
During one planetary exploration, the travelers come across a few “ flowers” who are drinking out of large green beer bottles props. When asked why they’re drinking, their response is priceless. “We’re drinking to forget we’re ashamed of drinking!”
The kids perform YouTube hit, “What does the Fox Say,” which, of course, is led by a fox.
Several times during the play, the kids are at loss of understanding the adults on each planet. They simply say “The adults are special,” to which everyone responds in unison, “Really special!”
To get involved in Beijing Playhouse’s next summer camp or to catch the next performance of “A Little Prince,” see contact information below.
Email broadway@beijingplayhouse.com
Photos Courtesy of Beijing Playhouse
