The Dallas Opera is handing the keys to its mainstage to a pint-sized cosmic traveler in 2026, when Rachel Portman's full-length opera The Little Prince lands at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. The Dallas premiere of the much-loved adaptation is set for a mainstage run from Feb. 6 to Feb. 14, 2026, with evening shows and a Sunday matinee, reviving Francesca Zambello's well-known production and spotlighting a mix of seasoned performers and up-and-coming voices.
According to The Dallas Opera, performances are scheduled for Feb. 6, Feb. 8 (matinee), Feb. 11 and Feb. 14 at the Winspear Opera House. The company lists Everett Baumgarten and Ayden Yang alternating in the title role of the Little Prince, with Kyle Miller as the Pilot and Tessa Fackelmann as the Fox, joined by Ashley Townsley, Jacob Abrahamse, Keron Jackson, Diana Newman and Christopher A. Leach. The Dallas program clocks the production at about 1 hour and 40 minutes, including a single intermission.
As reported by OperaWire, composer Rachel Portman has described the piece as written "for all, not just for children," praising its blend of wisdom and what she calls an "exquisite sadness." OperaWire also notes that Paolo Bressan will conduct this mainstage outing and that Anna Maria Bruzzese will oversee the revival of Zambello's production.
Portman, an Academy Award–winning composer with an extensive catalog for film and stage, earned her Oscar for the score to Emma. Wikipedia records that The Little Prince premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 2003, with a libretto by Nicholas Wright, and has since traveled through a series of co‑productions and revivals across the United States. That track record lines up with Dallas's decision to program the work in a season pitched to both families and longtime opera regulars.
Cast and creative team
The Dallas Opera credits Paolo Bressan as conductor, with Francesca Zambello as original director and Anna Maria Bruzzese as revival director. Maria Bjørnson is listed for the original sets and costumes, Rick Fisher for lighting design and David Zimmerman for wig and make‑up design. The production brings together the Dallas Opera Orchestra and the Greater Dallas Choral Society, with the creative team aiming to preserve the staging's storybook visual flair while adapting it to the scale and sightlines of the Winspear stage.
Why it matters for Dallas
In a season announcement shared via PR Newswire, the company bills this as its first presentation of an opera by a female composer, marking a milestone in its 2025–26 lineup. The Little Prince is one of several new‑to‑Dallas productions in a season framed around expanding both the repertoire and the audience base. The same announcement outlines related family and education initiatives built around the opera, part of an effort to bring younger listeners into the house without leaving core subscribers behind.
Tickets and where to go
Single tickets are being sold through the Dallas Opera box office and its ticketing partners. All performances take place at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center, located at 2403 Flora Street in Dallas, which offers on‑site parking and nearby transit options. For details on the venue, access and directions, audiences can consult the Winspear venue information provided by the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
