A ruling success or a royal letdown?

The Little Prince musical had opened its doors the evening of March 9. But has all the hard work paid off?

Well, the turnout on opening night wasn’t the greatest, as there were quite a few empty seats, and the seats that were taken were mostly friends and family members of the musical cast, but don’t let that reflect on the performance itself.

The show did start off a bit slow and quiet. However, it picked itself up shortly after thanks to a great singing performance by Yuba College’s very own Brian Baggett. Baggett’s vocal prowess enveloped the theater with its deep, clear tones. He made sure you heard his lines, especially for those sitting at the back of the theater. There was a good balance in his voice. It felt natural to hear him on stage, like he’d been performing for years.

Of course, not all of the audio that night were exactly clear. There were a few spots–and very few mind you–where the music overpowered the person speaking. That made it difficult to understand what was being said. There was also one time where the fox character, portrayed by Jessika Spencer, did get ‘jump-from-your-seat’ loud. Nothing uncomfortable, but quite unexpected.

The lighting during the show did leave a little to be desired. Some areas were just too dark, while other spots had too much lighting when it felt unnecessary. And there were some noticeable issues with the white overlay above the stage that was used to emulate the Aviator’s drawing through projections. The timing was off during some spots and we ended up receiving a projection when we didn’t need to. But, you can’t ask for perfection, especially not for opening night. However, it did distract viewers from other things that may have had more importance.

When the show was over, you could feel that sense of gratitude that the performance was made for the audience. Not only could you see the hard work put into the musical, but you even felt it in the atmosphere. The inclusion of children on the stage also gave the crowd that “aww” sound byte. There were also quite a number of moments where the audience laughed out loud, and gave rounds of applause when appropriate. And the performers made great use of the entire theater, including the seating area.

So why aren’t more students attending Yuba College’s own theatrical performance? Is there just not enough interest from the community? Was there not enough advertisement from the theater staff? Really, you’re missing out on something fantastic here. I can say, at the very least, that this musical is made for all ages. It may definitely be a story for children, but adults can still find it very entertaining, and possibly even eye-opening. So what are you waiting for, a free invitation? Don’t be silly. Go out and watch it now. You owe yourself that much.