
The Little Prince (1974)
From Closing Night by Patrick Oliver Jones
April 15, 2025 · 44 min · Season 2 · Episode 6
About this episode
This episode explores the stage and screen adaptations of 'The Little Prince', focusing on the 1974 movie musical and the 1982 Broadway musical.
The Little Prince has been enchanting readers of all ages since 1943, when French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry first introduced the boy from a distant planet. Inspired by his own life and a desert crash landing, this poetic tale has become one of the most translated and best-selling books in the world. In this episode, we begin a two-part look at The Little Prince on stage and screen—both versions produced by Joseph Tandet. There’s the ambitious 1982 Broadway-bound musical starring Michael York and a young Anthony Rapp, which never made it past previews. And before that, the 1974 movie musical directed by Stanley Donen and featuring Lerner and Loewe’s final collaboration—complete with Bob Fosse, Gene Wilder, and a surprisingly rocky production history. Theme Music created by Blake Stadnik. Click here for a transcript and list of all resources used. Produced by Patrick Oliver Jones and WINMI Media with Dan Delgado as co-producer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Patrick Oliver Jones
Topics covered
- The Little Prince
- musical adaptations
- theater history
- film history
- literary analysis
Keywords
- The Little Prince
- musical
- Stanley Donen
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- theater
- film
- adaptation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: WINMI Media, Blake Stadnik
Books & works: The Little Prince, The Little Prince (1974), The Little Prince (1982)
More episodes of Closing Night
- BONUS: Tony Winners at the Beck Theatre · June 5, 2026 · 37 min
- Orpheus Descending (1957) · May 29, 2026 · 39 min
- The Martin Beck Theatre (1924-2003) · April 30, 2026 · 58 min
- Martin Beck (1868-1940) · April 30, 2026 · 47 min
- Get Ready for Season 3 at the Martin Beck Theatre · March 23, 2026 · 4 min
- Face Value · September 30, 2025 · 26 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Closing Night podcast page.