The Little Prince and the Aviator (1982)

About this episode

This episode explores the tumultuous journey of the musical 'The Little Prince and the Aviator' and the challenges it faced before never officially opening on Broadway.

In the early 1980s, producer Joseph Tandet put the failure of the 1974 movie musical of The Little Prince behind him and set his sights on Broadway. He secured the rights and assembled an award-winning creative team—including Academy Award-winning composer John Barry and his lyricist Don Black as well as three-time Tony winner Hugh Wheeler. But what unfolded behind the scenes was anything but magical. From rewrites and cast changes to last-minute creative disagreements, The Little Prince and the Aviator was plagued by setbacks from the very beginning. The show never officially opened on Broadway, but it made it all the way to the theater, with sets built, actors rehearsed, and a score ready to be sung—until everything fell apart. In this episode, we explore the chaotic and fascinating path of a musical that almost was, using firsthand accounts from Tandet’s revealing memoir and a personal interview with Anthony Rapp, who was just 10 years old when he was cast in the title role. It’s a story of ambition, mismanagement, and the delicate balance between creative vision and theatrical reality—and why some shows never make it to opening night. --- Theme Music created by Blake Stadnik…

People in this episode

Host: Patrick Oliver Jones

Guest: Anthony Rapp

Topics covered

• Broadway history
• musical theater
• creative process
• theatrical setbacks
• behind the scenes

Keywords

• musical
• Broadway
• theater
• Joseph Tandet
• Anthony Rapp
• creative disagreements
• John Barry
• Hugh Wheeler
• Don Black

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Little Prince, The Little Prince and the Aviator

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