Nicholas Lloyd Webber and James D. Reid have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £200,000 for a special star-packed recording of their acclaimed musical The Little Prince.
Aimed at providing work for over 70 people from across the arts including musicians, artists and technicians, the project will result in the production of the first album featuring the music from the show which received its world premiere at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre in 2011.
A number of stage and screen stars are supporting the project with Richard E. Grant (soon to be seen in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie the movie, Gosford Park), Kevin McKidd (Grey’s Anatomy, Trainspotting), Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies, Les Misérables), Tracie Bennett (Hairspray, Follies), Amara Okereke (Les Misérables, The Boyfriend) and Lorna Want (Evita, Parade) all taking on principal roles.
Launching the crowdfunding appeal for the project, Lloyd Webber and Reid said: “The Little Prince has been a source of comfort and joy, for generations of readers, since its publication in 1943. Its core message: ‘all that is essential is invisible to the eye’ alludes to the intangible entities of hope and love; being all that’s required for a happy life.
“Music, the most ethereal and intangible of all the arts, is the apposite form within which to tell this enigmatic and fantastical story. As we all endure this strange, cruel year – hope and love are needed more than ever. By creating a record version of Saint-Exupéry’s classic tale, we hope to provide them both – to listeners, and to the many artists this project hopes to employ.”
The organisers hope to appeal to theatre-lovers by offering a range of awards to those who donate to the fund. The full list of awards can be found HERE.
One of the bestselling books of all time, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) was written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Published in 1943, the story has enchanted generations and has captured the imagination of practitioners in all areas of the arts from film to dance and opera. In 2010, Lloyd Webber and Reid were granted permission, by the estate of the author, to create a musical adaptation.
Subject to professional commitments, the cast for the album will include: John Addison, Alison Arnopp, Tracie Bennett, Sierra Boggess, David Durham, James Gant, Richard E. Grant, Emma Harris, Oliver Lidert, Emma Lindars, Kevin McKidd, Janet Mooney, Amara Okereke, Michael Pickering, Sarah Ryan, Lorna Want and T’Shan Williams.
Led by Jonathan Hill, the orchestra will feature: Jeremy Isaac, Laura Melhuish, Richard George, Rob Yeomans, Marianne Haynes, Kate Robinson, Cathy Thompson, David Larkin, Nicole Wilson, Jackie Hartley, Henry Salmon, Emma Fry, Rebecca Fagerston on violin and Polly Wiltshire, Reaid Chibah, Nick Barr, Rachel Robson and Sarah Chapman on viola.
Adrian Bradbury, Bozida Vukotic, Bryony James, Harriet Wiltshire will be on cello with Andy Marshall, Rory Dempsey on double bass, John Ryan, Paul Gardham on horns and Andy Crowley, Pablo Mendelssohn on trumpet.
Tim Smart will be on trombone with Sam Freeman on bass trombone/tuba, Sam Freeman, Lauren Weavers and Huw Clement Evans (oboes), Max Welford and Howard McGill (clarinets/alto sax), Alice Lee (bassoon), Sarah Manship and Jennah Smart (flutes), Louise Hunt (piano) and Mark Bousie (keyboards).
Julian Poole, Matt Whittington, Jess Wood will be on percussion with Guy Richman on drums, Sam Edgington on bass guitar, Adam Goldsmith on guitar and Skaila Kanga on harp.
Angela Thomas
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