Washington National Opera rehearses 'The Little Prince' for Kennedy Center school performance

The Washington National Opera presented a rehearsal of The Little Prince on the Kennedy Center stage as a school performance at the Foggy Bottom campus in Washington, D.C. The event, listed through the Kennedy Center’s programming, was framed as a student-oriented performance and rehearsal of the adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story. The presentation is part of the Kennedy Center's regular lineup of educational and family programming that brings staged musical work to local school groups.

The rehearsal-format performance by WNO is intended for school audiences and emphasizes a condensed, accessible production suited to classrooms and younger viewers. The Kennedy Center hosts a range of such school performances across disciplines, drawing on resident companies like the Washington National Opera to create programs that fit daytime schedules and curricular goals. The Little Prince, a familiar title in children’s literature, has been adapted by multiple opera companies to introduce young listeners to theatrical music and stagecraft.

Washington National Opera is the resident opera company

Washington National Opera is the resident opera company at the Kennedy Center; its outreach and education efforts frequently include student performances, workshops, and in-school initiatives that aim to expand arts access in the District and the wider metropolitan region. The Kennedy Center’s location on the Foggy Bottom waterfront puts these school programs within reach of many District public and private schools, making the venue a regular destination for class trips to live performing arts.

School performances typically pair shorter run times with pre- or post-show discussions, student guides, or teacher resources to help classroom teachers connect the performance to learning objectives. While the Kennedy Center lists the WNO rehearsal as a school performance, the event also serves as an introduction to opera production for family audiences and community groups who attend daytime performances.

Local cultural leaders and educators note that bringing professional companies into school programming helps maintain pipelines for arts education and can raise awareness of performing-arts careers and opportunities within the city. For Washington, D.C., home to major national cultural institutions, such events reinforce the city’s role as an arts-education hub.

Watch for the Kennedy Center’s public schedule and Watch for the Kennedy Center’s public schedule and Washington National Opera education calendar for additional school performances, community matinees, and related workshops that expand access to staged opera for District students. According to the Kennedy Center event listing via Google News (https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi2wFBVV95cUxQaDlYUlB3cG5mTWhEUWZSN3ZGSU00NG5QUDhpcFBpR1JRZjY3My1xVm0tVkRyd1FXcnpzMWw4a29NZS11NjNPR2hyOV9UQm0wbXd0aXltc2ZNbG8zd0Nxakt4Vng4UGVEZ1REOEhqRDBfVXJ3YWl2MFRQYVVFN0ZCN3JQSzAwbXhSaVJWZEd2N19VSlh3bWNSZ0xSYkIwaHFXZWRLNXFkQVA2aGtYcUUxMUFSLWJ3ajlLTFVGLWV4ZkQ5RVVQQWFBWWZOaV9UeWtLcUE0dlpOU3N4QU0?oc=5).

The Kennedy Center and Washington National Opera are central to DC's cultural and arts-education ecosystem; school performances bring live opera to students, supporting arts access and curriculum connections for District schools.

• Producer: Washington National Opera, resident company at the Kennedy Center.

• Event: Rehearsal-format school performance of The Little Prince.

• Venue: The Kennedy Center, Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.

• Audience: School and student groups; daytime educational programming.

• Purpose: Arts-education outreach and introduction to opera for young audiences.

Check the Kennedy Center and WNO education calendars for upcoming school performances, student matinees, and teacher resources tied to The Little Prince and other family programming.