'In a town where a lot of poor people suffer, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter meets the statue of the late "Happy Prince", who in reality has never experienced true happiness. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the Happy Prince asks the swallow to take the ruby from his hilt, the sapphires from his eyes, and the golden leaf covering his body to give to the poor. As the winter comes and the Happy Prince is stripped of all of his beauty, his lead heart breaks when the swallow dies as a result of his selfless deeds and severe cold. The statue is then torn down and melted leaving behind the broken heart and the dead swallow. These are taken up to heaven by an angel that has deemed them the two most precious things in the city. This is affirmed by God and they live forever in his city of gold and garden of paradise' (Wikipedia).
Adapted by Simon Chan from a version by Edward Golden, The Happy Prince tells the story of a statue of a prince that gives its precious gems to a swallow to distibute to the poor. The swallow, which has been left behind when its flock migrates south for the winter, eventually dies of cold and exhaustion. DEprived of its beauty the statue is torn down and melted, leaving behind only its broken heart and the dead swallow. These are taken up to heaven by an angel that has deemed them the two most precious things in the city. This is affirmed by God and the pair live forever a garden paradise.
Songs written for the piece are 'Open Your Heart' 'The Happy Prince,' 'The Passionflower Waltz,' 'Guiding Star,' and 'For Always.'
