Daniel Karash might be considered a young Renaissance man. The 12-year-old Katy youngster who attends McMeans Junior High has many diverse interests, including playing piano, drums, and ukulele; retro video games; and sports such as golf, pickle ball, and table tennis. He loves drawing and solving the Rubik’s cube. But his true passion is singing and acting.
It’s not every pre-teen who has the lead role in an upcoming opera at the prestigious Opera in the Heights. Daniel will portray the prince in The Little Prince, set for Dec. 6, 8, 14 and 15 at Lambert Hall in The Heights. This is the first time for Opera in the Heights to present this work by Academy-Award winning composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright. It is based on the beloved 1943 novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and was first debuted at Houston Grand Opera in 2003.
Daniel will alternate the role of the Little Prince with another pre-teen, Everett Baumgarten, who lives in the Oak Forest area of Houston. Daniel performs Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 2 p.m., while Everett will sing on Dec. 8 and Dec. 15, both at 2 p.m.
The Karash family has artistic leanings. Brother Michael Karash, age 17, is a senior at Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and has also been singing and acting for most of his life. Michael played Amahl in Amahl and The Night Visitors at Opera in the Heights in 2019 and is currently a member of the renowned HGO Bauer Family High School Voice Studio.
Father Ilya Karash is an amateur musician and grew up playing the violin and piano. His musical background helped the boys become comfortable with music and music theory as they grew up. He and wife Inna realized it was important to start the boys on piano lessons early. Inna, Daniel’s mother, was a professional figure skater, performed with the Russian Ballet on Ice and is a skilled choreographer. Both parents are accomplished dancers, including tango.
Daniel began private voice lessons with instructor Monica Isomura at the age of 7. His first professional opera experience was in 2021 when he was cast as Kurt in the Houston Grand Opera concert My Favorite Things: Songs from The Sound of Music. He has since appeared in other HGO operas, including Puccini’s Turandot and Massenet’s Werther, and will be part of its production of Puccini’s La Boheme early next year. Daniel also performed as Willie Maurrant in the Rice Shepherd School Opera production of Street Scene.
Additionally, Daniel starred in two shows with Theatre Under The Stars – he played Michael Banks in Mary Poppins in 2022 and Les in Newsies earlier this year. In 2023, Daniel toured in Asia for eight months with the Broadway International Tour of The Sound of Music, where he played Friedrich Von Trapp, appearing in over 100 shows in the Philippines, India, and Macao. During that time, a tutor assisted Daniel and the other young cast members with their studies, including online instruction.
“I’m honored to be chosen to sing the role of the Little Prince in this opera,” says Daniel. “To be able to work with Opera in the Heights is so exciting for me. I truly appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given.”
Daniel believes his previous professional experience and the training that he’s received prepared him for this role. “Of course, I couldn’t do it without the amazing cast and creative team of this production, all of whom shine bright in this opera. Eiki Isomura is such a gifted conductor, and our director Josh Shaw gets the best performances from the cast members. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Ilya Karash notes that it takes hard work and dedication, both by the kids and the parents, to be successful in opera and musical theater. “It’s a delicate balance between letting kids drive their own interests and providing the right level of encouragement and help along the way,” he says. “Starting early with voice and acting lessons and learning to play an instrument, especially the piano to understand music theory, is important. While there will be setbacks along the way in this industry, we want to help Daniel and Michael achieve their goals.”
In The Little Prince, a young boy travels from planet to planet, meeting numerous eccentric characters, who teach him life lessons about human nature. When he travels to Earth, he forms a deep bond with a stranded pilot, sharing stories of his adventures and his wish to be reunited with his beloved rose.
Daniel read The Little Prince and says it’s a bit different from the opera but has some similarities. “I especially loved how the Prince met all the different characters and creatures, and how their positive characteristics and flaws contributed to the morals and lessons that the Prince learned along the way,” he says.
“The opera has a unique ability to appeal to both adults and children,” says Eiki Isomura, Artistic and Interim General Director for Opera in the Heights. “Very much in the spirit of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, or perhaps even films by Pixar, this is a piece that can immediately capture the imagination of a child, while sinking into the hearts of adult audiences in a deeper way. The music is wonderful.”
“We are incredibly blessed in Houston to have such a powerful musical community with gifted singers and musicians starting at a young age,” he continues. “To find two pre-teens with the poise and talent levels of Daniel and Everett has made all the difference with this production, which boasts a stellar cast. I hope parents will look at this as an opportunity to introduce their children and teens to opera in an inviting and accessible experience at Lambert Hall.”
Details about The Little Prince by Opera in the Heights
WHEN:
Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Lambert Hall, 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008
MORE: The performances will be sung in English with English surtitles projected on monitors on the sides of the stage.
TICKETS: Tickets can be purchased online with prices from $35 – $85. Purchase now to get the best seats. Go to www.operaintheheights.org/2024-2025-the-little-prince to reserve your tickets.