Moral integrity and childish exuberance are the underlying messages of Ithaca College’s production of the two-act opera “The Little Prince,” directed by David Lefkowich and based on the French novella of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

The opera’s message can be summed up in a single French phrase: “L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux” (What is essential is invisible to the eye). Poignant, profound and true, the idiom encapsulates the idea of the show and the truth behind the production. The show’s strength doesn’t lie in its so-so attempt at spectacle and visual wow-factor, but in the timeless message it tries to convey.

“The Little Prince,” is, in a way, the French equivalent of Dr. Seuss books. It takes fairly adult themes of unrequited love, failure, existentialism and the pursuit of joy and molds them into an accessible children’s tale.

The story takes the audience through the journeys of the Little Prince (senior Cristina Faicco), a young boy who rules a small asteroid, and a stranded pilot (senior Thomas Lehman). The Pilot acts as the narrator of the Prince’s travels to different planets. On his way through the universe, the Prince meets adults who represent stereotypes of parents and supposedly wiser people — the busy adult, the pompous adult, the drunk adult and the conceited adult, to name a few.

Senior Keeley Dorwart’s constantly changing set and associate theater chair Steve TenEyck’s lighting design appropriately accompany each adult’s domain. The pompous king’s lair, for example, is decorated with long drapery hanging from the ceiling of the stage and a majestic throne covered in plush fabrics, lit by regal colors of purple, red and blue. Dorwart’s set lends itself to spectacular visual moments, though contained within short vignettes.

The singers in the production form a tight ensemble under the meticulous musical direction of assistant music professor Brian DeMaris backed by the wonderful Ithaca Children’s Choir, which is directed by Janet Galván, professor of music education.

Lehman commands the stage as the narrator. His mature lyrical baritone voice fills Hoerner Theatre with ease. His rich timbre is juxtaposed by Faicco’s coy and gentle soprano tone, which is a bit harder to hear from the seats in the back of the theater but is supported by the supertitles projecting all the lyrics above the stage. While her vocal strength lacks carrying force, her emotive facial expressions and childish demeanor make up for it as she portrays the mysterious, shy Little Prince.

Jennifer Caprio ’99 was inspired by the original black-and-white drawings of Saint-Exupéry’s characters when creating a colorful assortment of costumes for the opera. From the Fox’s brown high heels and playful fur adorning her ankles to the towering branches of the baobab trees made from flowing green fabric, Caprio’s costumes help shape a realistic portrait of the children’s book.

The opera’s overall look resembles last semester’s production of “Children of Eden” — as the ensemble wears similar single-toned shirts and pants — and its message is comparable to the adult approach to childhood themes seen in the recent movie version of “Where the Wild Things Are.”

However, it has heart-wrenching moments of realization, like when the Prince grapples with the thought that his planet may not be as special as he thinks. In the same vein, it teaches lessons of appreciating love and life.

“The Little Prince” targets a demographic that is nostalgic of the wonders of innocence. It takes a decent shot at recreating the pages of a book that opened people’s minds up to new ideas and old notions.

“The Little Prince” will be performed at 8 p.m. today and Saturday at the Hoerner Theatre.