Works & Process is bringing Minnesota Opera’s The Many Deaths of Laila Starr to New York as part of a special presentation highlighting the creative journey behind the new opera. The event is scheduled for October 12, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Peter B. Lewis Theater on Fifth Avenue, with tickets starting at $15.
The production transforms the acclaimed BOOM! Studios graphic novel by Ram V. and Filipe Andrade into an operatic work created by composer Kamala Sankaram and librettist Minita Gandhi. Developed through Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative, the production blends mythology, fantasy and contemporary music to explore questions surrounding mortality, purpose and what it means to be human.
The story follows the goddess of Death after she is banished to Earth and forced to experience life as a mortal named Laila Starr. Through this unusual transformation, the work examines the relationship between the divine and human worlds while using magical realism to explore the impermanence of life.
The New York presentation will take audiences behind the scenes of the production ahead of its world premiere in Saint Paul. Sankaram, Gandhi and Ram V. will join members of the creative team for a conversation about how the opera developed from the original graphic novel. Director Mary Birnbaum, scenic designer Mimi Lien, costume designer Oana Botez and choreographer Rohit Gijare are also scheduled to participate.
Cast members will perform excerpts during the discussion, giving audiences an early look at the work. The production incorporates musical traditions and contemporary sounds, including Konnakol, Raga and electronic dance music, creating a distinctive soundscape for the story.
The opera is the second full-scale work to emerge from the current cohort of Minnesota Opera’s New Works Initiative. The program, launched in 2008, was created to bring new voices and contemporary stories into opera. It has supported nine premieres, including Silent Night, The Shining, Doubt, Edward Tulane and The Song Poet.
The current six-member creative group includes composers Kamala Sankaram, David Hanlon and B.E. Boykin, along with librettists Minita Gandhi, John de los Santos and Harrison David Rivers. Boykin and Rivers’ My Name Is Florence premiered in January 2026.
Works & Process supports performing artists through funded residencies and public programs that combine conversations, performances and audience engagement. The organization produces more than 25 creative residencies annually with partners across seven states, providing artists with resources to develop new work from the studio to the stage.
