With music and concept by Laura Kaminsky, libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed, the opera As One was given its premiere by American Opera Projects at the BAM Fisher Theater in September of 2014. The production featured a film by Kimberly Reed, and was universally praised for its honesty and originality.
A rich addition to the repertoire … formidable on all fronts … As One is everything that we hope for in contemporary opera: topical, poignant, daring, and beautifully written.” – New York Classical Review
“Artistically distinguished, socially important … says so much with relatively modest means.” – WQXR
As One, … satisfies in an entertaining and delicately moving way.” – New York Observer
A piece that haunts and challenges its audience with questions about identity, authenticity, compassion and the human desire for self-love and peace.” – Opera News
As One forces you to think, simultaneously challenging preconceptions and inspiring empathy…[with] winning humor and a satisfying emotional arc.” – The New York Times
World Premiere: American Opera Projects; Brooklyn Academy of Music, Sept. 2014
Caine College of the Arts, Utah State University, April 2015
West Edge Opera, Oakland Metro Opera House, July-August 2015
UrbanArias, Atlas Center for the Performing Arts, October 2015
International Opera Projects, Ballsaal Studio, Berlin Germany, July 2016
Seattle Opera, November 2016
Pittsburgh Opera, February 2017
Opera Colorado, March 2017
Long Beach Opera, May 2017
New Orleans Opera, June 2017
San Diego Opera, Nov. 2017
Chicago Fringe Opera, Nov. 2017
Des Moines Metro Opera, Nov. 2017
Lyric Opera of Kansas City, January 2018
Boston Opera Collaborative, January 2018
Hawaii Opera Theatre, January 2018
Anchorage Opera, February 2018
Skylark Opera Theater, March 2018
AEPEX Contemporary Performance, April 2018
Opera on the Avalon, May-June 2018
Cincinnati Opera, July 2018
Chautauqua Opera, August 2018
Peabody Opera, Nov. 2018
Alamo City Opera, Jan. 2019
Portland Opera, March 2019
Opera Idaho, May 2019
Eugene Opera, May 2019
Merkin Concert Hall/American Opera Projects/New York City Opera, May/June 2019
Opera Memphis, August 2019
Bay Chamber Concerts, August 2019
Boston University, October 2019
Alchemical Studios (NYC), November 2019
Opera Columbus, November 2019
Pensacola Opera, November 2019
EarSpace, Feb. 2020
Gertrude Opera (Australia), Feb. 2020
Shenandoah Conservatory, April 2020
University of South Carolina, April 2020
Teatro Espanol, Madrid, Sept.-Oct. 2020
Utomjordiska, October 2020
Orchestre Classique de Montreal, November 2020
Servicios Especializados en Distribucion Artistica, Madrid, March 2021
University of Kansas, April 2021
Opera Orlando, May 2021
Painted Sky Opera, May 2021
Opera Maine, July 2021
Lontano Trust, London Premiere, Sept. 2021
Sacramento State School of Music, Nov. 2021
Lowell Chamber Orchestra, Nov. 2021
Opera Santa Barbara, March 2022
Universidad de los Andes, March-April 2022
Atlanta Opera, June 2022
Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, July 2022
Satakunnan musiikkijuhlat (Finland), August 2022
Opera Steamboat (CO), September, 2022
Lyric Opera of the North (MN), October 2022
Boston Conservatory at Berklee, February 2023
Florida State Opera, May 2023
Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera, June 2023
Washburn University, October 2023
Theater Regensburg, December 2023-March 2024
Kentucky Opera, April 2024
NUOVA Vocal Arts, June 2024
HOPERA, November 2024
Piteaa Kammaropera, October 2025
Union Avenue Opera, October 2025
Staastoper Dresden, June 2026
Stadttheater Gießen, October 2026
Press
Denver Post, 2/25/2017
“As One” is the hottest title in opera right now, at least among the titles written in the last 100 years. The musical tale of a transgender woman’s personal evolution is somehow right on time–an accomplished bit of art-making, with considerable entertainment value, that thrusts itself smack into the current political and social discourse.
It’s in Denver this week week. Pittsburgh last. Seattle produced it in November and folks in New Orleans and Los Angeles get to hear it this spring. The chamber piece, which premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in late 2014, has a rare vitality in a business where new works–including the good ones–have to fight for even a second show.
Opera companies love it. One reason is that it’s relatively inexpensive to present: no chorus, orchestra or big sets. Composer Laura Kaminsky’s creation has just two singers, a string quartet and a couple of temporary screens that show films in the background.
But that’s why audiences seem to like it, too. It’s intimate. All the complaints so frequently lodged against the art form–that it can be distant, formal and out-of-touch, aren’t a factor for “As One.” Nor is length; it clocks in at just 75 minutes.
December 19, 2014 – Excellence in Opera (“Freddie”) Award Operavore
December 18, 2014 – Slate The Uses of “Trans” in Art
October 2, 2014 – GAY CITY NEWS Opera review: “New Starts”
September 11, 2014 – OUT MAGAZINE Opera review: “A Transgender Woman’s Operatic Path to Self-Acceptance”
September 10, 2014 – NY OBSERVER Opera review: “An Emotional Before-and-After Opera of Gender Transformation Premieres at BAM”
September 9, 2014 – Q ON STAGE Opera review: “Magnificent ‘As One'”
September 9, 2014 – THE FILM EXPERIENCE Opera review: “Stage Door: ‘As One’ by Kimberly Reed”
September 2014 – OPERA NEWS Opera review: “As One BROOKLYN American Opera Projects”
September 5, 2014 – THE NEW YORK TIMES Opera review: “The Arc of a Transgender Life”
September 5, 2014 – NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW Opera review: “Kaminsky’s transgender opera “As One” makes a poignant and remarkable premiere”
September 5, 2014 – WQXR: OPERAVORE Opera review: “Opera As One Explores Gender Change, Identity Struggles”
September 5, 2014 – PARTERRE.COM Opera review: “outskirts”
September 4, 2014 – WWFM: CADENZA Opera profile: “As One”
September 4, 2014 – HUFFINGTON POST Opera profile: “‘As One’ Opera Brings Husband And Wife Stars Together For Heartfelt Transgender Role”
September 3, 2014 – GAY CITY NEWS Opera profile: “The Voyage to Oneness”
September 2, 2014 – BK LIVE Opera profile: Video Interview: “As One”
September 2, 2014 – BROOKLYN DAILY Opera profile: “Husband and wife share role of transgender woman in new opera”
September 2014 – OPERA NEWS Composer/Opera profile: “Hearing Both Sides”
On This Muddy Water: Voices from the Houston Ship Channel
Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 p.m. Tudor Gallery, Julia Ideson Library
550 McKinney Street, Houston
HGOco presents the world premiere of On This Muddy Water: Voices from the Houston Ship Channel by D. J. Sparr and Janine Joseph—a 30-minute song cycle for voices and chamber ensemble commissioned to celebrate the Ship Channel’s centennial. Sparr and Joseph combed through hours of oral histories collected by the Houston Arts Alliance to create this compelling portrait of the men and women at the heart of one of Houston’s most vibrant centers of industry.
Wexford Festival Opera will present the European premiere of Kevin Puts’ and Mark Campbell’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night, about the spontaneous Christmas truce between enemy combatants during the First World War. More details online at http://www.wexfordopera.com
Jake Heggie/Gene Scheer’sMOBY-DICK will be broadcast nationally onPBS Great Performances. This is San Francisco Opera‘s production from last year, with a cast featuring Jay Hunter Morris (Ahab), Stephen Costello (Greenhorn/Ishmael), Morgan Smith (Starbuck), Jonathan Lemalu (Queequeg), Talise Trevigne (Pip), Robert Orth (Stubb), Matthew O’Neill (Flask), and Joo Won Kang (Gardiner); conducted by Patrick Summers and directed by Leonard Foglia in the Robert Brill production with projections by Elaine McCarthy. The opera was commissioned by The Dallas Opera with San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, State Opera of South Australia, and Calgary Opera.
On this world premiere recording, Grammy-winning tenor Jay Hunter Morris plays the role of Captain Ahab in Herman Meville’s epic tale of a fierce, obsessive whaling-boat captain who descends into madness and puts his crew in mortal danger is brought to the stage in this thrilling production from San Francisco Opera. Composer Jake Heggie is in his ‘finest creation since Dead Man Walking,’ and librettist Gene Scheer adaptation is ‘a vibrant, compelling piece of musical theater’ (San Francisco Chronicle).
In two premiere performances, composer D.J. Sparr and librettists Mark Campbell and Davis Miller‘s hour-long opera tells the story of a reporter’s transformative meeting with the boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Approaching Ali features Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Soloman Howard (Joe in Show Boat) as Muhammad Ali, David Kravitz as Davis Miller, Aundi Marie Moore as Odessa Clay, and Ethan McKelvain as Young Davis. The opera will be performed with a chamber orchestra conducted by Steven Jarvi, and receive a complete staging by director Nicole Watson and a design team with mentorship provided by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello.
“’Approaching Ali’…features an imaginative score by Baltimore School for the Arts alum D.J. Sparr. His harmonic style is nicely spicy, but fundamentally tonal, and he reveals a good sense of propulsion; like Ali in his prime, the score is nimble on its feet.” –Baltimore Sun
“…Sparr knows how to send a vocal line soaring vividly, and how to extract a great deal of color from a 10-member orchestra…” –Baltimore Sun
“…”Approaching Ali” makes a worthy calling card for the American Opera Initiative. It also demonstrates Sparr’s considerable potential; his first attempt in this tricky genre lands some very solid punches.” –Baltimore Sun
“Creating a modern opera work without alienating audiences seems to be no small feat.” –Maryland Theater Guide
“The audience obviously wanted more after the world premiere of Washington National Opera’s Approaching Ali. The 50 minute work… received a standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd whom over ninety percent actually stayed for a 15 minute Q&A, an awesome feat for any Modern Opera production…The show is a contemporary human story set to a 21st century score, and polished with an accessible finish.” –Maryland Theater Guide
“Some of the most alluring music was written for the character of Odessa Clay, Mr. Ali’s mother, beautifully enacted by Aundi Marie Moore. She spun out the bluesy humming with a honeyed tone, one of several Americana elements of the score.” –The New York Times
“In a genre dominated by four-hour behemoths, it’s pleasantly rare to feel that a work is too short, with the somewhat abrupt conclusion here leaving you wanting more.” – The New York Times
“… Miller’s well-respected book—reduced to a simple yet surprisingly deep libretto by everyone’s favorite American librettist, the skillful Mark Campbell and set to music by D. J. Sparr, a composer we had previously not encountered—has been transformed into a compact, intensely emotional work of musical theater that explores the tragedies and triumphs of the human inscape in unexpected and at times powerful ways.” –Washington Times
“Some of the best vocal writing, however, fell to Domingo-Cafritz alumna Aundi Marie Moore … who had a coffee-rich tone as Odessa, full of maternal savvy and bluesy vernacular touches.” –Washington Post
The opera is a retelling of Philip Pullman’ s fabulous and colourful story featuring the spirited young girl who risks everything to follow her true path in life. Like Pullman’s work, I like to think it’s “suitable for young and old.”
The libretto is by Glyn Maxwell (whose book On Poetry is really worth checking out.) Director John Fulljames and designer Dick Bird take the helm, along with shadow-puppeteers Indefinite Articles; and in the pit, two old favourites – Chroma in the UK and Metropolis Ensemble in New York. A great cast of Mary Bevan, Jamie Laing, Andrew Slater, Amar Muchhala and Wyn Pencarreg make this a show not to miss.
Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s grand opera Moby-Dick was a stunning success in the world premiere production by the Dallas Opera in 2010. Robert K. Wallace attended the final performance of the Dallas production and has written this book so readers can experience the process by which this contemporary masterpiece was created and performed on stage. Interviews with the creative team and draft revisions of the libretto and score show the opera in the process of being born. Interviews with the principal singers and the production staff follow the five-week rehearsal period into the world premiere production, each step of the way illustrated by more than two hundred color photographs by Karen Almond.
Opera fans, lovers of Moby-Dick, and students of American and global culture will welcome this book as a highly readable and visually enthralling account of the creation of a remarkable new opera that does full justice to its celebrated literary source. Just as Heggie and Scheer’s opera is enjoyed by operagoers with no direct knowledge of Moby-Dick, so will this book be enjoyed by opera fans unaware of Melville and by Melville fans unaware of opera.
Composer D.J. Sparr and librettist Davis Miller will premiere The Tao of Muhammad Ali (A Ghost Story) in June 2013 in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. This original hour-long opera tells the story of a reporter’s transformative meeting with the boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
The Tao of Muhammad Ali (A Ghost Story) will be performed with a chamber orchestra and receive a complete staging by a young director and design team (with mentorship provided by WNO Artistic Advisor Francesca Zambello). Open workshops at the Kennedy Center will be held throughout its development cycle.
Complete casting, creative team, and ticketing information for the June 2013 performance will be announced at a later date.
A key element of the American Opera Initiative is connecting the young composers and librettists to professional mentors who have successfully brought new American operas to the stage. Each of the inaugural mentors—composer Jake Heggie, librettist Mark Campbell, and conductor Anne Manson—as well as advisor Robert Wood will work with the artists selected for both the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.
Jake Heggie/Gene Scheer’s MOBY-DICK will be broadcast nationally on 
The Tao of Muhammad Ali (A Ghost Story) will be performed with a chamber orchestra and receive a complete staging by a young director and design team (with mentorship provided by WNO Artistic Advisor Francesca Zambello). Open workshops at the Kennedy Center will be held throughout its development cycle.