The Eisner-nominated comic trailblazes a new frontier for comic book adaptations
In the first-ever deal to create an operatic adaptation of a comic book or graphic novel, The Minnesota Opera, in collaboration with BOOM Studios, announced today the development of an operatic adaptation of The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, based on the acclaimed BOOM! Studios comic by writer Ram V, artist Filipe Andrade, colorist Inês Amaro, and letterer Andworld Design.
As part of the Minnesota Opera company’s New Works initiative, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, with composer Kamala Sankaram and librettist Minita Gandhi, will receive a piano workshop in November 2024 consisting of individual musical coachings and ensemble rehearsals allowing the pair to receive feedback on the upcoming piece. Working in coordination with MN Opera’s Artistic Planning Team, Sankaram and Gandhi secured the rights to adapt the story from author Ram V, illustrator Filipe Andrade, and publisher BOOM! Studios earlier this year.
“It’s an honor to have one of the most acclaimed graphic novels that BOOM! Studios has ever published, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, make history by becoming the first graphic novel to be adapted as an opera,” said Stephen Christy, President of Development for BOOM! Studios. “I’m thankful to our collaborators at the Minnesota Opera Company and our fearless creative team of Kamala Sankaram and Minita Gandhi for their groundbreaking vision in adapting Ram V and Filip Andrade’s meditation on life and death to the stage.”
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr graphic novel explores themes of life, death, and rebirth through a magical-realism lens. The story follows Laila Starr, an avatar of Death, who is cast down to Earth after humanity discovers immortality. As she intersects with the life of Darius, the boy responsible for this discovery, Laila experiences multiple deaths and resurrections, gaining new perspectives on mortality and the meaning of existence. Through its poetic narrative and vibrant artwork, the novel offers a profound meditation on the beauty and impermanence of life. The Many Deaths of Laila Starr was published by BOOM! Studios, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, and received an Eisner Award nomination for Best Limited Series in 2022.
The Eisner-award nominated comic is the first ever operatic adaptation of a comic book or graphic novel, and the full production is slated to premiere at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts at a date to be announced.
For continuing news on THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on X.
About Ram V
Ram V, is an award winning author and creator of comics & graphic novels such as GRAFITY’S WALL, THESE SAVAGE SHORES & BLUE IN GREEN. Since publishing his first book in 2016, Ram’s work has gone on to garner critical and popular success and multiple awards. Apart from creating original work, since 2018 Ram has also written for iconic characters & titles at DC Comics and Marvel.
Ram lives in London– dog person, doodles, argumentative melancholic.
About Filipe Andrade
Filipe Andrade is an artist from Lisbon, Portugal. He studied sculpture in Lisbon’s fine art University. He has collaborated and published with BOOM! Studios, Marvel Comics, MTV Networks, Riot Games, Passion Animation Studios and more. Aside from his personal work he has also collaborated with Auéééu theatre company since 2014. You can find his work @filipe_andrade_artist.
About Kamala Sankaram
Praised as “one of the most exciting opera composers in the country” (The Washington Post), Kamala Sankaram moves freely between the worlds of experimental music and contemporary opera. As a biracial Indian-American and trained sitarist, Kamala is known for her operas fusing Indian classical music with the operatic form, including Thumbprint, A Rose, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers, and Jungle Book. She has been commissioned by Washington National Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival (as 2022 artist-in-residence), Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and the PROTOTYPE Festival, among others. Her music has been heard locally and internationally in venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Dutch National Opera. Also known for her use of emerging technologies, she has created work for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (as 2023 artist-in-residence), an opera for the trees of Prospect Park (as winner of the 2021 Creative Time Open Call), an augmented reality music walk for Van Cortlandt Park, an opera featuring live datamining of the audience, and the world’s first virtual reality opera, among other pieces. Dr. Sankaram holds a PhD from the New School and is currently a member of the composition faculty at the Mannes School of Music. www.kamalasankaram.com
About Minita Gandhi
Minita Gandhi (she/they) is a Los Angeles-based multi-hyphenate who was born in Mumbai, India. They love magic realism, dark comedy and exploring multi-genre, multi-cultural, and multi-generational stories as a medium for healing. Gandhi is the lyricist for Rising Tide, a choral-orchestral piece on climate change activism composed by Emmy-award winning composer, Jonathan Beard. Nerve, a full-length play, was workshopped and developed at the 2023 TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s New Works Festival and with the support of The Ground Floor at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in 2022. Nerve is a winner of the Ashland New Plays Festival (2024) and received support from the Lucille Lortel Theatre’s Alcove New Play Development Program (2023). Minita was a featured playwright atthe NNPN National Showcase in 2024 and a 2022 NYSAF Pfaelzer Award finalist. Their solo-show Muthaland, was Jeff Recommended for best new work and solo performance and was an official selection of the Ignition Festival, NNPN’s Women in Playwrighting Festival at Florida Studio Theater, and at The Anne Frank Social Justice Festival. Upcoming: Latika in the Hulu series Deli Boys, Shandra in CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful. Manager: Maritza Cabrera at Limitless Management. Theatrical Agent: Zach Gray at Gray Talent Group. www.minitagandhi.com
