>> ADIA: WE ARE NOW HALFWAY THROUGH SPOOK-TOBER.

AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR HALLOWEEN PLANS, I RECOMMEND YOU CHECK OUT A STORY FOLLOWING THE GODDESS OF DEATH HERSELF AS SHE IS CAST DOWN TO LIVE AS A MORTAL ON EARTH.

THAT IS THE STORY OF 'THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR,' A NEW OPERA LAUNCHING THE 2026 SEASON OF THE MINNESOTA OPERA.

COMPOSER KAMALA SANKARAM IS HEAR TO TELL US ABOUT IT AND WE'LL HEAR THE TALENTED SINGERS THEMSELVES IN A MOMENT.

WE DO ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE MN OPERA ORCHESTRA RECENTLY UNANIMOUSLY AUTHORIZED A STRIKE OVER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.

THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING AND ALL PARTIES HOPE TO RESOLVE THEM BEFORE THE SEASON OPEN.

SO, KAMALA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

WE HEARD JUST A TEENY BIT ABOUT THE PIECE.

CAN YOU TELL US WHICH EXCERPTS WE'RE GOING TO HEAR TONIGHT AND WHO IS PERFORMING THEM.

>> THIS IS BASED ON THE ACCLAIMED NOVEL AND IT IS THE FIRST OPERA, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT HAS BEEN COMPOSED BY TWO WOMEN OF SOUTH ASIAN DESCENT.

>> AMAZING.

>> SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR TWO EXCERPTS.

THE FIRST IS THAT LAILA STARR, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY THE GODDESS OF DEATH, HAS NOW COME TO EARTH AND DIED AND, SO, PRANA, THE GOD OF LIFE, IS GOING TO REINCARNATE HERE AND THIS IS HER AURIA THE FIRST TIME THAT HE BRINGS HER BACK.

AND THEN AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM, WE WILL HEAR A DUET BETWEEN LAILA AND DARIUS SHAW, WHO IS GOING TO INVENT IMMORTALITY.

AND WE HAVE WONDERFUL SINGERS, AS WELL AS OUR HEAD OF MUSIC AT MINNESOTA OPERA, THE HEAD OF MUSIC IS OPERA IS MARINO.

WE W>> WHO'S ON THE PIANO TONIGHT?

>> OH, YES, THIS IS MARIO.

>> OH, WONDERFUL.

SO YOU SAID IT'S BASED ON A GRAPHIC NOVEL?

>> YES.

>> THAT'S AMAZING.

HOW DID THAT COMMISSION, HOW DID THAT COME TOGETHER?

>> WELL, I HAVE TO SHARE SOMETHING KIND OF PERSONAL ABOUT THIS PIECE, WHICH IS THAT THIS GRAPHIC NOVEL IS SOMETHING THAT I DISCOVERED FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF MY SISTER IN 2019.

SHE HAD A VERY AGGRESSIVE FORM OF CANCER.

SHE WAS GONE IN LESS THAN A YEAR.

AND THEN THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED.

AND WE WERE ALONE AND ISOLATED AND GRIEVING.

AND THEN COMING OUT OF IT, I VISITED MY OTHER SISTER AND FOUND THIS COMIC BOOK AND THE THEMES WERE SO RESONANT BECAUSE IT REALLY IS ABOUT WHAT IS T THAT MAKES US HUMAN, WHAT IS LIFE, WHAT IS DEATH, WHAT IS IMMORTALITY, WHAT IS MORTALITY.

AND THE THINGS THAT CONNECT US AND BRING US TOGETHER.

>> YES.

WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.

>> SO, AS A MODERN COMPOSER, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT I DO THAT IS DRAWING ON DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSICAL GENRES AND STYLES.

BECAUSE IT IS SET IN CONTEMPORARY MUMBAI, THE PIECE IS BUILT ON THE INDIAN RAGA SYSTEM, WHICH IS INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO A PARTY, SO THAT'S THE EDM, AND THE CHRONICLE IS THE CARNATIC, WHICH IS SOUTH INDIAN MUSIC, THE FORM OF VOCAL PERCUSSION TO REALLY PUT US IN THE WORLD OF THE GODS, THE GODS DO NOT SING, THEY ONLY SPEAK.

>> THAT'S WONDERFUL.

>> YES.

>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HEAR ABOUT WHEN IT IS, OCTOBER 31st IS THE WORLD PREMIERE WITH THE MINNESOTA OPERA AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THE MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR.

♪ HER HAIR WINDS DOWN HER BACK AND PULLS AT ME ♪ ♪ NEVER HAS THERE BEEN, NOR WILL THERE BE ANYONE I COULD WITH RAVEN HEAD ♪ ♪ AND MEANS THE WORLD TO ME ♪ ♪ WHAT IS LIFE WITHOUT HER ♪ ♪ WHO WOULD I BE ♪ ♪ I'D BRING YOU BACK A THOUSAND TIMES OVER ♪ ♪ A THOUSAND TIMES ♪ ♪ PLEASE STAY WITH ME ♪ ♪ JUST FOR THIS MOMENT ♪ ♪ YOUR CHEST FULL OF THE BREATH OF LIFE I WHISPERED THROUGH YOUR LIPS ♪ ♪ AND JUST FOR A MOMENT OU NEED ME, YOU NEED ME TOO ♪ ♪ AND I, THE GOD, WOULD DIE A THOUSAND TIMES OVER ♪ ♪ TO LIVE A MOMENT WITH YOU ♪ ♪ JUST THIS MOMENT ♪ ♪ JUST THIS MOMENT ♪