The following opera projects from Nell Shaw Cohen are currently in development and available for commissioning, workshops, and/or premiere productions. For more information, get in touch with me at nell@nellshawcohen.com.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
Music by Nell Shaw Cohen, Libretto by Edward Einhorn
A modern American fairy tale reimagining the origin of Santa Claus, based on a book by L. Frank Baum and set in the universe of The Wizard of Oz. A Magic Flute for the 21st century, this family offering explores the universal question of why we celebrate in the midst of dark winter.
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- Currently Seeking: Commission and World Premiere production (approximately one-third of the libretto and piano-vocal score have been completed on spec)
- Vocal forces: Soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, child soprano, and SSA children’s chorus
- Orchestration: 8-piece chamber ensemble (flute, clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and percussion)
- Duration: ca. 80 minutes
- THEMES: Christmas, winter season, fairies and magical creatures, family-friendly
- Materials available for Perusal:
- Treatment including scene-by-scene synopsis, libretto excerpt, and opera background, prepared by librettist Edward Einhorn
- Score of piano-vocal excerpts
- Workshop video of piano-vocal excerpts in concert reading
- Development & Production History:
- Untitled Theater Company No. 61, workshop reading of excerpts (ca. 25 minutes) from piano-vocal score, New York, NY, June 2022
- Performances of selected aria “Human Child Lullaby” with New York Opera Alliance (NYC), Goodenough College (London), and The International Wizard of Oz Club National Convention (Philadelphia).
The Fire Tower
Music & Libretto by Nell Shaw Cohen
A fire lookout and a mule packer form a bond of friendship through shared grief. Set in a mountain wilderness against a backdrop of climate crisis in the West, this short opera is an intimate portrait of two intrepid women in a pivotal moment on their search for purpose.
- Currently Seeking: World Premiere
- Vocal forces: Soprano and mezzo-soprano
- Orchestration: Piano
- Duration: 24 minutes
- THEMES: Wilderness, hiking, female friendship, grief, climate change, wildfires, Western setting
- Materials available for Perusal:
- Development & Production History:
- Workshop production by UTSA Lyric Theatre (Jourdan Laine Howell, Director), University of Texas at San Antonio, November 2023
Turn and Burn
Music by Nell Shaw Cohen, Libretto by Megan Cohen
Small-town barrel racing champion Shayla Taylor and ambitious executive Jamie Hernandez aim for a big win at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. This original story informed by interviews with rodeo athletes offers a feminist perspective on rodeo culture.
- Currently Seeking: Premiere stage production (digital World Premiere planned)
- Vocal forces: 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano, baritone, and bass-baritone (amplified)
- Orchestration: 8-piece amplified chamber ensemble (electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, drum set, 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass)
- Duration: 71 minutes
- THEMES: Rodeo athletes, feminism, female friendship, Western culture, ranching, history of Black cowboys, Mexican-American history in Texas
- Materials available for Perusal:
- Full score
- Video of piano-vocal “plus” workshop reading (Note: Material was revised following this workshop)
- Libretto (provided on request)
- Development & Production History:
- Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera for HGOco’s “Song of Houston” initiative
- Recipient of 2020 OPERA America Commissioning Grant for Women Composers
- Field research at Rodeo Houston, March 2018
- Houston Grand Opera, libretto reading, November 2018 (Leslie Swackhamer, Director)
- HGO, piano-vocal “plus” reading, December 2019 (Geoffrey Loff, Conductor)
- Premiere production originally scheduled for February 2021, postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic
- Digital World Premiere planned for 2024
The Way Out
Music by Nell Shaw Cohen, Libretto by Megan Cohen
When an armed gunman storms an Elementary school, an unflappable school administrator makes a humanizing connection with the shooter and talks him into putting down his weapon. An original story inspired by true accounts of everyday American heroes.
- Currently Seeking: Commission and World Premiere production
- Vocal forces: Soprano, mezzo-soprano, and bass-baritone
- Orchestration: Chamber ensemble (4-5 pieces)
- Duration: ca. 50 minutes
- THEMES: Nonviolence, everyday heroes, prevented school shooting
- Materials available for Perusal (provided on request):
- Libretto treatment with scene-by-scene synopsis
- Score & MIDI of 16-minute piano-vocal workshop excerpt