Slanted: An American Rock Opera

When I was commissioned to compose and write the libretto for a new opera about civil liberties, I was also being tasked with a much greater challenge: to make the traditional art form more accessible to new audiences by redefining the genre and changing how we could market the work.

After a major marketing and communications campaign and multiple community engagement events, we received 40+ earned media segments in less than two months, including in Broadway World and Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien. I also developed a partnership with Crossings TV, leading to 200 free advertising block placements. In total, the earned media campaign reached over 12 million households.

In addition, tickets for the opera were sold out every night, bringing delight to the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Mellon Foundation.