The Minnesota Opera opens its 2026–27 season with a world premiere: The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, playing the Ordway Music Theater in downtown Saint Paul from October 31 through November 8. It is the story of a goddess of death who is cast down to live as a mortal, which makes it a rather fitting companion to a night in a mansion with a reputation for being haunted.
What is The Many Deaths of Laila Starr?
The opera is adapted from the graphic novel by Ram V and Filipe Andrade, with music by Kamala Sankaram and a libretto by Minita Gandhi. It is a Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative production. According to the company, the story follows a death goddess who becomes a mortal named Laila Starr and discovers purpose and impermanence from the inside, and the score draws on Konnakol, Raga and EDM.
It is sung in English and Hindi with projected English captions, and the Opera lists a running time of about 2 hours 31 minutes with one intermission.
When are the performances?
- Saturday, October 31, 7:30 pm (listed as the opening gala)
- Thursday, November 5, 7:30 pm
- Saturday, November 7, 7:30 pm
- Sunday, November 8, 2 pm (audio description is available at this matinee)
Those are the dates on the Opera’s production page as of October 6. Tickets and any added performances are on the Minnesota Opera’s 2026–27 season page. If a 7:30 curtain goes up on time, an evening performance should let out around 10 pm.
Where should you stay for an opera night at the Ordway?
The Ordway is at 345 Washington Street in downtown Saint Paul (its site has directions and parking details), so this is a Twin Cities night out rather than a walk-to-the-theater night. We would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise. Use Metro Transit’s trip planner or plan a drive or rideshare, and give yourself extra time on the premiere weekend.
What 300 Clifton offers is the other half of the evening: a quiet place to dress for the show and a place to land afterward. The Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion sits on a bluff one block from Loring Park, tucked into an English garden on a quiet residential street. Our location page has the details, and the lot is behind the gardens.
How to make it a whole night out
Opera nights end late and a little wound up, which is exactly when a warm soak helps. These add-ons are available at 300clifton.com/specials-packages and must be added when you book direct:
- Private Hot-Tub Soak, $49: a reserved soak in the hidden garden hot tub, open all four seasons.
- Soak & Sparkle, $149: private hot-tub access plus chilled sparkling wine for two.
- Romance Package, $75: champagne, chocolates and fresh flowers arranged in your room before you arrive.
- Private Movie Night, $99: a screening in Gertrude’s Cistern, our speakeasy lounge with heated reclining seats, plus popcorn and beverages. Read more about the movie room.
The Halloween-night gala, and a haunted-mansion option
The October 31 performance lands on Halloween itself. If you want the full spooky-season weekend, our Dead & Breakfast package includes the 300 Clifton Ghost Map, EMF reading equipment and discounted tickets to the Minneapolis Trolley Candlelight Ghost Tour. Our guide to where to stay for Halloween in Minneapolis covers the rest of the weekend. Availability for any given date is shown when you book.
Planning notes
Check-in is 3 PM and checkout is 10 AM, and pets are not allowed. The weekend of a premiere fills early, so book direct at 300clifton.com and add your soak or movie night at the same time. Looking for other things to see this season? Try our guides to Orchestra Hall concerts and Hennepin Avenue shows in November.