Monica Harte, creator of Opera Shorts, co-wrote the libretti for Delete, Picture Perfect and The Pageant with Deena Puffer. She co-directed many of McLeer’s operas for Carnegie Hall and on tour. Featured composers include Mark Adamo, Seymour Barab, William Bolcom, Tom Cipullo, John Corigliano, Carlisle Floyd, Jake Heggie, Tania Leon and Anne Phillips.
Presented at the Opera House/Showroom in the Eldorado Casino, Monica Harte’s update to a biker gang was realized and directed by Joachim Schamberger and coincided with Reno’s annual “Street Vibrations” celebration.
Producing Sweeney Todd shortly after the success of the film brought new, young audiences to the opera, which featured Metropolitan baritone Gary Simpson.
Madame Butterfly was presented as an anime production to attract new audiences to Nevada Opera. Doubling audiences from the previous year, this production was the first anime–style Madame Butterfly in history and won worldwide web attention.
A spinoff of the season’s traditional-style Don Giovanni, this outreach version won standing ovations from local high school students. Sung in the original language this 45-minute production used modern slang for supertitles.
Mambo
Producer, Director
Mambo – an original children’s opera with an anti-bullying theme – is based on a children’s story by Jovanna Castignola.
Jack & Beanstalk
Concept, Producer, Director
Monica commissioned Dan Henry Boehler to write an original version of Jack and the Beanstalk with original music and libretto. Work-shopped at Brooklyn College, the NOA premiere was a sold out success at the Reno Little Theater.
G Train the Musical
Co-creator, Co-wrote Book, Producer, Director
The outreach version of this operatic musical comedy has been successful as a tour for Natchez Opera Festival, as a young artist production for Nevada Opera and as a full-length musical off-off Broadway in NY (direction by Henry Runey).
House
Producer, Director
Featured as one of 8 productions for the Reno Is Artown festival, this sci-fi opera was performed in Reno’s beautiful outdoor venue Bartley Ranch. Monica also produced the opera for the Brooklyn College TV Center and Natchez Festival of Music.