At the Grande
A Comic Opera - In Development

About
A reality-show remix of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
When disgraced beauty queen Amali Anderson returns to the empire that humiliated her, a PR stunt thrusts her into a reality-TV circus of race, power, and corporate spin. A jealous billionaire CEO, a spin doctor hiding his true identity, and a fiancé-producer hiding financial trouble turn the Grande Building into a live-streamed battlefield where personal scandal meets public redemption.
Music and libretto by Nkeiru Okoye
Duration: 90-110 minutes, two acts
Ensemble: 6 principal roles (multi-racial cast); SATB chorus and orchestra
Themes: Romantic Comedy, Corporate image-making, race and identity, workplace power dynamics, media culture, ambition, redemption, and human connection
Status: Libretto complete; seeking commissioning support for composition of the full score.
Synopsis
Setting: The Grande Building, a glittering corporate high‑rise housing both the headquarters of Grande Investments and luxury condos for its elite staff.
Three years after rebuffing CEO Dexter Grande, Amali Anderson—a Yale‑educated former Miss Grande USA whose career was destroyed by his mocking “Amali-the-Golly” doll campaign—receives an unexpected offer to return as the company’s new Chief Diversity Officer. The move is a PR maneuver devised by strategist Marcus Spencer and budding TV producer Nathan Figueren, Amali’s fiancé, who sees the appointment as the perfect hook for a new reality series, Grande Investments.
Inside this high‑pressure world, Dexter’s Wife Tiffani and longtime chief‑of‑staff Olivia “Miss” Parrish guide Amali through corporate culture while camera crews lurk in every corridor. As filming intensifies, blackmail, surveillance, and viral scandals abound amidst secrets that threaten the show: Spencer has built his career hiding truth he cannot afford to reveal; Nathan is buried in debt; and Dexter’s volatility puts the network on edge. Meanwhile, Tiffani masks a marriage eroding under jealousy and control; Parrish carries decades of compromises made in service to the company; and Amali clings to the doll that embodies her public shaming, fueling self-doubts that risks her impending nuptials. Yet even in the chaos, moments of connection and unexpected tenderness hint at the possibility of change.
In this comic opera, humor and satire reveal deeper truths about humanity and corporate complicity—suggesting that transformation begins only when truths are finally faced.
Media
At the Grande has a heartwarming message of the enduring power of kindness. Its finale, "Inside is what remains" was part of Tulsa Opera's Greenwood Overcomes program, written for soprano Leona Mitchell. This choral arrangement features Louise Toppin singing with the University of Michigan Choir.
