Kiss, Marry, Visa

a new comic opera about love, family, and immigration status

We had a fantastic performance of the first 30 minutes of Kiss, Marry, Visa, with a sample video coming and more info. Please write to me at contact@alexwakim.com for a video, score sample, and the full treatment as we seek commissioning partners for a world premiere.

Close-up of a Alex Wakim, wearing a dark striped shirt, standing indoors near a window.

Composer: Alex Wakim

A woman with dark curly hair wearing glasses, a black top, a necklace, and smiling.

Librettist: Laura BaratI

Production Forces:

SMTTB + SMA Trio (8 Singers)

90 minutes, no intermission

Instrumentation:

Smaller: Piano Cello

Larger: Chamber Strings, Horn, Oud

A poster with a red lipstick kiss mark, the phrase 'Kiss MARRY Visa' with a gold wedding ring, and text indicating 'Opera America IDEA Grant Recipient'.

Logline:

Layla, a Lebanese graduate has just 30 days to find a job or lose her visa and leave the U.S. But after rejection after rejection, Layla’s meddling aunties hatch an outrageous Plan B: move in with her cousins in New York and date a parade of eligible Lebanese bachelors in the hope that love–or at least a fiancé who will sponsor a visa—can save her future.

An earnest comedy about love, family, and immigration status, Kiss, Marry, Visa explores how far we’re willing to go to protect the ones we love.

Development History:

September 2026: Workshop Presentation at Opera America, supported by OA’s IDEA Grant

Featuring Mariam Mouawad, George Abud, Emma Grimsley, Liz Lang, Matt Dengler, and Dan Schlosberg.

Video available upon request at contact@alexwakim.com

A group of nine diverse people, smiling and standing together on stage in front of a red curtain, that appears to be in a performance or event setting.
A man standing at a microphone on stage, gesturing with his hands, with two people standing on either side of him. The audience is seated in front of the stage, watching the performance. The stage has a dark red curtain background.