''Flora'', ''Hansel and Gretel'', and ''Americana, or, A New Tale of the Genii''
Flora is an opera in two acts and six scenes based on the libretto and surviving tunes of what is thought to be the first piece of musical theater performed in colonial North America. The historical work premiered in Charleston, South Carolina in 1735, and played again at the newly built Dock Street Theatre in 1736. The modern score was commissioned by the Spoleto Festival USA and premiered by the company on May 29, 2010 to celebrate the reopening of the new Dock Street Theatre. Writing for the New York Times, James R. Oestreich praised the work and performance, stating: Bruce "did a remarkable job... evoking the musical world of the 18th century... the rest of the production is of similarly high quality." "Mr. Bruce conducted, from the harpsichord, members of the festival orchestra and a strong cast." Hansel and Gretel, an opera in two acts and nine scenes, based on a libretto adapted by the composer from the Brothers Grimm, was commissioned by Connecticut Opera and premiered by the company on March 20, 1998 in Hartford, Connecticut. The company toured a condensed version for children in 1997. In an enthusiastic review of the full premiere, Hartford Courantmusic critic Steve Metcalf commented on Bruce's creating a new operatic Hansel and Gretel:
“temerity has never been a problem for Neely Bruce... by blending a careful fidelity to the original Grimm story with his own manic imagination, has created a clever and deeply entertaining new operatic journey into the woods... in a dizzying range of musical styles... about as far away from Engelbert Humperdinck as it would be possible to get.... danced, skipped, roller-skated, high- fived and also sang their way through their troubles with unfailing and non-cloying freshness."
Americana, or, A New Tale of the Genii, an opera in four acts, is based on a libretto adapted by Tony Connor from an anonymous 18th century source, which recounted the colonies' secession as allegorical parody. It was premiered in 1985 in a concert version by the American Music/Theatre Group, conducted by James Sinclair, in Hartford and Stamford, Connecticut, and New York City. Commenting on the premiere at Symphony Space for the New York Times, Will Crutchfield wrote:
Bruce's new score "evinced its own quirky appeal... Now Boyce and Arne, now Stravinskian “wrong-note” classicism, now modestly chaotic improvisation, then hymnody, bluegrass, blues... the concept is one for which pastiche has meaning.... The piece is odd enough and lively enough to merit a fully professional production.”
''Circular 14: The Apotheosis of Aristides''
Bruce's two-hour oratorio Circular 14: The Apotheosis of Aristides, for eight soloists, two choruses and large orchestra, received its first full-scale production in Salt Lake City on January 27, 2018. An early version, orchestrated for chamber music forces, was premiered in Los Angeles on January 24, 2016. About the performance Eric A. Gordon writes: "Circular 14 contains music of great variety and often unearthly transcendence...One can compare it to the great masterpieces in this form."