From TOLEDO OPERA
Toledo Opera has announced plans to return with the 2026-27 performance season. Beginning in October, the season will feature two main-stage productions.
Toledo Opera’s 68th season aims to deliver a thrilling journey featuring “Aida” and “H.M.S. Pinafore.” From sweeping romance to rollicking nautical comedy, audiences will experience stories brought to life with music and world-class performances.
For Toledo Opera General Director James M. Norman, the upcoming season represents both a homecoming and a bold celebration of artistic range: “Bringing Verdi’s ‘Aida’ back to our stage for the first time in more than a decade is a thrilling homecoming, and pairing it with ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ – our first Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in over 20 years – shows the exciting breadth of what Toledo Opera can offer. Together, these productions celebrate the power of grand opera and the joy of comic operetta, and we can’t wait to share them with our community.”
Toledo Opera artistic director, Kevin Bylsma, added, “What a treat for Toledo audiences to experience the grandness of ‘Aida’ and the hilarity of ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ in the same season. Yet again, Toledo Opera has assembled extraordinary casts, which, with our brilliant chorus, will bring these memorable characters and scenes to life. This is a season not to miss.”
Enhanced subscription packages, standard subscriptions, and single tickets will be available for purchase on March 2 at toledoopera.org or by phone at 419-255-7464. To learn more about the season, visit toledoopera.org.
‘Aida’ by Giuseppe Verdi
Toledo Opera will perform “Aida” on Oct. 16 and 18 at the Valentine Theatre.
Torn between love and duty, Aida stands at the center of a tempest of passion, loyalty, and impossible choices. Captive in ancient Egypt, the Ethiopian princess must navigate her love for the heroic Radamès, her devotion to her homeland, and the schemes of the jealous Princess Amneris. Toledo Opera’s original production brings Verdi’s unforgettable arias, soaring duets, and breathtaking choruses to life, immersing audiences in a story of desire, sacrifice and destiny.
“Aida” stars soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams (company debut) as Aida, tenor Brendan Boyle (Toledo Opera’s “Carmen,” “Tosca,” and “Ragtime”) as Radamès, contralto Lauren Decker (Toledo Opera’s “Suor Angelica” and “Cavalleria Rusticana”) as Princess Amneris, and baritone Nmon Ford as Amonasro (company debut).
“Aida” will be sung in Italian with English captions.
‘H.M.S. Pinafore’ by Arthur Sullivan & W.S. Gilbert
Toledo Opera will perform “H.M.S. Pinafore” on Feb. 19, 2027 and Feb. 21, 2027 at the Valentine Theatre.
After more than four decades, “H.M.S. Pinafore” returns to Toledo Opera, bringing Gilbert and Sullivan’s signature wit, music, and high-seas hijinks to life. Onboard, the captain’s daughter Josephine hopes for love with the humble sailor Ralph Rackstraw, despite her father’s plans to marry her to the pompous Sir Joseph Porter. Mischievous sailors, scheming relatives, and the bumbling Little Buttercup, whose long-held secret turns everything upside down, ensure laughter, surprises, and joyous music throughout. This original production combines rousing choruses, clever wordplay, and unforgettable characters for an evening of nautical fun the whole family can enjoy.
“H.M.S. Pinafore” stars tenor Mike Schwitter (Toledo Opera’s “South Pacific”) as Ralph Rackstraw, soprano Emily Casey (company debut) as Josephine, baritone Keith Phares (Toledo Opera’s “South Pacific,” “Cinderella,” and “The Merry Widow”) as Captain Corcoran, and Nicholas Wuehrman (company debut) as Sir Joseph Porter and stage director.
“H.M.S. Pinafore” will be sung in English with English captions.
