history Act II scene ii
by Sally VallongoCould there have been a more splendid launch for the Toledo Opera in its 40th year than to move into a performance space tailored for what it did best: live opera. “We expected it to be good,” Meena told The Blade. “But it’s even better than we expected. The Valentine is as good as all the theaters in Ohio, and better than most. It’s a first-class facility.” The opening production, Tosca, with Diana Soviero in the title role and Gary Simpson as Scarpia, won raves from critics across the country. This success was followed by Tales of Hoffman and Magic Flute. Legendary mezzo Marilyn Horne drew raves at the Opera Gala. But, after 14 years as savior, revolutionary, and innovator – but never a resident of Toledo – James Meena announced his departure to become general director of Opera Carolina in Charlotte. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for Jim, but a great loss for Toledo Opera,” said TO president Joseph M. Colturi, as the tenor prepared to gallop away to new adventures. Meena fulfilled his contractual duties for the next season while TO officials conducted a major search for a new artistic director.
Enter the soprano
Renay Conlin, the new general and artistic director, ushered in the next
decade of the resilient company. A Juilliard-schooled singer, teacher,
producer, and self-taught politician, she was then finishing a term as
commissioner of the Division of Culture and History for West Virginia, a $12
million state agency dealing with culture, history and the arts. Conlin
didn’t travel light. She brought her husband, Thomas Conlin, the Grammy
Award-winning maestro, who conducts as many of Toledo Opera's productions
as his international guest-conducting travel allows. They made a dynamic
duo for a city that had earned its reputation as a supporter of opera at its
finest. The new director would focus on outreach, outstanding quality,
financial growth, and an expanded range of programming.
“Toledo Opera is doing everything right,” she said, shortly after settling in. “We just need to expand upon what is already in place.” I would like Toledo Opera to become a household word, not just in Northwest Ohio, but nationally.
“We have to be not just part of our community, but fully invested in the community,” Conlin said. By then, the opera was based in the urban chic headquarters on the sixth floor of the Secor Building downtown, with its tricky, bifurcated rehearsal halls and limited work space. Still, Conlin was determined to cut costs and she succeeded, reducing production costs for her first season by 20 percent. In part this helped the company continue to present productions in The Valentine Theatre.
One of the first major changes Conlin made was to hire the Toledo Symphony to play for all the opera’s performances. Prior to this time, the orchestra was comprised of freelance musicians. Conlin felt that not only would the artistic product benefit from hiring an ensemble that played together on a regular basis, but it would also strengthen the community by supporting another local performing arts institution. Conlin also updated the popular Galas, held in the Peristyle, turning them from musical medleys to themed performances featuring the Toledo Opera Chorus, the Toledo Symphony, and guest stars which resulted in sell-out performances.
At auditions in New York, Conlin played her own game of Toledo Idol, identifying young singers at the start of what she deemed to be future high trajectories. Many of these singers are performing with major opera companies all over the world. TO continued the Opera on Wheels performances, bringing in a small company of young singers through national auditions. The singers live in Toledo for two months, presenting one-act operas in English with costumes and scenery to schools throughout Northwest Ohio. The artistic level and demand for this program have increased each year.
And, the opera built on past innovations. In 2002, TO produced Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, a chamber opera based on the timeless ghost story. In the 2002-2003 season Sweeney Todd, the macabre operetta which drew crowds on both sides of the Atlantic, was presented between versions of La Traviata and Cosi fan Tutte.
Not unusual for performing arts organizations, rising costs exceeded the amount that ticket sales could raise and by summer, 2003, the red tide was rising again on the TO books. Moreover, like the Toledo Symphony and other arts groups, also running losses, the opera was watching its public funds evaporate like stage smoke. Nonetheless, the company continued to deliver high-quality performances highlighted by Don Giovanni and The Crucible in the 2003-2004 season, and a Barber of Seville and Faust in 2004-2005. Critics from international publications began to review Toledo Opera performances on a regular basis where they recognized the exceptional work the company was producing. By the start of the 2005-2006 season, opera leadership had reined in costs, and plans were firming up for the first major fund-drive of the decade. With a goal of $2 million – half to augment the endowment and half to further artistic quality – the Crescendo Campaign took off at “allegro” speed.
Meanwhile, Conlin continued to pursue an eclectic mix of productions, opening the 2006-2007 season with a personal favorite, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. “I want it to be great theater,” Conlin said. “Opera is a living, exciting form of entertainment. It’s like ‘Sex and the City,’ but we sing it.” The season continued with Don Pasquale and Tosca. Continuing his long association with Toledo Opera, Ukrainian basso Stefan Szkafarowsky was featured in the annual Gala.
The 2007-08 season opened with Carmen in November, but a mysterious gas explosion at the Valentine Theatre right after the production wrapped forced changes for the next show. Il trovatore was performed with great success, minus sets and much staging – with the Toledo Symphony – sharing the Maumee Performing Arts Center stage in early 2008. When Cavalleria Rusticana opened in late April to close the season, the Valentine was ready.