Toledo Opera and Toledo Spirits to host “Get into the Spirit of Opera”

Published Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Toledo Opera and The Toledo Spirits Company will host the pop-up event, “Get into the Spirit of Opera,” on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at The Toledo Spirits Company, 1301 North Summit Street, Toledo, OH 43604.

To celebrate the upcoming performance of South Pacific, the evening will feature signature cocktails, crafted by The Toledo Spirits Company, a performance by members of the South Pacific cast, and a drawing for two tickets to opening night of South Pacific on Friday, February 14, 2025 and a $75 gift certificate for Toledo Spirits/Bellwether.

“We are thrilled that we can share this exciting event with our audience while continuing our partnership with Toledo Spirits,” shared Toledo Opera General Director James M. Norman. “I invite Toledoans to join us as we engage with the community and showcase the voices of South Pacific.”

“We are excited to see the return of Toledo Opera, and we are just as excited to be able to experience their world class talent along with outstanding cocktails here at our cocktail bar Bellwether” added Andrew Newby, CEO Toledo Spirits.

About South Pacific: Just in time for Valentine’s Day and the 75^th anniversary of its premiere, Toledo Opera presents South Pacific. Winner of 10 Tony Awards in 1950 including Best Musical and Best Original Score, South Pacific debuts to Toledo Opera audiences in a new production brought to life by conductor J. Ernest Green and stage director James M. Norman. Based on the anecdotes of a real-life U.S. Navy commander who was stationed on an island, South Pacific follows two intercultural love stories: Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with Emile, a French plantation owner on the island who has two children from his late Polynesian wife; at the same time, U.S. Lieutenant Cable falls for a beautiful island native named Liat. Both Americans find themselves struggling to reconcile their own cultural prejudices with their amorous feelings, all the while under the dark cloud of a war that is coming ever closer to their island paradise. South Pacific stars Claire Leyden as Nellie Forbush, Metropolitan Opera Baritone Keith Phares (The Merry Widow and Cinderella) as Emile de Becque, and Mike Schwitter as Lt. Joseph Cable. South Pacific will be presented in English with English captions. South Pacific is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.

For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org or Samantha Fox at sam@toledospirits.com.

Toledo Opera will perform South Pacific at the Valentine Theatre on Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 16 at 2 p.m. To learn more about South Pacific cast and production team and to buy tickets, visit: toledoopera.org. For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.