Toledo Opera returns to Valentine Theatre with Carmen

Published Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Toledo Opera will present Georges Bizet’s Carmen on Friday, October 10, 2025, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 12, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the Valentine Theatre, 400 North Superior, Toledo, Ohio. Following its sold-out 2019 staging, Toledo Opera will present a new production in celebration of the 150^th anniversary of its premiere. This new production will reunite the acclaimed director and choreographer from the earlier production and features a distinguished cast of returning favorites and world-class artists, underscoring Toledo Opera’s reputation for artistic excellence. Toledo Opera will also host a free Pre-Opera Talk one hour before each show in the Grand Lobby of the Valentine Theatre. Associate Professor of Musicology at Bowling Green State University, Dr. Ryan Ebright, Ph.D., will provide historical context and insight and will be available to take questions after the talk.

First performed on March 3, 1875, at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, the premiere of Carmen was considered a failure as its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its audiences. The depictions of proletarian life, immorality, lawlessness, and the murder of the main character on stage, broke new ground in French opera and were highly controversial.

Carmen, tells the story of a fierce woman who lives life on her own terms – and the men who can’t let her go. Don José, a soldier drawn into her orbit, abandons everything for Carmen’s love, only to find himself consumed by jealousy when her attention shifts to the dashing bullfighter, Escamillo. With its twisting tale of romance, deceit, and disaster set to magnetic melodies, Bizet’s masterpiece, Carmen, has become one of the world’s most popular operas. Featuring some of the most popular music to ever grace the opera stage, Carmen brings every aspect of Bizet’s thrilling tale to life, from its tantalizing beginning to its devastating climax.

Following the premiere, most reviews were critical, and the French public became largely indifferent. Carmen was revived in Paris in 1883, after which it rapidly acquired popularity at home and abroad. The music of Carmen has since been widely acclaimed for brilliance of melody, harmony, atmosphere, and orchestration, and for the skill with which the emotions and suffering of the characters are represented. The opera is written in the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue. Later commentators have asserted that Carmen forms the bridge between the tradition of opéra comique and the verismo that characterized late 19^th-century Italian opera.

Carmen will be brought to life by conductor Adam Turner. Stage director Jeffrey Buchman, and choreographer Rosa Mercedes return to breathe new life into this production, following two sold-out performances of Toledo Opera’s 2019 staging. Carmen will star Lisa Marie Rogali as Carmen, Brendan Boyle (Ragtime and Tosca) as Don José, Joshua Jeremiah (Ragtime) as Escamillo, and Toledo Opera Resident Artist, Sarah Rachel Bacani as Micaëla. Carmen will be presented in French with English captions.

Award-winning American mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali makes her Toledo Opera debut as Carmen. She has been praised for her “warm, nuanced voice” and “spontaneity” on stage. Her powerful stage presence and vocal versatility showcase her as an artist who excels across a variety of genres, including opera, musical theatre, and concert music. In the 2024-25 season, Ms. Rogali made her debut as the title role of Carmen with both Virginia Opera and Florentine Opera, a portrayal hailed by the Virginian Pilot as “not to be missed, a bang-up performance.”

Tenor Brendan Boyle returns to Toledo Opera as Don José. Following his 2024 role debut as Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, the Toledo Blade hailed his performance, stating: “[Brendan’s] star…shines brightly and will get brighter still…he not only passed the test, he surpassed it with his strong and rich tenor voice. His stage presence is heroic.” Prior to his portrayal of Mario Cavaradossi Mr. Boyle impressed Toledo audiences as Father in Ragtime (April 2024). Mr. Boyle is an alumnus of Toledo Opera’s Resident Artist program. During his tenure as Toledo Opera tenor Resident Artist, he starred as St. Brioche in The Merry Widow. After an extensive period working regularly with Austin Opera, he has recently been seen as Beppe (I Pagliacci) with Hawaii Opera Theater.

Hailed as “rich voiced” (The New York Times) and praised for his “warmly appealing, burnished baritone” (Opera Today), Joshua Jeremiah returns to Toledo Opera as Escamillo. He continues to bring his celebrated performances to theatres throughout the United States. Most recently, he returned to Virginia Opera as Alberich (Siegfried) and appeared as a soloist with the Virginia Symphony for Orff’s Carmina Burana. Mr. Jeremiah made his role debut as Tateh in Toledo Opera’s Ragtime (April 2024) – a performance which was hailed as “exceptional” by The Toledo Blade. 

Filipino American soprano, Sarah Rachel Bacani, begins her second year as a Toledo Opera Resident Artist in the 2024-25 season and will make her role debut as Micaëla. Her 2023-24 season included covering the role of Juliette (Roméo et Juliette) at Central City Opera, where she also performed the role in their Family Matinee production as Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program Apprentice Artist. An accomplished competitor, she placed in the Top 12 of the Inaugural Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition and is a semi-finalist in Fort Worth Opera’s McCammon Voice Competition.

Also joining the cast are baritone Jason Budd as Zuniga; soprano and former Toledo Opera Resident Artist Sara Mortensen as Frasquita; mezzo-soprano and Toledo Opera Resident Artist Danielle Casós as Mercédès; tenor and Toledo Opera Resident Artist Brady DelVecchio as El Remendado; baritone and Toledo Opera Resident Artist Rick Hale as El Dancaïro; and baritone and former Toledo Opera Resident Artist Robbie Raso as Moralès. All the aforementioned performers round out the principal cast with a complex mix of national, international, and regional talent.

“With this new production of Carmen, we’re creating something uniquely ‘Toledo,’” shared Toledo Opera General Director James M. Norman. “Our team has reimagined the drama with bold theatrical vision, gorgeous sets and costumes, and of course, extraordinary voices. It’s a thrilling opportunity to showcase our artistic strength and bring this timeless story to our community in a way that feels fresh, visceral, and unforgettable.”

Toledo Opera will perform Carmen at the Valentine Theatre on Friday, October 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 12 at 2 p.m. To learn more about the Carmen cast and production team and to buy tickets, visit: toledoopera.org. For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.