Toledo Opera has announced the launch of its Scene Setters initiative, a new program designed to build excitement around the company’s mainstage productions and expand its reach into the community.
Scene Setters is a collective of local arts enthusiasts, influencers, and tastemakers who will attend final dress rehearsals of Toledo Opera productions and share their experiences in their own authentic voice with their networks. By documenting and amplifying their unique perspectives, Scene Setters will help spark new conversations and make opera feel more accessible and engaging for wider audiences.
The inaugural group of Scene Setters will begin their work with Carmen, which will be performed on Friday, October 10, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, October 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.. The first cohort has already been selected and will act as ambassadors leading up to and during the production.
“With Scene Setters, we’re inviting our community to be part of the story of Toledo Opera,” shared Toledo Opera General Director James M. Norman. “Opera has always been about harmony – voices coming together to create something greater – and this program gives our friends and neighbors a chance to join in that spirit. By sharing their voices and spreading the word, they help us build excitement and bring the magic of opera to even more people across our region.”
Rachael Cammarn, Toledo Opera Director of Marketing & Communications, added: “Scene Setters is our way of bringing ‘word of mouth for the modern age’ to opera. By sharing their behind-the-scenes experiences with their own audiences, our Scene Setters will help connect more people to the excitement and beauty of live performance.”
Applications for the second round of Scene Setters, tied to Toledo Opera’s February 2026 production of The Elixir of Love, are now open at toledoopera.org.
About Carmen: Bizet’s sizzling epic of dark passion, 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 attentions shift 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. Under the baton of Adam Turner (Toledo Opera’s Il Trovatore and Roméo & Juliet), Toledo Opera’s vibrant original production is not to be missed. Carmen stars Lisa Marie Rogali as Carmen, Brendan Boyle (Toledo Opera’s Tosca and Ragtime) as Don José, and Joshua Jeremiah (Toledo Opera’s Ragtime) as Escamillo. Carmen is presented in French with English captions.
To learn more about Scene Setters, Carmen, and to buy tickets, visit: toledoopera.org. For media access, please contact Rachael Cammarn at rcammarn@toledoopera.org.
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