There is something so special about getting dressed up, stepping inside the Valentine Theatre, and experiencing a story told through live music. This October, Toledo Opera is giving us the perfect opportunity with Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida.
Coming to the Valentine Theatre on October 16 and 18, Aida is filled with romance, jealousy, power, loyalty, and sacrifice. The story follows Aida, an Ethiopian princess who has been captured and enslaved in Egypt. She secretly falls in love with Radamès, the Egyptian commander chosen to lead his country into battle against her homeland. To make everything even more complicated, Amneris, the Egyptian king’s daughter, is also in love with him.
The drama alone is enough to pull you in, but the history behind this production makes it even more meaningful. Aida was Toledo Opera’s very first production when the company opened in 1959. Now, it is returning to Toledo for the first time in more than a decade.
This new production will feature world-class singers, professional dancers, the Toledo Opera Chorus and the Toledo Symphony. Mary Elizabeth Williams will make her Toledo Opera debut as Aida, while Brendan Boyle returns as Radamès after appearing in Carmen, Tosca and Ragtime. Lauren Decker will portray Amneris, and Nmon Ford will take the stage as Amonasro.
If you have never attended an opera before, this could be the perfect place to start. The performance will be sung in Italian, but English captions will help you follow every moment of the story. Toledo Opera will also offer a free Pre-Opera Talk one hour before each performance, giving guests more context about the history, music, and themes of Aida.
Whether you already love opera or simply want to experience more of Toledo’s arts and culture, add this one to your fall calendar. Between the music, costumes, choreography, and complicated love story, Aida promises to be a beautiful night at the theatre.
Aida will be performed at the Valentine Theatre on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 2 p.m.
Learn more and purchase tickets at ToledoOpera.org.
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