TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo Opera podcast season will return, supported by a grant from arts-based non-profit Ohio Humanities.
In a press release, the Toledo Opera announced its acquisition of a $15,000 grant that will support "Opera Out of the Box," a podcast the organization said it created in order to diversify its audience, enrich its performances and demistify opera.
“Opera has been a charter interest of WGTE since the radio station [was] formed in 1976," said WGTE Public Media Radio Station Manager Brad Cresswell in the press release. "We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Toledo Opera, and to give listeners a deeper understanding of the many contributions that the performing arts have made, both to our local community and to the genre of opera in general."
The Toledo Opera was one of various organizations in Ohio to receive grants from a pool of $120,000.
During the 2024-2025 season, Toledo Opera will stage productions of "Tosca" and "South Pacific," and the planned podcast episodes will work to connect both operas to culture, history, art and more. In particular, Toledo Opera said topics ranging from the Napoleonic Wars to the legacy of Tiki culture and American Imperialism will be featured during the episodes.
The podcast series, called "Love & War," will also include an expert in the field of each featured topic, as the organization said they aim to connect with more audiencees and return to pre-pandemic audience levels.
"This podcast project is a natural extension of our efforts to connect with the community and reach people who might not usually have access to opera," said Toledo Opera Development Officer Leah Whitaker in the release.
"Opera Out of the Box" began in 2023 with a six episode series and is hosted by Cresswell. Although official release dates for the podcast were not given, the opera Tosca will be performed on Oct. 18 and 20, while South Pacific will be performed on Feb. 14 and 16, 2025.
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