'Lakmé' Flower Duet Featured at Valentine's Free Plaza pARTy

One of the hallmarks of performing arts in Toledo is the excellent cooperation and collaboration among the various organizations.

They play well together, one could say.

Ten of them will do so Saturday evening at the Valentine Theatre's Plaza pARTy -- including the Toledo Opera, which will present the Flower Duet from the opera "Lakmé."

For a full schedule of jazz, ballet, symphony, theater, cabaret, chorale and film performances, visit the Valentine's event page. Represented will be the Toledo Opera, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Jazz Orchestra Quartet, Ballet Theatre of Toledo, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Valentine cabaret players, Toledo School for the Arts, and Masterworks Chorale.

Performances will be from 5 to 9 p.m. on the Key Bank Outdoor Stage in the Valentine Plaza and inside the theater's Grand Lobby. There is no admission charge for Plaza pARTy. Proceeds will go to a new local Performing Arts Group Fund administered by the Toledo Community Foundation and established by the Valentine to defray costs of renting the theater.

Georgio's and Manhattan's restaurants will sell select menu items, and a full cash bar will be in the lobby with wines from Heidelberg Distributing, which also will offer a beer truck outside at the event.

The Valentine Theatre, at 410 Adams St. in downtown Toledo, raises its gorgeous red curtain on staged performances of the Toledo Opera. The Toledo Opera Guild encourages everyone to support this venue and the excellent sampling of arts it will offer Saturday at the Plaza pARTy.

Guild President Looks Forward to Upcoming Year

A message from Cindy Niggemyer, president of the Toledo Opera Guild:

Welcome to Toledo Opera Guild’s 2014-2015 year. Last year the Guild donated $42,000 to Toledo Opera. This amount is due to our members' very hard work, because we receive minimum underwriting. Along with money, Guild members donate something very precious: their time. Our mission is: to promote opera awareness, education, company service and financial support for the Toledo Opera.

The coming year is going to be an exciting one! For the first time EVER, all our major events will be under one theme, Diamonds and Denim. Our major events will have some new and dynamic twists. So, now is the time to get those diamonds out of the drawer and dust them off. Real or fake, you have the opportunity to find a unique and creative look for our first event in November. You may mix the outlandish with denim or create an "over the top" formal look. The Guild is noted for original events, so come and join the fun.

I am pleased to announce that our fall event, Diamonds and Denim, on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Toledo Club, will be co-chaired by Bonnie Milano and Rebecca Conklin Kleiboemer. They have already begun planning, and will be pleased to have more Guild members join them on the committee.

In December we will have our popular Holiday Tea arranged by Chairman Sue Rosenberg. Date and place will be announced.

On Jan. 26, Barbara Bettinger and Mary Beaber are planning another great Diamonds and Denim Celebrity Wait night at Forrester’s Wine Bar and Party Room. They are being assisted by Linda McBee, Traci Schwann and Carol Sizemore. It’s a great night, so get a table together and join the party.

Our Phashion of the Opera fashion show has become a premier show for the Toledo area, and it too will carry the Diamonds and Denim theme this year. Pam Bettinger and Joyce Stenberg are planning even more excitement with an added evening reception. They will be needing help, so please contact them for more information.

Third Vice President Barbara Baker is busy planning our four lunches for the year. The opening one will be at Inverness Club on Wednesday, Oct. 1. For the year’s schedule, please refer to the list on our website.

Everyone on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors work hard to support Toledo Opera. Please refer to the listing of names on our website.

I encourage everyone to contact me with any suggestions for Guild improvement. It is great to have all our membership give input. This is your organization and your thoughts are appreciated and given consideration. You can contact me at artandwriting@ameritech.net. If you are not yet a member, you can download a form on our website. We love new members, so please let us know what you would like to participate in.

Save the Date! Diamonds and Denim

Mark your calendars now for the Toledo Opera Guild's major fall event, which benefits the amazing efforts of the Toledo Opera to bring you three fully staged operas this season.

Diamonds and Denim will be held the evening of Nov. 8, 2014 at the Toledo Club, 235 14th St. in downtown Toledo.

We are so looking forward to having fun with this theme, and great committees of guild members are shaping up under the co-chairmanship of Bonnie Milano and Rebecca Conklin Kleiboemer. If you would like to serve, please email Bonnie at bmilano@buckeye-express.com or Rebecca at rckleiboemer@gmail.com.

Shelli Jacobs and Traci Schwann are coordinating silent and live auctions full of fabulous items, and Barbara Baker and Diane Rusk will fill tables to the breaking point with delicious wine for sale. This will be the perfect opportunity for holiday shopping. Proceeds directly benefit the Toledo Opera.

We're also breaking a long-held club rule by actually encouraging guests to wear their blue jeans!

So, start thinking about how you'd creatively embrace our theme by wearing the glitz and glitter of diamonds, the sexy ruggedness of denim, or both!

Save the date of Nov. 8, and keep checking this blog, our Facebook page and your mailbox for information and invitations.

Toledo Symphony Principal Hornist Dies

From the Toledo Symphony:

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Toledo Symphony Principal Hornist Sandra Clark after a long battle with brain cancer. She worked tirelessly and long past the point where anyone thought humanly possible, which echoes the work she put into the Toledo Symphony for over 20 years, both as a player and behind the scenes in the office.

During this period she also found time to work on a composition for tenor and orchestra titled "Letter to Sarah by Sullivan Ballou," which was very important to her. In full, here is Letter to Sarah by Sullivan Ballou, performed by members of the Toledo Symphony, and conducted by Sandra Clark. The soloist is Ben Fidler, audio by Dr. Todd Brady, and video production by Randy Zalewski.

Catch 'Otello' at Local Movie Theaters

Get transported to Cyprus in the opera "Otello" by just a quick trip to a local movie theater.

The Metropolitan Opera offers this big-screen viewing Wednesday as part of its Summer Encore series. Rave Cinemas has scheduled showings for 2 and 7 p.m. at Franklin Park 16 (at the mall on Monroe Street in Toledo) and 7 p.m. at Fallen Timbers 14 (at the mall on Russell Road in Maumee).

Faithful love will be tested by jealous plots, military ambition, and the angry vices that have plagued men and women since their first pairings.

In Verdi's retelling of Shakespeare's towering tragedy, Renée Fleming gives a captivating performance as the innocent Desdemona, a role long considered one of her calling cards. As the title hero, Johan Botha, delivers an imposing portrayal of a proud warrior brought down by jealousy, with Falk Struckmann as the villainous Iago.

The Live in HD series includes interviews and behind-the-scenes features.

Guild Presents Opera with $41K

Cindy Niggemyer, left, president of the Toledo Opera Guild, and
Suzanne Rorrick, executive director of the Toledo Opera, hold a
check of more than $41,000 presented at the guild closing luncheon.

Summertime is finally here, and Toledo Opera Guild members certainly earned some fun in the sun as they wrapped up the 2013-2014 opera season with a significant donation to the Toledo Opera.

Executive Director Suzanne Rorrick received a check for $41,736.86 at the guild's closing luncheon earlier this month at Belmont Country Club in Perrysburg. These funds are vital for the staging of the upcoming season's performances of "Tosca," "Susannah" and "Lucia di Lammermoor."

Cindy Niggemyer, president of the guild, announced at the luncheon that 19 new members have joined the group and that its Board of Trustees will have more than 30 members.

Marcy McMahon, nominations cochairman, conducted the induction for the 2014-2015 Executive Committee:

President…………………….…..Cindy Niggemyer
First Vice-President……………...Shelli Jacobs
Second Vice-President……….….Joyce Stenberg
Third Vice-President……….……Barbara Baker
Recording Secretary……….….…Carol Sizemore
Corresponding Secretary…….…..Sue Rosenberg
Treasurer……………………….. Kelly Rectenwald
Assistant Treasurer………………Mary Beaber
Members at Large……………….Barbara Bettinger, Barbara Brown, Clare Gorski, Linda McBee
Past President……………………Traci Schwann

From left:Kelly Rectenwald, Joyce Stenberg, Shelli Jacobs,
Mary Ankenbrandt Beaber, Sandra Honemann and Linda
McBee at the closing luncheon at Belmont.

Niggemyer reported that the Executive Committee met in retreat in early May to discuss policies and procedures for the coming year, as well as at a meeting prior to the closing luncheon. Special thanks was given to hostess Barbara Bettinger.

Also honored at the luncheon were guild members who had organized the following events, with great success (lead chairmen listed first):

Mad Hatter: Laura Draheim, with Barbara Bettinger and Mary Beaber.
Celebrity Wait Night: Shelli Jacobs, with Barbara Brown and Barbara Bettinger.
Phashion of the Opera: Traci Schwann, with Karen DeNune, Diane Rusk and Shelli Jacobs.

Committee and board meetings resume Sept. 3. Have a great summer!

Save the Dates

The Toledo Opera Guild will be celebrating another successful season with a gathering June 4 at the Belmont Country Club in Perrysburg.

Social hour will begin at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at noon. Call Barbara Baker at 419-534-2322 for lunch questions; R.S.V.P. with $25 to Christine Goslin.

We will be installing officers and marking the third year in a row that we have been able to contribute $40,000 to the Toledo Opera.

So that we can do that for a fourth year -- and even top it -- our work will begin anew this fall. Please mark your calendars for our 2014-2015 meetings and events, listed below.

Thanks to everyone for such an amazing year!

CALENDAR

Operas: "Tosca," Oct. 10 and 12; "Susannah," Feb. 13 and 15; and "Lucia di Lammermoor," April 24 and 26, all at the Valentine Theatre.

Major Events: Fall guild event (TBA), 7 p.m. Nov. 8, Toledo Club; Phashion of the Opera, spring date TBD; Opera Gala, May 9, Toledo Club.

Meetings: Executive committee 9:30 a.m. and general board 10:30 a.m. Sept. 3, Jan. 7, March 4, April 1; executive board retreat, 9:30 a.m. May 6; year-end luncheon and officer installation, 11 a.m. June 4.