Places, everyone. Curtain up. It’s time for another season from the Ohio Light Opera.
Located on the campus of The College of Wooster, the OLO is one of the few repertory theaters where multiple shows run simultaneously. This year’s season will open Saturday, June 14 and run through Sunday, Aug. 3, with six different productions.
“Ohio Light Opera is America’s premier company for operetta and early musical theater,” said Jacob Allen, associate artistic director. “Each summer in Wooster, we produce a festival season of fully staged, orchestra-accompanied shows that celebrate the golden age of lyric theater, from Gilbert and Sullivan and Viennese classics to forgotten Broadway gems. It’s world-class music and storytelling brought to life with heart, humor and history.”
Allen explained what goes into choosing the shows to create a season that offers variety musically, stylistically and historically.
“We weigh voice types, orchestration needs, dramaturgical diversity and audience preferences in our choices,” he said.
A typical season includes at least one Gilbert and Sullivan, a Viennese or French operetta, a classic American musical, and at least one rediscovery.
The season is typically announced before casting, as potential cast members want to know the lineup before auditioning.
“Each show this year has a unique flavor,” Allen said. “Together they showcase the depth and breadth of lyric theater.”
One of the shows this summer is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” from 1945. The musical is based on Ferenc Molnár’s 1909 play “Liliom.”
“Carousel” has played on Broadway and in London with revivals in both places. It was filmed in 1956. In 1999 Time Magazine named “Carousel” the best musical of the 20th century. Packed with recognizable songs, one of the most memorable is “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
“Among all our fabulous titles,” Allen said, “this season includes Lerner and Loewe’s ‘Brigadoon,’ which blends Scottish mysticism with lush Broadway writing, perfect for a company rooted in operetta traditions.”
Another production included in the season is “Tip-Toes.”
“(It’s) a rarely heard Gershwin musical comedy that we’re restoring using original orchestrations that haven’t been heard in decades,” Allen said. “That kind of archival work is something we’re proud to bring to the stage.”
“Patience” is this year’s Gilbert and Sullivan offering. First performed in London in 1881, the comic opera is a satire on England’s aesthetic movement of the 1870s and ‘80s, poking fun at such topics as superficiality, pretentiousness, romantic love, vanity and hypocrisy.
Noël Coward’s “Bitter Sweet” also is in OLO’s 2025 lineup. The show was a hit in London in 1929 and has been filmed twice. The story involves a young woman who elopes with her music teacher only to find that life is not as rosy as expected. The score is packed with romantic, comical and satirical songs.
“The Cousin from Batavia” will be the last production to enter the summer season mix. Eduard Künneke’s 1921 operetta was introduced into OLO’s repertoire in 2000. It was so popular it was revived just two years later (no show since has returned so quickly). Almost 25 years later, the jazzy musical score and comic yet sentimental story will undoubtedly delight audiences again.
The OLO company members hail from all over the country with well over 100 members in the cast, crew, design team, orchestra and administrative support.
“We’re proud to have several Northeast Ohio performers and crew members in the mix this season,” Allen said. “It’s important to us to maintain strong local ties while also welcoming talent from across the country.”
Allen said many members of the run crew and spotlight operators come from Wooster and the surrounding areas. He said it’s a great way for aspiring theater artists to get firsthand experience in a professional environment.
This year there is a mix of returning company members and new faces.
“We’re thrilled to welcome back fan favorites like Spencer Reese and Maggie Langhorne and are equally excited for audiences to meet our newest additions,” Allen said.
Each show rehearses for about six days spread out over about two weeks.
“We usually begin with music coachings,” Allen said.
The performers arrive at these rehearsals with everything already learned and mostly memorized.
“Then we move into staging, choreography and character work,” he said. “The whole process is highly collaborative, and of course, we rehearse multiple productions at once in repertory style.”
Along with the performances at Freedlander Theater on the COW campus, the OLO company will present a Fourth of July concert, preshow lectures for select performances and host some backstage tours throughout the summer. The OLO also does educational outreach with behind-the-scenes programming and community partnerships.
As a nonprofit, ticket sales cover only a portion of the costs involved in producing a season.
“We rely on the generosity of individuals, foundations and sponsors to help us preserve this unique art form and keep performances accessible,” Allen said.
Donations may be made online at www.ohiolightopera.org/donate. Anyone interested in sponsorships or program ads is invited to contact the OLO office.
Find more information and order tickets online. Tickets also may be purchased at the theater box office during regular summer business hours: Freedlander Theater, 329 E. University St., Wooster, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday (beginning June 21) from noon to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday (beginning June 29) from 12:30-4 p.m.
