The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will screen Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot as part of its Live at the Met Summer Encore Series of operas on Thursday at 7 p.m.

“We’re very excited to be presenting encore broadcasts of six of the Metropolitan Opera’s most highly acclaimed Live in HD transmissions this summer,” said Opera House Executive Director Rick Davis. “These productions offer a way for opera buffs to relive some of the Met’s best-loved productions from the past few seasons. They also provide a great way for people unfamiliar with opera to give the genre a try.”

Director Franco Zeffirelli’s breathtaking production of Giacomo Puccini’s final opera is a favorite of the Met repertoire. Maria Guleghina plays the ruthless Chinese princess of the title, whose hatred of men is so strong that she has all suitors who can’t solve her riddles beheaded. Marcello Giordani sings Calaf, the unknown prince who eventually wins her love and whose arias include the famously beautiful, “Nessun dorma.”

The New York Times calls the production a “grand and gold-tinged spectacle” and praised Guleghina’s performance as “Turandot, the ice maiden incarnate, a glittering apparition in gilded headdress” as impressive and dramatically riveting. The production also stars Marina Poplavskaya and Samuel Ramey. Latvian maestro Andris Nelsons conducts.

Live at the Met live opera broadcasts and Summer Encores screenings are made possible by Dr. James M. and Marcia Merrins, who funded the purchase of the satellite transmission and projection equipment used in the series. Support for the series also comes from the United Arts Appeal of Chautauqua County.

Tickets to the Live at the Met Summer Encores Series operas are $15 and are available in advance by calling or visiting the Box Office at 679-1891 Tuesday Friday, 1-5 p.m. They also may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org. The Summer Encore Series concludes with Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia on Aug. 8.

Chautauqua County’s only performing arts center presenting its own programming year-round, the 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.