Soprano Anna Netrebko joins the ranks of Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballe, and Renata Scotto, taking on — for the first time at the Met — the title role of the real-life French actress who dazzled 18th-century audiences with her on- and offstage passion.

The soprano is joined by tenor Piotr Beczala as Adriana’s lover, Maurizio. The principal cast also features mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili and baritone Ambrogio Maestri.

The opera occupies a unique place in the repertory: largely dismissed by experts from its premiere to the present day, yet cherished by its fans for the dramatic possibilities provided by the lead roles. Based on a play by Eugene Scribe, the story was inspired by the real-life intrigues of famed actress Adrienne Lecouvreur and the legendary soldier — and lover — Maurice of Saxony. Cilea’s operatic retelling quickly became a favorite of charismatic soloists. The title character, in particular, is a quintessential diva role.

Sir David McVicar’s staging, which sets the action in a working replica of a Baroque theater, premiered at the Royal Opera House in London, where The Guardian praised the “elegant production, sumptuously designed … the spectacle guarantees a good night out.”

Live at the Met, the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series of live, high definition (HD) opera transmissions to theaters around the world, continues its 2018-19 season at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House on Sat., Jan. 12, at 1 p.m., with Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur. Soprano Anna Netrebko joins the ranks of Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballe, and Renata Scotto, taking on – for the first time at the Met – the title role of the real-life French actress who dazzled 18th-century audiences with her on- and offstage passion.

Gianandrea Noseda conducts the production, which runs three hours, 33 minutes, with two intermissions.

Live at the Met telecasts are now shown in more than 2,000 theaters in 75 countries, making the Met the only arts institution with an ongoing global art series of this scale. The Met was the first arts company to experiment with this type of broadcast, beginning on a modest scale in 2006 and growing every season since then, with more than 10 million tickets sold to date.

Met Opera stars serve as hosts for the series, conducting live interviews with cast members, crew and production teams, and introducing the popular behind-the-scenes features; altogether, the worldwide audience is given an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera at one of the world’s great houses.

Individual tickets to each of the operas in the season are $20, ($18 Opera House members, $10 students). A flexible subscription of eight tickets which can be used however you want — one at a time to eight different operas, all at once for eight people, or anything in between — is available for $142. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office or by phone at 679-1891, Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org.

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.