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 Saturday at 1 p.m., with Georges Bizet's iconic Carmen. Mezzo-soprano Clementine Margaine reprises her remarkable portrayal of Carmen with tenor Roberto Alagna as her lover, Don Jose, in what has become one of the most frequently staged operas in the world.

FREDONIA — 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 Saturday at 1 p.m., with Georges Bizet’s iconic Carmen.

Mezzo-soprano Clementine Margaine reprises her portrayal of Carmen with tenor Roberto Alagna who captivated audiences as her lover, Don Jose, in 2010. Louis Langree conducts Sir Richard Eyre’s powerful production, a Met favorite since its 2009 premiere.

The score of Carmen contains so many instantly recognizable tunes that it can be easy to overlook how well constructed it is. The major solos are excellent combinations of arresting melody and dramatic purpose – from the baritone’s famous Toreador Song to the tenor’s wrenching Flower Song to the title character’s alluring Habanera and Seguidilla – and the duets and ensembles are equally beguiling.

Bizet’s masterpiece of the gypsy seductress who lives by her own rules has had an impact far beyond the opera house. The opera’s melodic sweep is as irresistible as the title character herself, a force of nature who has become a defining female cultural figure. Carmen was a scandal at its premiere but soon after became a triumphal success and has remained one of the most frequently staged operas in the world.

The production runs three hours, 21 minutes, with one intermission.

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.