Friday September 28, 5:00 pm EDT. Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, 420 Tompkins Avenue, Staten Island NY. Admission: $40; open to the public. Contact: Stephanie Lundegard 718-442-1608. Light dinner will be served. A "Night at the Opera" with Lou Barrella. Our distinguished professor of Italian opera will present Adriana Lecouvreur.

This four-act opera of jealousy and tangled love, first performed in Milan in 1902, is based on the true story of Adrienne Lecouvreur, an 18th-Century French actress. Her romance with Maurizio, Count of Saxony, conflicted with that of the married Duchess of Boullion. Adrienne died mysteriously and different theories suggest she was poisoned by her rival. This opera provides a showcase for a gifted and experienced dramatic soprano who can negotiate the melodramatic action composed in a verismo style and who can craft melodious moments of rare beauty. This performance features Mirella Freni and Florenza Cossotto from a LaScala production in 1989.