CONTRIBUTED

The Met will broadcast Verdi's opera "La Traviata" to worldwide audiences Saturday, April 14, at 1 p.m.

The Sunrise Theater will carry the live HD broadcast and will present an encore of the HD broadcast on Wednesday, April 25, at 1 p.m.

It has been said that for an opera company to be profitable, it need only produce "La Traviata," which will guarantee a sold-out performance every night.

Considered morally questionable when it was performed in London in 1856, "La Traviata" (which translates literally as "the fallen woman") is today the second-most-performed opera in the world.

The Met's production on April 14 stars Natalie Dessay as Violetta, the "woman gone astray." With her crystal clear soprano voice, Dessay discovered her singing talent while taking acting classes and still considers herself an actress who sings - an apt description based on her riveting portrayal of the fragile heroine in the Met's production of "Lucia di Lammermoor" in 2011.

Matthew Polenzani, one of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation, portrays Violetta's lover, Alfredo.

Polenzani has been praised for his artistic versatility and fresh lyricism. Sunrise Theater audiences might also appreciate Polenzani's self-description as an "avid golfer."

Dmitri Hvorostovsky will be returning to the Met stage in the role of Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father, who intervenes in his son's relationship with the -courtesan Violetta.

This internationally acclaimed Russian baritone was seen most recently in the HD broadcast of "Ernani" in February.

Hvorostovsky's distinctive voice, incomparable legato and breath control place him at the forefront of leading baritones in the world today.

Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi will be on the podium for Willy Decker's stunningly reimagined staging of Verdi's operatic classic.

The run time is two hours, 30 minutes.

Tickets, reserved seating or at the door, are $25. Buy tickets in advance by calling (910) 692-8501 or visiting sunrise theater.org. Tickets for the encore broadcast will be available only at the door for $25.