Orcas Center hosts the return of the Seattle Opera Young Artists Program for a fully-staged production of Donizetti’s Viva La Mamma on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

“Donizetti’s ‘Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali’ (The Conventions & Chaos of the Theatre), or as it is more widely known, ‘Viva la Mamma,’ is a wild farce about the travails of an opera company trying to put on a newly composed show,” said executive director Barbara Courtney. “Rehearsals are underway for the very serious opera Romolo ed Ersilia, but a madly temperamental prima donna and her fussy husband, who is also a singer, make life miserable for their colleagues. Her rival is Luigia, another soprano, with an aggressive mother, Agata (composed for and sung by a baritone) who tries to substitute for a defecting tenor and throws the whole cast into confusion.”

For a sneak preview of Viva La Mamma, visit the Orcas Center website (www.orcascenter.org) for a video of the Young Artists rehearsing the opera.

Viva La Mamma features a cast of ten singers, and the running time for the show is approximately two hours.

Mia’s Restaurant is offering a pre-opera dinner discount of 10 percent to all “Viva La Mamma” ticket holders. Mia’s opens at 5 p.m., and reservations are recommended (376-6247).

Tickets are $25, $17 for Orcas Center members and $11 for students. However, the cost of tickets should not be a deterrent for low-income families and individuals who wish to attend the opera performance, as Orcas Center has a fund for free and discount tickets for such community members.

For more information or tickets, please visit www.orcascenter.org or call or 360/376-2281 ext 1 or visit Orcas Center during box office hours, Thursday-Saturday, noon – 4 p.m.