French soprano, Natalie Dessay, one of the world’s greatest singing actresses, stars as Violetta, the fatally ill courtesan, Verdi’s most beloved heroine, in “La Traviata” screening at Orcas Center on Friday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Orcas audiences will remember Dessay from her enchanting portrayal of Cleopatra in Handel’s “Giulio Cesare.”

Verdi’s opera “La Traviata,” a timeless story of love and sacrifice, is one of the most popular in history. Willy Decker’s spectacular staging uses highly theatrical effects, including all-black costumes with a single red party dress for Violetta and an omnipresent clock ticking away the remaining hours of Violetta’s life, to tell the opera’s story.