Begin the New Year at the Met with “The Met: Live in HD’s” sixth opera of the 2011 season, “Faust” by Gounod. It airs at Orcas Center on Sunday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m.

Three of opera’s biggest stars – Jonas Kaufmann, René Pape, and Marina Poplavskaya – take the lead roles in a new production of Gounod’s beloved opera. Tenor superstar Kaufmann sings the title role for the first time at the Met; world-famous Méphistophélès Pape reprises one of his greatest roles; and the riveting singing actress Marina Poplavskaya takes on the iconic role of the victimized Marguerite.

The new staging of “Faust” is by the Tony-winning director Des McAnuff of “Jersey Boys,” “Tommy,” Broadway’s upcoming “Jesus Christ Superstar,” in his Met debut. His production, which sets the action in the early part of the 20th century, casts the opera’s timeless themes of sin, temptation, and redemption in a more contemporary light.  The traditional setting for “Faust” is 16th-century Germany, a time when alchemists and philosophers were familiar characters in real life. McAnuff’s new Met production places the action in the first half of the 20th century.

Gounod’s score is famous for a variety of well-known arias and ensembles, including Marguerite’s coloratura showpiece “Jewel Song,” Faust’s longing ode to Marguerite, “Salut, demeure chaste et pure,” Méphistophélès’ irreverent hymn about the pleasures of sin, “Le veau d’or,” and the final trio, in which all three voices join in a battle for Marguerite’s soul. The gifted young conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who led the critically acclaimed Live in HD transmissions of Carmen and Don Carlo in recent seasons, conducts his first Met performances of this opera.

Gounod’s opera was performed on the opening night of the old Metropolitan Opera house in 1883, and has been a staple of the Met’s repertory ever since. It was the most-performed opera at the Met for much of the early twentieth century and is still among the top 10 most frequently performed operas at the Met.

“Met superstar Jonas Kaufmann was a vocally splendid Faust. Marina Poplavskaya’s sound was shimmering, plush, and penetrating. René Pape’s Méphistophélès was all suavity and calculation,” raved The New York Times when McAnuff’s new production premiered at the Met last week.

The live transmission is hosted by mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. Running time  is approximately four hours.

Tickets for Faust are $15 for adults, $11 for students and $2 off for Orcas Center Members and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org, by calling 376-2281 ext. 1 or by visiting the box office open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, noon – 4 p.m.