Be smitten with Violetta, the brave woman who learns that “love can be inspired by a passing glance,” but happiness is not such an easy journey. This is the grand sweep of Verdi’s “La Traviata,” the world’s most performed opera, coming to the Center for the Arts, courtesy of Virginia Opera with music by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra.

“La Traviata” is about “life on the edge with a woman who took a wrong way” said Lillian Groag, director. Set in decadent 19th century Paris, Verdi’s masterful story tells of a lovely courtesan who unexpectedly falls in love with a man that ultimately is not meant to be.

“With an extraordinary cast, ‘La Traviata’ is a timeless story with an emphasis on tumultuous relationships and spurned love and compassion.” It also may be recognizable from movies such as “Pretty Woman” or “Moulin Rouge.”

“Even if you think you don’t know ‘La Traviata’ you will instantly recognize a number of its songs,” added Groag. One of those songs might be the aptly named “The Drinking Song” or the grand show-stopping aria, “Siempre Libre” about making choices between independence and the constraints of love.

The production, created in partnership with Des Moines Metro Opera, takes place within a “gossamer, delicate setting: like a dragon fly’s nest of beautiful abstraction,” added Groag.

In her Virginia Opera debut, Cecilia Violetta López is the ill-fated character Violetta. Lopez described her role as an “elegant, confident woman who is swept away by love, but is also scarred by love. She is real; trying to deal with her complicated life. We can relate to her as she learns that love is so overpowering.

“‘La Traviata’ is full of emotion, all with Verdi’s music and lyrics to dig into,” added Lopez. As Verdi wrote, love can be “madness and euphoria.”

Rolando Sanz, portrays Alfredo, the man who loves Violetta. He also shows her the destructive power of love and commitment. Beyond his opera performances, Sanz is the artistic director for the D.C. area’s Young Artists of America, created to provide talented young musicians the opportunity to be mentored by professional artists. Andrew Bisantz, in his Virginia Opera debut, will lead the Richmond Symphony.

Virginia Opera President and CEO Russell P. Allen commented that the production of “La Traviata” will astonish with an “amazing cast in an exciting operatic experience.” An evening to hook audiences into the opera experience.