Lucia opera on stage at West Bay on February 15

The story of star-crossed lovers returns to West Bay Opera with Lucia di Lammermoor on February 15.

Michael Singher conducts and David F. Ostwald directs the opera which is sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Music by Gaetano Donizetti and lyrics by Salvadore Cammarano, Lucia di Lammermoor --- or Lucy of Lammermoor --- was premiered at West Bay Opera in 1983. The 1835 opera was first staged at

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Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

The Lucia score is called a tour d’force for coloratura soprano and features arias and ensembles that are favorites with opera audiences.

Performances are 8 p.m. on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 23 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 17 and February 23 at at the Lucie Stern Theatre,1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto.

The story centers around secret lovers Lucia and Edgardo, whose families, the Ashtons and the Ravenswoods respectively, have been foes for generations. In the first act, Edgardo comes to the Ashtons' castle to try to make peace with Enrico, Lucia's brother, but she convinces him it would be futile. Instead, the lovers swear a vow of marriage and exchange rings, after which Edgardo must flee to France for political reasons. Enrico arranges Lucia's marriage to Arturo, a suitor that can help Enrico regain the favor of the court and secure the future of the Ashton family. In the second act, as Lucia, faithful to her vow, refuses to follow through, Enrico shows her a forged document intended to prove that Edgardo has already forgotten her and is already in a relationship with another woman. Raimondo, the family priest, further reinforces Enrico's message, encouraging Lucia to marry Arturo for the sake of the Ashton clan's future. The wedding takes place as planned. After the bride and groom sign the marriage contract, witnessed by the guests, Edgardo suddenly appears at the party. Raimondo shows Edgardo the marriage contract. Enraged, Edgardo demands confirmation from Lucia that the contract bears her signature. When she confirms it, he curses her and takes off his ring and tramples it, before being chased out of the castle. In the final act, Raimondo interrupts the wedding party and conveys to the guests the horrific news that Lucia has gone mad and killed her husband with his own dagger. In a scene with few parallels in opera, Lucia appears, her nightgown covered in blood, and hallucinates about being married to Edgardo. She then collapses. Edgardo awaits Enrico at the Ravenswood family cemetery, where they are to meet for a duel. Raimondo arrives instead, with the news that Lucia has died. Yearning to be reunited with Lucia, Edgardo kills himself.

Tickets are $45 to $75. For more information call 650.424.9999 or visit www.wbopera.org