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CORVALLIS - Opera Theater Corvallis and the Oregon State University Department of Music will present "Albert Herring," an opera by Benjamin Britten, Sept. 27-29, at the Majestic Theatre in Corvallis.

The Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday's matinee starting at 2 p.m. Producer Richard Poppino, director of vocal studies at OSU, will present a free lecture beginning one hour before the house opens on the day of each performance.

"Albert Herring" is the third in a trio of operas written in the 1930s that made Britten famous. (The other two were "Peter Grimes" and "The Rape of Lucretia.") The comic opera takes place in the fictitious British town of East Suffolk, where elders have met to elect their annual May Queen, an honor usually bestowed upon a young woman of remarkable virtue. After naming nearly every young woman in the town, and coming to the conclusion that there is a shortage of virtuous young women in East Suffolk, the elders elect the title character, Albert Herring (played by OSU music student Joe Battrick) as East Suffolk's first ever May King.

"That'll teach the girls a lesson!" barks Lady Billows, the patroness of the festival, played by OSU faculty voice teacher Jill Soltero, and by student Stephanie Hower. The only problem with this decision is that Albert, an otherwise unremarkable boy, does not want the honor of being May King, nor does he in fact want to be virtuous. He is simply a victim of stiff social mores and an overbearing "Mum," played by OSU students Camelia Nine and Cheryl-Lynn Salamanca.

In true comic opera fashion, the characters' lives are turned upside down as Albert experiences a belated transition from adolescence to adulthood, egged on by the far less inhibited lovers, Sid and Nancy (played by OSU alumnus Erik Hundtoft and student Megan Sand). What follows is an uproarious account of small town life and self-discovery. "Albert Herring" is under the stage direction of Opera Theater Corvallis veteran David Howell. A singer himself, Howell played the wickedly funny witch in OTC's "Hansel and Gretel," as well as the lovesick tenor Alfredo, in "Die Fledermaus." He also directed OTC's past two mainstage productions, "Don Pasquale" (2001), and "Face on the Barroom Floor" and "La Pizza con Funghi" (2002), as well as OTC's 2002 children's outreach program "The Fowl Opera Trilogy."

Marlan Carlson is the music director of the production. Carlson serves as chair of the OSU Department of Music, and is music director of the Corvallis-OSU Symphony.

The cast of Albert Herring is made up primarily of vocal performance students from OSU's Opera Workshop, as well as two alumni, Hundtoft and Melissa Jenkins. Hundtoft was the district winner of the 1998 Metropolitan Opera auditions. He has also performed in Bel Canto Northwest and at Portland State University Opera Theater. Jenkins played the role of Zita in OTC's "Gianni Schicchi." The production's accompanist is OSU faculty member Brian Conatser.

A special "moveable feast" is open to ticket-holders on the nights of all three performances, sponsored by four Corvallis restaurants. Opera-goers who present their tickets will receive a free appetizer with purchase of beverage at AJ's; two-for-one entrées at Michael's Landing; a free dessert at Iovino's; and a free citrus drink at Magenta.

Tickets for "Albert Herring" are available at Grass Roots Books and Music, Emporium Department Store, the Majestic Theater box office, and the OSU Department of Music (101 Benton Hall). Admission is $20.

For more information, call 541-737-4061.