At its best, theater can serve as a mirror of humanity, a reflection that allows people to live through characters and recognize similar experiences in their own lives, said stage director Tom Diamond.

Theater can also lead audiences to understand a wide spectrum of emotions without having to personally experience them, he said.

That is something Diamond hopes to achieve this month as he directs Utah Opera's “Lucia di Lammermoor,” which he calls a “visceral” story about love, revenge, a need to survive and loss, that will be at Salt Lake City's Capitol Theatre March 11-19.

Set in 17th-century Scotland, “Lucia di Lammermoor” is a tragic love story that follows Lucia and Edgardo, members of opposing houses who are carrying on a secret romance. Lucia’s brother, Lord Enrico Ashton, views this affair as a threat to his political power and coerces his sister into an advantageous, arranged marriage with another man.

Lucia vehemently opposes this arrangement and is devastated when the marriage takes place. As her grief deepens, she begins to lose her sanity, culminating in “one of the most shocking scenes on the operatic stage,” according to a news release from Utah Opera.

Although the storyline is infused with tragedy, Utah Opera’s production blends the singers’ “incredible feats of vocalism” with the Utah Symphony’s “beautiful melodies” to create a “complete musical experience” for audience members, conductor Gary Wedow said in an interview with the Deseret News.

James Westman, who plays Lucia’s power-hungry brother, Enrico, described the performance as a “duet” between the singers and symphony musicians.

“With this production, we’re able to produce a lot of colors, which will instill a greater connection to the audience,” he said. “That’s why we do what we do.”

In addition to its emotionally charged storyline, the opera is also vocally demanding.

“It’s vocal gymnastics,” Westman said. “I sing my highest note of my range, and I sing one of my lowest notes of my range and everything in between.”

The performers have worked hard to combine their vocals with the emotions of the characters they portray.

“In the old days, I think that singers would probably do a lot of standing on the stage,” Diamond said. “Now we want to see some acting up there. They’re singing this very difficult music and acting. It’s thrilling.”

Nicole Haslett, who plays the title role in her Utah Opera debut, said she approached the role by finding a connection with Lucia, who she described as “extremely passionate and often one-track minded.”

“It is very important to use your past experiences and your own emotions as fuel on stage,” she said. “This will be my first time bringing (Lucia) to life, so I’m very very excited.”

Westman applauded Haslett’s performance.

“I can’t believe it’s her first (time playing Lucia),” he said. “She even looks like my sister, too. She’s such a nice girl (that) it’s hard to be angry sometimes.”

Westman said that while he plays a villainous role, he still strives to reveal a human side that expresses love and compassion toward his sister. He mentioned that despite being in constant opposition, the two characters are connected by their “passionate, one-track minded” ways.

“There’s this whole idea that (Lucia and Enrico) are very much similar, and yet, I’m much more evil,” Westman said.

“(Enrico is) a very rich character,” Wedow added. “And the way we’re portraying it is much more interesting than the way you sometimes see it, as kind of only a villain.”

Westman mentioned that Enrico suffers from a sense of remorse for his actions at the end of the opera when he witnesses Lucia’s descent into madness.

This moment, commonly referred to as the “mad scene,” was not initially popular at the time the opera was written, according to Wedow. He said the scene is designed to make people feel nervous and uncomfortable.

Westman added that the opera also includes elements of feminism, with Lucia’s open refusal to obey the rules of convention. He said the opera serves as an “exposé on the misogynistic reality of the day.”

“There’s a realization of the time, and it lasts throughout history, of injustice,” he said. “A lot of unsuccessful operas don’t deal with that — things that can last forever.”

Although it does incorporate some traditions from other variations of the opera, Utah Opera’s production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” honors composer Gaetano Donizetti’s original version, Wedow said, and will provide viewers with “a more authentic experience.”

The physical production is also true to “the actual tradition” of the opera, Diamond said.

“It’s beautiful architecture," he said. “It’s kind of what you imagine in your mind’s eye if you listen to this music and imagine what that world would actually look like.”

And for those who attend Utah Opera’s production of “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Diamond hopes that above all else, they will enjoy “the astounding nature of the human voice.”

“They’re very passionate about music in Utah,” Westman added. "There’s a passion for opera here, and I think they’re going to love this.”

If you go ...

What: Utah Opera's "Lucia di Lammermoor"

Where: Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South

When: March 11, 13, 15 and 17, 7:30 p.m.; March 19, 2 p.m.

How much: $21-$103

Web: utahopera.org

Phone: 801-355-2787