Much like human history, opera is epic in scale, full of murders and romantic intrigue, and frequently interrupted by deformed men in half-masks and capes. Get in on the grandeur with today's GrouponLive deal for one ticket to see the Des Moines Metro Opera's production of Don Pasquale on Tuesday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola. Seats are assigned over the phone, and customers can exchange their Groupons for tickets at will call on the night of the performance. Choose from the following seating options:

• For $23, you get one section C ticket (a $47 value).
• For $31, you get one section B ticket (a $63 value).
• For $36, you get one section A ticket (a $73 value).
• For $43, you get one section A1 ticket (an $87 value).

The 69th of Gaetano Donizetti's 71 operas, Don Pasquale is a lively and enduring masterpiece of 19th-century opera. Bass baritone Rod Nelman stars as Don Pasquale, a lascivious older bachelor who unwittingly stumbles into a love triangle with his nephew Ernesto (tenor Taylor Stayton) and the sprightly Norina (soprano Zulimar López-Hernández), Ernesto's former fiancée whom he spurns at Don Pasquale's command. A tale of disguises and trickery, this dramma buffo's comedic tone is inspired by improvised Italian commedia dell'arte theater. Donizetti's playful, buoyant libretti is sung in Italian, with English and hieroglyphic supertitles projected above the stage.

For 39 seasons, the Des Moines Metro Opera has fostered a national reputation with its progressive performances starring American-trained artists. Simpson College's Blank Performing Arts Center, which recently underwent a 17,000-square-foot expansion, treats attendees to a professional and intimate venue that ensures no note goes unheard or and no tonsil goes unseen.