The 1970s-era obsession with combining high and low culture ended terribly and for good when the actor playing Cyrano de Bergerac was injured in a freak on-stage monster-truck accident. Keep it comfortably haute with today's Groupon. You get a ticket to see either the tenor José Carreras or one of three performances of Rigoletto at the San Antonio Opera.

Choose from the following seating options to see José Carreras at the Majestic Theatre on Thursday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m.:

• For $34, you get a balcony-level seat (orange section), a $65 value.
• For $58, you get a main orchestra–level seat (green section), a $110 value.
• For $79, you get a premier orchestra–level seat (yellow section), a $150 value.

Choose from the following seating levels for Rigoletto, performed on Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June 20, at 2 p.m. in the Municipal Auditorium.

• For $24, you get a back gallery–level seat (light blue section), a $45 value.
• For $37, you get a main orchestra–level seat (green section), a $70 value.

Tenor Carreras is well known for his performances with The Three Tenors (the original boy band) alongside Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. Highly regarded for his performances in Verdi and Puccini operas, Carreras fills grand halls with his voice and an evocative presence honed in more than 60 onstage roles.

Tragedy stalks the stage during Rigoletto, sung in Italian with English supertitles. This opera stalwart belts and lilts the story of the titular cursed court jester whose attempt to avenge his daughter's seduction by assassinating her lover, the powerful Duke of Mantua, ends terribly when his daughter gives up her own life to protect the duke.

The San Antonio Opera got its start in 1996 as a scrappy pocket operation with a budget of $6,000 and a 440-seat theater. Since then, it has grown into a company with a chorus of 44 local vocalists and a regular schedule of some of opera's biggest hits, including 2012's most anticipated production, Michael Bay's Armageddon 2: The Rock Returns.

Reviews

José Carreras won an outstanding achievement award at the Classical BRIT Awards. The San Antonio Opera was featured in the San Antonio Express-News as well as the Victoria Advocate:

• The 62-year old tenor brought the awards evening to an emotional climax with a stunning performance of 'Chitarra Romana'. – Urmee Khan, Telegraph
• With a pitch-perfect first act and a chilling final scene, Friday night's San Antonio Opera production of “Carmen” was a solid — and passionate — start to the company's 2008-09 season. – Jennifer Roolf Laster, San Antonio Express-News