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Tacoma Opera is a jewel in the crown that is the Tacoma arts scene. It's all locally produced and draws on both national and regional talent to put on world-class productions of operas known far and wide.

Tonight, Tacoma Opera will stage La Traviata, a Giuseppe Verdi masterpiece about the beautifully moving romance between a courtesan who falls in love with a gentleman, only to have her past come back to get her. It's heartbreaking. It's romantic. It's everything an opera should be.

Tacoma Opera is staging the show for just two nights, but approached it as if it was to run on Broadway for months. Local photographer Peter Serko, who has served as a volunteer photographer for Tacoma Opera for the past five seasons, says La Traviata's sets and costumes are stunning.

"I have seen La Traviata in four other productions at other opera companies," says Serko. "This is one of the best, if not the best I have seen. It is an accessible opera, one that everyone can enjoy right from the opening bars of the prelude to the tragic ending. I have been to many Tacoma Operas."

Photo credit: Peter Serko

Serko follows the opera from a unique angle - darting between bushes, peeking through windows, slipping through columns - seeking not only to document, but also to tell a story with his lens. He spent last night's dress rehearsal tucked in a corner, photographing performers taking and leaving the stage. Impressively, the company has brought this opera together in less than a month, including learning lyrics in a foreign language.

Photo credit: Peter Serko

"The costumes are absolutely beautiful and I know for a fact that the entire cast loves wearing them," he says. "The set is simple but visually appealing. Unlike many set photographers, who tend to shoot everything from front and center, I like to move around and shoot from different angles. I find that I can tell the story better that way, see the relationships between characters better."

PANTAGES THEATER, TACOMA OPERA'S LA TRAVIATA, 8 P.M. FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2 P.M. SUNDAY, MARCH 17, $20-$85, 901 BROADWAY, TACOMA, 253.591.5894