Although it may seem unnecessary to say so, sometimes opera can be fun. Italian comic opera can be musically formulaic, simplistic in plot, and even thin on entertainment. However, the best examples, when presented well, are irresistibly light-hearted. Washington National Opera's production of Gaetano Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore is just that. Yes, it's a silly story and the characters are flimsy, the staging is a reprise of Stephen Lawless's 1997 version -- altered in minor ways this time without the director's approval -- but it is well sung, beautiful to look at, and just plain fun.

Felice Romani's libretto revolves around the love-hate relationship between the tenor and soprano roles, a country bumpkin named Nemorino (Paul Groves) and a supercilious woman of quality named Adina (Elizabeth Futral). This couple is familiar to us in any number of guises on modern television: the man and woman -- Dr. Fleischman and Maggie on Northern Exposure, Mulder and Scully on The X-Files, Josh and Donna on The West Wing, put your favorite television show here -- whose antagonistic relationship you tune in for week after week, sure that it will eventually turn into love. Well, it's the same thing here, except that we are in a rural village in the Basque country, and everyone sings all the time.

The flirtatious Adina thoroughly enjoys Nemorino's attention, while at the same time regularly crushing his hopes. In the opening scene, she tells the chorus about the story she has been reading, the love tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, which becomes a running reference throughout the opera. Little could Donizetti have known, in 1832, that a German composer named Richard Wagner would write a world-changing opera on that very story 30 years later. This did not prevent the pianist accompanying the recitatives, Adelle Eslinger, when a character mentions the magic potion that causes the tragic love between Tristan and Isolde, from playing Wagner's famous, unresolved chord progression associated with that love.

Nemorino quickly realizes that he is going to need help to win Adina when a pompous army officer, Sargeant Belcore -- sung with appropriate swagger by Marc Barrard -- tries to romance her, with encouragement from Adina only because she likes to see Nemorino suffer. Luckily, a snake oil-selling charlatan named Doctor Dulcamara (the humorous and agilely pattering Steven Condy) arrives in town, with just the cure. Out of fake potions, Dulcamara produces the "elixir of love" that gives the opera its name, which is nothing but a mostly consumed bottle of Bordeaux. Wine may not make the straight-laced young man any more attractive to women, but it does reduce his inhibitions and give him some dopey confidence.

Tenor Paul Groves played the idiot to hilarious effect, and vocally he was well suited to the role. His performance of the most famous aria in the opera, "Una furtiva lagrima" in Act II -- a piece that the librettist originally refused to write -- was as sweet and sad as it could be, not least because of a well-played bassoon solo. (Groves was a hit with this aria at the WNO Golden Gala, too.) This is not a huge voice or the most agile and he was sometimes behind or otherwise at odds with conductor Emmanuel Villaume, but Groves thoroughly charmed me with both his singing and acting in this, his WNO debut. However, the real treasure was soprano Elizabeth Futral, whose Adina was superlatively sung, the right combination of spirited minx and bitch on wheels. Her high notes and runs, as in "Prendi, per me sei libero" in Act II, were as sure and sound as could be.

The minor roles were all well cast, too, including a strong performance from Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Christina Martos as Giannetta. The staging is fun, with all participants convincingly and thoroughly choreographed, including the chorus, which can so easily look clumsy and fake. Doctor Dulcamara here is accompanied by a little person -- the libretto says only that Dulcamara is attended by "un servitore" -- who "plays" the trumpet (actually played by a trumpeter in the wings). The costumes (Johan Engels) are traditional and mostly beautiful. Joan Sullivan-Genthe's lighting includes a magnificent effect of sunlight from the rear of the stage, that shines from the field into the barn that serves as the only set. The backdrop changes to stormy weather and then the starry sky of night, too, all convincingly. Spotlights and selective darkness underscore character asides and "aria moments." Conductor Emmanuel Villaume led the performance with a sure hand, although there's not much there orchestrally in the score, mostly just the "big guitar" accompaniment often criticized in Italian opera. There was a great performance by the banda, the town band that had to appear on stage in most Italian opera until Verdi did away with it, which Donizetti incorporates cleverly into the wedding scene.

Washington National Opera will present L'Elisir d'Amore simultaneously with its new production of Wagner's Das Rheingold (see our review from last week) through April 17. If you assume that the opera is too expensive for you, it is not necessarily true. All students and young professionals, ages 18 to 35, can sign up for the Generation O program, to receive a chance to buy reduced-price tickets. Such tickets are available for upcoming performances of Das Rheingold (April 5, 8, and 14) and L'Elisir d'Amore (April 6, 12, and 15). Also, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists will give a special performance of L'Elisir d'Amore next Tuesday (April 11, 7:30 p.m.), for interested members of the Generation O program. Sign yourself up now. You can also try to get half-price tickets, on the day of a performance only, through TICKETplace, now at its new location at 407 Seventh St. NW.