It's serious! It's hilarious! It's Richard Strauss' delightful "Ariadne auf Naxos," and it's the penultimate offering of Winter Opera St. Louis' 2011-2012 season.

"Ariadne" is an opera within an opera, a prologue and then the opera proper, and it all takes place within 2 1/2 hours, including the intermission. In the Prologue, we meet all the performers in a new opera, and the people responsible for it. The richest man in Vienna has commissioned an opera seria from the young Composer, to be performed that night with a dinner and fireworks.

On arriving backstage, the Composer discovers that a commedia dell'arte troupe has also been hired to entertain. He's horrified by the idea of his serious story bumping up against burlesque: His subject, from Greek mythology, is the story of Ariadne, abandoned by Perseus on the island of Naxos and rescued by the god Bacchus.

But that's nothing compared to his despair at the announcement by the haughty Major Domo that the two pieces will now have to be performed together as a musical-dramatic mashup, so that the fireworks can proceed on time. Neither set of performers is happy about this, particularly the Prima Donna and Tenor, who will sing Ariadne and Bacchus.

The Opera combines lush, glorious Romanticism for the mythological pair, and one of the greatest, most difficult arias in the coloratura soprano repertoire for Zerbinetta, the star of the comedy troupe.

For soprano Meredith Hoffmann-Thomson, "Ariadne is a wonderful role, and kind of a dream role. I'd like to think that I'm not like the Prima Donna, but it is fun to play this obnoxious character in the first part, and the tragic character in the second — but still with the background of the obnoxious character from the first part coming through occasionally."

The role calls on a lot of different talents. "From the standpoint of comedy, the first part is just brilliant, whereas in the opera I get to spread my wings and show my stuff. Every section is almost a different voice type. Vocally, it's very demanding, and I hope very rewarding."

Hoffmann-Thomson, a native of New Jersey who's been living and studying in Salzburg, Austria, for 2 1/2 years, has been working on this complex, demanding score since August.

The big ensemble cast is a combination of out-of-towners and fine locals, including tenor Jon Garrett and baritone Nathan Ruggles. The production is updated to the 1930s, with a bit of the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera," says Hoffmann-Thomson. "It's kind of a madhouse," she observes, "but it's kind of wonderful, because that's the way that backstage life is. It's really strangely up-to-date."

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Richard Strauss' 'Ariadne auf Naxos'

Who • Winter Opera St. Louis

When • 8 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Jan. 29

Where • St. Louis Women's Club, 4600 Lindell Boulevard

How much • $36-$51

More info • winteroperastl.org or 314-865-0038