Acclaimed film and TV director Jonathan Lynn took a leap of faith by stepping away from the silver screen and taking a stab at giving Pasadena a world-class Opera experience — one that breaks the rules, in unique ways.

Lynn, whose notable work includes “My Cousin Vinny”, “Clue” and the BBC’s “Yes Minister”, will offer up his comedic take on Mozart’s classic opera “Così fan tutte” that hits the stage Friday at Pasadena’s A Noise Within theater for a special three nights only run.

“It’s an exciting new adventure for me – I’m learning about opera’s quirks and traditions, and the challenge of directing characters who sing in Italian,” said Lynn.

“Così Fan Tutte” is presented by Pasadena Opera and tells the centuries-old story in a whole new way, specifically set in 1967 bohemia San Francisco.

“I’ve always loved Così Fan Tutte but disliked its misogynistic undertones, ironically so relevant to America today. So I wanted to set this production in 1967, the Summer of Love and the time of women’s lib and change the emphasis so that the women are no worse than men. I think I found a way to make sense of the absurd plot and to make the audience laugh.”

This bold literary and musical twist on a classic is the unique vision that the Pasadena Opera is keen on delivering for audiences.

“This is the most unique ‘Cosi’ production I have ever encountered. ‘Cosi’s’ music is phenomenal and it’s storyline is so ridiculous that it often has problems in performance and our director brings a very fresh perspective because he hasn’t been bogged down by traditions of opera. H has a very realistic and hilarious take on the piece where he’s set it in the summer of love 1967 in San Francisco and it just happens to work beautifully,” said Pasadena Opera Artistic Director and ‘Cosi fan tutte’ music conductor Dana Sadava.

Audience members will be transported to the hippie era with the help of evocative projections designed by rising star Sheiva Khalily and colorful costumes by Emmy Award winner Jacqueline Saint Anne.

“I get bored by most traditional opera productions so I wanted to see if we could present opera in a way that really took advantage for what it has to offer. We loved this idea that we can have a modern perspective on a classic piece,” said Sadava.

Creative Director Indre Viskontas co-wrote the new text with Lynn, whose British sitcom Yes, Minister was voted by British Members of Parliament as the best political comedy of all time.

“The idea of social change and how people approach marriage is really beautifully translated between the time period of the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and 1967. Lynn has taken something old and kind of unintelligible and made it really fresh and understandable and most importantly, relatable,” Sadava explained.

Sadava’s double duty as the music conductor is a challenge in and of itself.

“Whether you’re in the mood for light entertainment or some of the most sublime music Mozart ever wrote, Così has it all. It is a true ensemble piece, and everyone’s part connects to make a brilliant, tuneful whole,” said Sadava.

A fresh translation of Lorenzo Da Ponte’s libretto will highlight the opera’s relevance to today’s audience.

Pasadena Opera was founded in 2014 by Sadava, a graduate of Caltech’s engineering program and professional conductor, and Viskontas, a neuroscientist and professional soprano.

The two founders share a vision of telling great stories that trigger social change using innovative technology and the grand music of opera. Both performances of its inaugural production, Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, and its 2016 hit Susannah sold out.

Opera is something that is definitely alive and vibrant and is not dying. The audience will see that opera is not something that lives in a museum. It’s a living art form performed by young people, by people who bring a new perspective and by people who are invested in tellings stories of all kind,” said Sadava.

“Così Fan Tutte” features a talented and international cast that includes Julia Metzler, Michelle Rice, Karin Mushegain, Jonathan Smucker, Jonathan Beyer and Gregorio Gonzalez.

“Così Fan Tutte” opens on Friday at 8 p.m. at A Noise Within located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd.

Tickets range from $35 to $100 and can be purchased here http://bit.ly/1NUqKbM.

For more information, visit www.pasadenaopera.org.