Pittsburgh Opera Presents Bellini's NORMA

Norma is the tragic tale of a conflict between love and duty. Norma is a Druid priestess in ancient Gaul, which is being occupied by Roman invaders. Norma falls in love with, and bears two children to, the Roman leader Pollione, thereby betraying her own people and breaking her sacred vows. When Norma finds out Pollione is having an affair with another priestess, it pushes her over the edge with deadly consequences.

Norma is Bellini's ultimate masterpiece; this story of forbidden love has been called 'opera at its very best.'

These will be Pittsburgh Opera's first productions of Norma since 1997, making this truly a once-in-a-generation event.

The opera is sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage.

Fun facts about Norma

• The role of Norma has long been considered one of the most grueling and challenging in all of opera. Pittsburgh Opera is thrilled to present star soprano Leah Crocetto, who captivated Pittsburgh audiences as Tosca in 2017, as she makes her staged role debut of Norma.
• Singing the role of Norma helped make soprano Maria Callas one of the defining voices of the 20th Century. She performed the role 89 times on stage during her illustrious career.
• The Bellini cocktail, made with Prosecco and peach purée/nectar, was not named after Norma's composer Vincenzo Bellini, but after 15th-century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini. However, two other Italian opera composers have similar drinks named after them - the Puccini, which replaces the peach purée with mandarin juice, and the Rossini, which uses strawberry purée.

Ticketing Information

• Single tickets for adults start at $14; tickets for kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price. Call 412-456-6666 or visit pittsburghopera.org/tickets.
• Group discounts, including student discounts, are available. For more information about group ticket services and discounts for groups of six or more people, contact Regina Connolly at 412-281-0912, ext. 213 or groups@pittsburghopera.org.