Pittsburgh, PA…
February 19, 2020
Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 412.281.0912 ext. 217
Mobile: 412.427.7088 or
Contact via email
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Pittsburgh Opera presents Bellini's masterpiece Norma, April 25 - May 3 at the Benedum Center
Photo by Philip Groshong for Cincinnati Opera
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.
Single tickets for adults start at $14; kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price. For tickets call 412-456-6666, visit the Box Office at Theater Square, or go online at pittsburghopera.org/tickets or CulturalDistrict.org. Group discounts, including student discounts, are available.
Performance Dates/Times/Location/Length/Language
Where: Benedum Center, downtown Pittsburgh
When:
- Sat., April 25, 2020 * 8:00 PM
- Tues., April 28, 2020 * 7:00 PM
- Fri., May 1, 2020 * 7:30 PM
- Sun., May 3, 2020 * 3:00 PM
Run Time: 3 hours and 5 minutes with one intermission
Language: Sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage
Fun Facts
- 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 me 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 an mandarin juice, and the Rossini, which uses strawberry purée.
Tickets and Group Discounts
- 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 via email.
Cast and Artistic Team
See the Norma show page for a complete list of the cast and artistic team.
Media Events
Please contact Chris Cox for reservations.
- Photo Call (Mon., April 13, 12:30 PM) - location TBA
- Full Dress Rehearsal (Thurs., April 23, 7:00 PM) - Benedum Center
Related Events
- April Brown Bag concert (4/4)
- Opera Up Close (4/19)
- WQED Preview (4/18 & 4/24)
- Pittsburgh Opera mobile app (real-time during all performances)
- New Guard Opening Night Lounge (4/25)
- Audio Commentary (4/28)
- Meet the Artists (4/28)
Sponsors
- PNC is the 2019-20 Pittsburgh Opera Season Sponsor.
- WQED-FM is Pittsburgh Opera’s Season Media Sponsor.
- Ambridge Regional Distribution and Manufacturing Center is the Tuesday performance and ‘Meet the Artists’ post-show event sponsor.
- Natural Awakenings Magazine is the official media sponsor of Pittsburgh Opera’s Brown Bag concert series.
- The DTE Energy Foundation is the Brown Bag concert series sponsor.
- Porter Wright is the New Guard Lounge sponsor.
