by Mike Telin

Opera composer Vincenzo Bellini once said: “If I were shipwrecked at sea, I would leave all the rest of my operas and try to save Norma.” Indeed, of all Bellini’s operas, Norma has remained the favorite of audiences around the world. On Friday, November 16, at 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 18^th, at 3:00 pm in First Baptist Church, Opera Circle opens their 2012-13 season with Bellini’s tragic tale.

“It is a story of feelings and how people act and react to those feelings. It is about the psychology of human nature,” says soprano and Opera Circle executive director Dorota Sobieska, who will perform the role of Norma, the Druid high priestess, who is forced to make difficult life choices (read a synopsis here). For people who may not be familiar with the work, Sobieska likens it to a psychological thriller; “The opera is full of internal tragedy and you need to get into the psychology of the characters.” [Read more…]