The Teatro Pergolesi is set to present Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” in a production inspired by the 60s.

The opera will star Bruno Taddia in the title role alongside Nikoletta Hertsak as Norina, Francesco Lucii as Ernesto, Daniele Terenzi as il dottor Malatesta, and Kevin Baliviera as  il notaro.

The new production will be directed by Italo Nunziata and will be conducted by Danila Grassi.

Regarding his new production Ninziata said, “The musical whirlwind and the action suggested images of the 1960s as the setting for my new ‘Don Pasquale.’ That decade truly felt like a whirlwind. Everything was new, everything moved fast, and everything seemed possible, with social mobility constantly in flux. It was a decade that changed the face of our country forever: streets filled with cars, youth rebellion within families shattered an outdated way of life, and young women asserted their independence—both in their careers and in their personal choices—by shortening their hemlines and smoking freely in public. Taking inspiration from black-and-white television and the ‘optical’ fashion of the era, my team—the young winners of the Svoboda Competition, who designed the sets and costumes for this new production—and I decided to set the visual world of the show in the magnificent 1960s. It’s not set strictly inside a television studio, but rather through a lens that evokes the expressive language of that medium. Much like in the famous 1960s musical variety show ‘Signore e Signora,’ the performers appear to meet just moments before going ‘on air,’ launching into their performance and choreographed movements the instant the music begins.”

The opera will be performed on Oct. 30 and 31, 2026.