Nixon in China
John Adams’s celebrated opera dramatizes the 1972 visit in which President Richard Nixon, Pat Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Chairman Mao, and Premier Chou En-Lai met in China during a pivotal moment in international politics. The production contrasts the ceremony and media spectacle of the diplomatic mission with the characters’ private memories, doubts, ambitions, and reflections on history.
Renée Fleming and Thomas Hampson lead the cast as Pat and Richard Nixon, with Robert Spano conducting and Elkhanah Pulitzer directing. The staging incorporates archival film, detailed scenic and costume work, projected titles, and Jessica Lang’s choreography for the opera’s iconic dances.
When: November 14 through November 21. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, November 14; Thursday, November 19; and Saturday, November 21.
Showtimes: November 14 at 7 p.m.; November 19 at 7 p.m.; and November 21 at 2 p.m.
Venue: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW, Washington, DC 20006.
Tickets: $57.60–$329, including all processing fees. Limited premium seats priced from $219 to $329 are available directly through Washington National Opera. All other tickets are sold through Ticketmaster. The production advises against purchasing from third-party sellers because of potentially inflated prices.
Pre-performance talk: A pre-performance talk begins one hour before each performance. A ticket is required to attend.
Special gathering: Women Who Opera and BravO Young Professionals will meet at the November 19 performance. Interested attendees should contact the organizers for information.
Composer: John Adams.
Librettist: Alice Goodman.
Language: Sung in English with projected English and Mandarin titles.
Run time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 25-minute intermission.
Cast: Renée Fleming portrays Pat Nixon, Thomas Hampson is Richard Nixon, Kathleen Kim is Chiang Ch’ing (Madame Mao Tse-tung), John Matthew Myers is Mao Tse-tung, Joo Won Kang is Chou En-Lai, Robert Pomakov is Henry Kissinger, Veronica Siebert is Nancy T’ang, Anna Maria Vacca is the Second Secretary to Mao, Cecilia McKinley is the Third Secretary to Mao, Kayla Thomas is Wu Ching-Hua, and Tianyu Wang is Hung Ch’ang-Ch’ing.
Creative team: Robert Spano conducts; Elkhanah Pulitzer directs; Jessica Lang choreographs; Alexander V. Nichols designs the set; Elisabeth Scott designs the costumes; Duane Schuler designs the lighting; Bill Morrison designs the projections; Mark Grey designs the sound; and Lucia Scheckner serves as dramaturg. Paul Hopper created the supertitles, and Zhihao Zhang translated the Mandarin titles.
Story: The opera takes place in Peking, now Beijing, during February 1972. Act I begins at the airport as Nixon arrives aboard the presidential aircraft and meets Chou En-Lai before an audience with Mao. The first day concludes with a formal banquet, where the Nixons, Chou, and Nixon exchange increasingly relaxed toasts to diplomacy, peace, and the Chinese people.
In Act II, Pat Nixon tours factories, a people’s commune, the Summer Palace, and the Ming Tombs while considering the role and public image of a first lady. That evening, the Nixons watch *The Red Detachment of Women*, a revolutionary ballet created by Mao’s wife, Chiang Ch’ing. The visitors respond emotionally to the ballet’s sympathetic portrayal of an oppressed peasant, while Chiang Ch’ing intends the work as a more rigid ideological statement.
Act III moves away from the public events of the visit and into the protagonists’ private rooms. Mao and Chiang Ch’ing revisit their past, while Richard and Pat Nixon remember their courtship and his wartime naval service. As the visit ends, Chou En-Lai reflects on the enduring consequences of the political encounter and asks whether the actions of those involved ultimately achieved any good.
Production note: The production uses rare archival film footage to deepen its examination of the relationship between history and memory. Washington National Opera’s production support includes backing from Robert L. Turner and Peter N. Speliopoulos, while Renée Fleming and Thomas Hampson are sponsored by Noémi Neidorf.
Ages: The page does not state an age restriction.