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John Adams: Nixon in China

100% | May 11, 2019
Music

Besides the landing on the moon by the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, Richard Nixon’s meeting with China’s leader Mao Zedong in February 1972 then represented one of the biggest media spectacles in history. Nixon himself established the reference between the two events: “We came in peace for all mankind” not only marked the lunar module Eagle’s landing spot – Nixon also spoke of it into the microphones just before his departure to China. It was not John Adam’s aim to create a superficial or even a caricaturing representation of Nixon’s visit when composing his opera. He attempted to create a “heroic opera” about the construction of modern myths by using archetypical characters and situations. Director Marco Štorman stages Adams’ minimal music opera as a deconstruction review about the power of images, the politics of staging and the staging of politics.

Top Billed Cast

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Michael Mayes
Richard Nixon
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Matthias Klink
Mao Tse-tung
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Gan-ya Ben-gur Akselrod
Chiang Ch’ing
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Shigeo Ishino
Henry Kissinger

Featured Crew

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John Adams
Original Music Composer
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André de Ridder
Music Director
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Reinhard Traub
Lighting Design
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Ingo Gerlach
Dramaturgy
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Marco Štorman
Director
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Alexandra Morales
Choreographer
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Alice Goodman
Writer
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Frauke Löffel
Set Designer
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Sara Schwartz
Costume Designer
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Marco Štorman
Stage Director

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