Step back in time at Her Majesty’s Theatre and witness the ‘week that changed the world’ on the grand stage of opera in the Melbourne premiere of Nixon in China.
From the celebrated minds of composer John Adams and librettist Alice Goodman, Victorian Opera presents a contemporary work recently dubbed by Variety Magazine as a ‘modern masterpiece’.
“Nixon in China is one of the most influential operas from the second half of the 20th century,” said Richard Mills, Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director.
“It is a journey of discovery from West to East – a journey that has particular relevance in Australia at the moment as we enter what our Prime Minister has called the ‘Asian Century’.
“With this in mind, we’re excited to bring an all-Australian perspective led by director Roger Hodgman, designer Richard Roberts and conductor Fabian Russell, who recreate a moment in history that not only redefined American-Chinese relations during the Cold War, but changed the course of international diplomacy on a global level,” said Mills.
It was February 21, 1972, when the world turned its attention to Beijing as President Nixon set foot on Chinese soil and was greeted by Chinese Premier Chou En-lai.
“Their handshake was the first step in repairing 25 years of animosity between two of the world’s biggest super powers,” reflects Roger Hodgman, the director charged with bringing the minimalist opera of John Adams to the stage.
“If that sort of political intrigue isn’t the makings of an epic contemporary opera then I don’t know what is.”
Victorian Opera’s production of Nixon in China is only the second time in 20 years that the opera has been performed in Australia.
Nixon in China
Her Majesty’s Theatre – Exhibition St, Melbourne
Season continues to 23 May 2013
Bookings: 1300 795 012 or online at: www.ticketek.com.au
For more information, visit: www.victorianopera.com.au for details.
Image: Jeff Busby
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