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Nixon in China Reviews are in!

Nixon in China opened on Thursday 23 May 2013 in Her Majesty's Theatre and we've receieved some great reviews.

★★★★ 1/2 - The Age - "This new production for Victorian Opera is nothing short of a triumph." Read the review online >

Read the full article online >

A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY FROM EAST TO WEST

The first act reveals a world of men and politics as the key players the nervous Nixon, the confident Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, the gnomic Chairman Mao and the stoic National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger go about their business. Then in the second, the focus shifts to the women in this story, the president’s sympathetic wife Pat Nixon and the defiant Madame Mao caught up in an inevitable wave of change, before culminating in a moving final act in which they all reflect on their lives and their contribution to history.

Counting down the hours!

With the Nixon in China opening night just hours away - we've receieve great well wishes! Thanks to everyone!

Tonight @VictorianOpera opens their #NixoninChina. It's one of my favourite pieces of art, I think it's my favourite opera - @SometimesMelbourne

@VictorianOpera Have a great opening night! I'll be there on Saturday and am terribly excited!! #NixonInChina - @ndino

Tonight: Nixon In China @VictorianOpera - Been waiting years to see this opera - @sianprior

Toi toi to the Incredible cast of Nixon in China tonight.. So wish I was in town to hear you all. Sending love and best wishes - Emma Matthews via Facebook

Toi toi toi to all involved in Victorian Opera's eagerly awaited production of Nixon in China, which opens tonight! This opera hasn't been seen in Australia for 21 years and there are only 4 performances, so make sure you book some tickets and support VO! Personally, I think the score is incredibly beautiful, and it's an absolutely fantastic cast. I've got my tickets for Saturday night, and I can't wait. - Lorina Gore via Facebook

Recreating history by design

Over the past few months, Victorian Opera’s costume department has been immersed in the 1970s, recreating the fashion of the “week that changed the world” for Nixon in China. Here is a sneak peek! Illustrations © Esther Marie Hayes

Mrs. Nixon visiting the Evegreen People's Commune in the Peoples Republic of China © NARA194417

Arrival of Air Force One in Peking 21-02-1972 © White House Photo Office

THE PRESIDENT'S ITINERARY

First Day

Arrival in Peking. Trip from airport to city. Meeting with Mao. First banquet in the Great Hall of the People.

Second Day

People's Daily front-pages a picture of Mao and Nixon. Nixon and Chou En-lai confer privately for four hours. Evening at the ballet.

Third Day

More talks with Chou. Evening sports spectacle of gymnastics, badminton, table tennis.

Fourth Day

Again, talks with Chou. The visit to the Great Wall.

Fifth Day

Visit to the Forbidden City in Peking. Last banquet in the Great Hall of the People.

Sixth Day
Joint communiqué concluded.
Flight to Hangchow. Boat ride in park with Chou.

RESERVE YOUR SEATS >

THE FAST LANE OF 1970's AMERICA

Nixon in China is an artistic realisation of a significant political event. The score is complex, it’s over a 1000 pages long, but the sound is bright, powerful and energetic.  It’s the sound of living in the fast lane of 1970's America. And then there’s the added layer of sound design, as Composer John Adams wanted singers and orchestra in stereo, evoking a kind of ‘televised effect.’

Fabian Russell, Conductor Nixon in China

'As always, Mao is everywhere. His works are on sale in five languages. An entire counter is devoted to posters of the Chairman in various poses, ranging from his youthful days in Yenan to swimming the Yangtze. There is Mao in a rice field, Mao in military dress, Mao surrounded by soldiers and sailors.'

News has a new kind of mystery

When a leader of a powerful nation steps onto foreign soil, the gaze of the world follows. Behind closed doors, leaders secretly draw battle lines, driven by fear. In public, they express a hope for peace and a shared understanding. Headlines break, images flash across networks, and people watch hypnotised as the words and gestures of these larger than life figures are magnified and scrutinised. This is drama on a grand scale, operatic in every way.

As the title character from Nixon in China reflects on his historic first meeting (pictured), he sings ‘News has a kind of mystery’. It is a thrilling moment in this landmark opera in which the fears and hopes of a President come rushing forward, driven by a remarkable score, inviting the viewer to step inside the mind of one of the world’s most powerful men.

Richard Mills, Artistic Director Victorian Opera

'Great plans are being made.

A bridge will fly to join the north

and south, A deep chasm becomes a

thoroughfare; The mountain goddess, if she still

is there, Will be startled to find her world

so changed.'

- Mao Tse-tung