Nixon in China Blogger Night Liveblog
I’ll be one of several bloggers tonight who will be at the opening night of Nixon in China, a wonderful opera put together by the Vancouver Opera. I have previously been part of the Blogger Night program and this year I thought it’d be a good idea that other bloggers participated. So when I was asked again to participate, I felt honored.
Furthermore, I’ll be sitting along great friends of mine – Emme Rogers, Darren Barefoot, Gus Fosarolli and Tris Hussey. It’ll be a lot of fun. I am not sure what the hashtag will be, but I’ll make sure that everyone tweets with the same one.
Nixon in China is unlike any other opera I’ve witnessed. Despite the fact that I’ve seen opera sung in Russian, Italian, and German, I had never seen an actual American opera.
The opera focuses on the personalities and personal histories of the six key players, Nixon and his wife Pat, Jiang Qing (spelled “Chiang Ch’ing” in the libretto) and Chairman Mao (“Mao Tse-tung”), and the two close advisors to the two parties, Henry Kissinger and Zhou Enlai (“Chou En-lai”). It is composed of three acts.
The first details the anticipation and arrival of the Nixon cortege and the first meeting and evening in China. The second act shifts focus to Pat Nixon, as she makes tours of rural China, including an encounter at a pig farm. The second scene includes a performance of a Communist propaganda play, in which first Pat Nixon, then her husband and then Jiang Qing, intercede in the performance. The last act chronicles the last night in China, in which the characters dance a foxtrot, their thoughts wandering to their own pasts.
Related posts:
A pleasure to see you at the Canadian premiere of Nixon in China. I’m sorry you had to leave us before the end of the performance but I understand the demands of your academic responsibilities.
Here is a link to my thoughts on the performance and the Vancouver Opera’s move to embrace social media; http://staceyrobinsmith.com/?p=599
I hope to see you soon!
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