John Adams' opera, "Nixon in China," is a work full of subverted expectations. Alice Goodman's poetic libretto approaches Nixon in a titanic fashion, one that differs greatly from his corrupt and feeble portrait in American history books. Such ironies won't be lost on audiences who attend the Metropolitan Opera's national simulcast next Saturday, February 12th, which is part of their "The Met: Live in HD" series. While the Met hosted Adams' "Doctor Atomic" in 2008, this is the first time that Adams has conducted there. James Maddalena reprises the Nixon role that he created in this Peter Sellars-directed production. Much like the mass-produced glass elephant Pat Nixon holds endearingly in the second act, this may seem like a half-hearted way to digest live theatre. But with such a talent-laden rendition, it's hard to think too much about any sort of American zeitgeist outside of the Nixon era. Tickets and theatre locations for the event can be found here.
The New York Times also published a glowing review Friday. Here's hoping that a substantial amount of this grandeur will translate nationwide next Saturday.
