John Adams Nixon in China (180 mins) semi-staged Kathleen Kim soprano (Madame Mao) Alan Oke tenor (Chairman Mao) Gerald Finley bass -baritone (Chou En-Lai) Robert Orth baritone (President Nixon) Jessica Ri vera soprano (Pat Nixon) James Rutherford bass-baritone, New Generation A rtist (Kissinger) Stephanie Marshall mezzo-soprano (Secretary) Louise Poo le mezzo-soprano (Secretary) Susan Platts mezzo-soprano (Secretary) BBC S ingers BBC Symphony Orchestra John Adams conductor Paul Curran stage dir ector About this event Alice Goodman’s poetic, intensely original libr etto is based on Richard and Pat Nixon’s historic three-day visit to China in 1972. Protagonists viewed initially as transcendent iconic figures are n ot so much satirised as seen for what they are. The score pounds away ec lectically with nods to Broadway and rock, Minimalism and Igor Stravinsky , but there’s no mistaking the identity of the composer, who joins us toni ght, nor the colour and brilliance of one of the iconic works of our time. There will be two intervals