Nixon in China

Production

Nixon in China

Nixon in China is a three-act opera composed by John Adams, featuring a libretto by Alice Goodman. As Adams's first opera, the production was inspired by United States President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China. Originally suggested to Adams by Peter Sellars in 1983 as a study in how myths come to be, the work premiered at the Houston Grand Opera on October 22, 1987. The production was staged by Sellars with choreography by Mark Morris, utilizing Goodman's extensive historical research into the 1972 visit.