[Press release from Trinity Lyric. Strange as it may seem, this may
well be the first time "Nixon" is produced in the state - there have
been numerous concert performances (including the initial "workshop
presentation" I saw in Herbst Theater lo these many years ago - 23?!),
but not a fully staged one.]
Who: *Trinity Lyric Opera
What: *The California Premiere of John Adams' */Nixon in
China/*/, Trinity Lyric Opera's 2008 Season/
When: *July 18 and 25, at 8:00PM, and July 20 and 27, at
2:00PM
Four performances of this most successful and rarely-heard
gem by John Adams, with libretto by Alice Goodman are
scheduled for mid-July, 2008, in the Company's continuing
tradition of innovative programing. This California premiere
follows on the heels of its critically-acclaimed performances
of Copland's "/The Tender Land/," and Vaughan Williams'
"/The Pilgrim's Progress/," the Company's inaugural production,
and also a US West Coast premiere in 2006.
A pre-performance lecture by John Kendall Bailey, TLO's
newly-appointed Music Director and Chorus Master, will be
offered to patrons free of charge, one hour prior to each
performance.
Opera patrons are invited to attend a free post-performance
question-and-answer discussion session with the Cast and
Staff immediately following the second Sunday matinee
performance.
Where: * Castro Valley Center for the Arts, 19501, Redwood
Road, Castro Valley, California 94546.
Tickets: * Tickets will go on sale the week of January 21,
through the Box Office of the Castro Valley Center for the
Arts, as well as the Castro Valley Adult School.
Bargain seating rates will be available on the Friday, July
25th performance, enabling patrons to enjoy a professional
opera performance at discount rates.
Trinity Lyric Opera, the Bay Area's most innovative opera
company, based in Castro Valley, will present four performances
of John Adams' first opera as it enters its third season
of performances. Veteran singers from our area and abroad
are slated to perform in all four performances, supported
by TLO's superb orchestra and a 30 voice chorus.
Olivia Stapp returns to TLO this year as Stage Director,
as do Pat Brandon, Set Designer, and Michael Oesch, Lighting
Designer. Patrick Kroboth will design the intricate costumes
involved, as well as the Company's event Poster. TLO's
newly-appointed Music Director, John Kendall Bailey, conducts.
Maestro Bailey commented in a recent interview: "Trinity
Lyric Opera already has two wonderful and critically acclaimed
productions under its belt. We figured that for our third
production, we should really pull out all the stops, by
producing a major contemporary American opera that has,
surprisingly, not yet been performed in California."
Trinity Lyric Opera's Founder and Executive Director, Alan
Thayer, adds: "I am thrilled as we begin work on what has
been termed the most significant opera of the late 20th
Century. What an opportunity for us to do what we do best,
bringing rarely-heard masterpieces to our Bay Area audiences.
And along with the contributions of the magnificently
talented staff that we have assembled, we are going to come
up with another magnificent staging this time, and once
again, another California premiere. This Company is truly
taking its place among the best of our Bay Area opera
companies, and to think that we can even contemplate doing
something like '/Nixon in China/' in our third year of
productions is tremendously exciting." Thayer adds: "This
is also a Presidential election year, and with the opening
of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing scheduled less than two
weeks after the curtain falls on our final performances,
what better timing could we experience? That plus the fact
that last year was the 20th anniversary of the work's world
premiere in Houston, makes it an irresistible choice for
us this year."
With music by John Adams and libretto by Alice Goodman,
"/Nixon in China/" chronicles the first-ever visit to
mainland China by a sitting American President. The work
captures the wonder of the occasion, and reveals a soft
human touch on the part of all the big players in this
event, that had families across America glued to their TV
sets for days. We see at once the presidential, yet deeply
personal side of Richard Nixon in February, 1972, four
months before the Watergate break-in. We also see a regal,
almost heroic side of First Lady Pat Nixon, and a rare
glimpse into the personalities of Chairman Mao, Chou En-Lai,
and the ever stoic Henry Kissinger. The libretto is
masterfully crafted in rhymed couplets, which, set to Adam's
minimalist score, provides a deeply stirring look into one
of the most stunning diplomatic coups ever witnessed in the
international arena. The opera is engaging, enigmatic,
stirring, and brings history to life in a most compelling
way. Don't miss Trinity Lyric Opera's presentation of
"Nixon in China," July 18-27 at the Castro Valley Center
for the Arts.
Janos Gereben
www.sfcv.org
[log in to unmask]
***********************************************
The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R)
list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability
Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery. For more information,
go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|