Composer John Adams Librettist Alice Goodman Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 2011-2012 Language English Creative/Crew Conductor Lawrence Renes Director Michael Cavanagh Set Designer(s) Erhard Rom Costume Designer(s) Parvin Mirhady Lighting Designer Christopher Maravich Projection Designer Sean Nieuwenhuis Chorus Director Ian Robertson Choreographer Wen Wei Wang Sound Designer Mark Grey Assistant Conductor Joseph Marcheso Musical Preparation Jonathan Kelly Matthew Piatt David Hanlon John Churchwell Fabrizio Corona Prompter Jonathan Khuner Assistant Stage Director(s) Roy Rallo Stage Manager(s) Darin Burnett Costume Supervisor Christopher Verdosci Wig and Makeup Designer Gerd Mairandres Production Super Captain Michael Harvey Cast Chou En-lai Chen-Ye Yuan Richard Nixon Brian Mulligan Henry Kissinger Patrick Carfizzi Nancy T'ang, First Secretary to Mao Ginger Costa-Jackson Second Secretary to Mao Buffy Baggott Third Secretary to Mao Nicole Birkland Mao Tse-tung Simon O’Neill Pat Nixon Maria Kanyova Chiang Ch'ing, Madame Mao Tse-tung Hye Jung Lee Wu Ching-Hua Chiharu Shibata Hung Ch'ang-Ch'ing Bryan Ketron Show Dates Fri, Jun 8 2012, 8pm Thu, Jun 14 2012, 7:30pm Sun, Jun 17 2012, 2pm Fri, Jun 22 2012, 8pm Tue, Jun 26 2012, 8pm Sat, Jun 30 2012, 8pm Tue, Jul 3 2012, 7:30pm Time and Place February 1972; Beijing, China Scenes ACT I, Scene 1: The airport outside Beijing ACT I, Scene 2: Chairman Mao's study ACT I, Scene 3: The Great Hall of the People INTERMISSION ACT II, Scene 1: Mrs. Nixon views China ACT II, Scene 2: An evening at the Beijing Opera INTERMISSION ACT III, Scene 1: The last evening in Beijing Media Image Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Chorus, Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Air Force One touches down outside Beijing. Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon) greets Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Ginger Costa-Jackson (Nancy T'ang), Buffy Baggott (Second Secretary to Mao), Nicole Birkland (Third Secretary to Mao), Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Discussions begin in Chairman Mao's study: Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai); Ginger Costa-Jackson, Buffy Baggott and Nicole Birkland (Mao's secretaries); Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung); Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger); and Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Ginger Costa-Jackson (Nancy T'ang), Buffy Baggott (Second Secretary to Mao), Nicole Birkland (Third Secretary to Mao), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung); Ginger Costa-Jackson, Buffy Baggott and Nicole Birkland (Mao's secretaries); and Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon) and Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Ballet, Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Dance Sequence: The Red Detachment of Women. Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao Tse-tung), Chorus, Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao Tse-tung) sings "I am the Wife of Mao Tse-tung" with members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Image Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao Tse-tung), Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao) and Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai) in the finale of the opera. Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera Sponsors This production is made possible, in part, by Roberta and David Elliott and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support provided by The Fleishhacker Foundation. Mr. O'Neill's appearance is made possible by a gift from Annette Campbell-White and the Kia Ora Foundation. San Francisco Opera gratefully acknowledges Affiliate Sponsors Greg & Liz Lutz. Notes Vancouver Opera production Supernumeraries Tess Holthe Veronique Kherian Helen Lew Ruby Smith Lillian M. Tan Kimberly Thompson Mimi Timberlake John Guglielmelli Keith King Charlie Lichtman David Norton Paul Romito Michael Strickland Carlos Suárez Michael Harvey
Image Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Chorus, Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Air Force One touches down outside Beijing. Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon) greets Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Ginger Costa-Jackson (Nancy T'ang), Buffy Baggott (Second Secretary to Mao), Nicole Birkland (Third Secretary to Mao), Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Discussions begin in Chairman Mao's study: Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai); Ginger Costa-Jackson, Buffy Baggott and Nicole Birkland (Mao's secretaries); Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung); Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger); and Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Ginger Costa-Jackson (Nancy T'ang), Buffy Baggott (Second Secretary to Mao), Nicole Birkland (Third Secretary to Mao), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung); Ginger Costa-Jackson, Buffy Baggott and Nicole Birkland (Mao's secretaries); and Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon) and Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon). Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Ballet, Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Dance Sequence: The Red Detachment of Women. Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao Tse-tung), Chorus, Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao Tse-tung) sings "I am the Wife of Mao Tse-tung" with members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Image Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao Tse-tung), Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai), Nixon in China, John Adams. San Francisco Opera, 2011-12. Photographer: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera. Patrick Carfizzi (Henry Kissinger), Maria Kanyova (Pat Nixon), Brian Mulligan (Richard Nixon), Simon O'Neill (Mao Tse-tung), Hye Jung Lee (Madame Mao) and Chen-Ye Yuan (Chou En-lai) in the finale of the opera. Credit Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera