| THE MINNESOTA OPERA AND THE HUMPHREY INSTITUTE PRESENT A CONVERSATION WITH THE HONORABLE WALTER MONDALE
The Honorable Walter Mondale will join Robert Marx, theater essayist and producer,
for a lively conversation on the opera, Nixon in China, at 7 p.m. Tuesday,
April 26, in Cowles Auditorium. Co-sponsored by the Humphrey Institute and The
Minnesota Opera, the event will be a thoughtful look at the intersection of
art and public policy.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon visited the People's Republic of China, ending
a decades-long freeze between the two nations. In a historic meeting with Chairman
Mao Zedong, Nixon changed the course of history. This is considered the greatest
foreign policy triumph of his administration and one of the high points of American
diplomacy in the 20th century.
Inspired by the 1972 meeting, John Adams' Grammy Award-winning Nixon in
China is a musical fantasy that paints vivid character portraits of these
world leaders and their wives, dramatizing the historic meeting of cultures
that was itself a highly choreographed coupling of two worlds. The work brought
contemporary history vividly into the opera house, pioneering an entire genre
of post-modern music theater.
The event will begin with a brief selection from Nixon in China performed
by singers from The Minnesota Opera's production. Following the musical prelude,
Mondale and Marx will discuss the 1972 meeting from the perspectives of Senate
history and the opera it inspired.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required and
seating is limited. To register, call (612) 342-9554.
This event also will be taped for delayed broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio's
"Midday" and is made possible in part by a City of St. Paul Cultural
STAR grant.
The Minnesota Opera will present Nixon in China from May 14 through
May 22. Ticket prices range from $30 to $95 and can be ordered online at www.mnopera.org
or via phone at (651) 224-4222.
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