(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Six exceptional singer-actors will perform the lead roles in the Princeton Festival production of the opera Nixon in China by John Adams, to be performed at 3:00pm on June 23 and June 30, in the Matthews Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, NJ.
“We are fortunate to have such an array of talent for this truly mesmerizing piece,” said Richard Tang Yuk, the Festival’s General and Artistic Director. “All six combine wonderful voices and musical sensitivity with the dramatic skills you need to portray the characters in this opera.”
US President Richard Nixon. Sean Anderson’s previous Princeton Festival roles were as the Count in The Marriage of Figaro and Ned Keene in Peter Grimes. He is a regular presence on opera and musical stages across the country. Opera News praised his “spontaneity as an actor…and smooth, flexible, resonant voice.”
Pat Nixon. Rainelle Krause is admired for her versatility and the precision of her singing. Her repertoire ranges from Handel and Mozart to composers of today. The Herald Times calls her “a pleasure to hear.”
Chairman Mao. Cameron Schutza, a dramatic tenor, sings the leader of China. He has won plaudits for his “clarity of tone, ringing high notes” (Opera Magazine). Schutza was on the Metropolitan opera roster for its recent Wagner productions.
Madame Mao (Chiang Ch’ing). Teresa Castillo brings “power and florid elegance” (San Francisco Gate) to this demanding role. She recently debuted at Carnegie Hall in “Reflections on a Mexican Garden,” written especially for her by Kevin Padworski.
Henry Kissinger. Joseph Barron previously appeared at the Festival in Peter Grimes and Fidelio. A New York Times review called his performance “vocally robust … lyrically malevolent.”
Premier Chou En Lai. John Viscardi has twice been soloist at Carnegie Hall concerts, and performs around the region and across the country in a wide variety of music. Critics praise him for his “powerful, nuanced, and absolutely riveting” singing.
Tickets for this acclaimed modern masterpiece are available through the Festival website, in person at the McCarter ticket office, or by phone at 609-258-2787. More information on the 2019 season of The Princeton Festival is available at www.princetonfestival.org.
McCarter Theatre Center is located at 91 University Place in Princeton, New Jersey.
