Houston Grand Opera, 1987 Music by John Adams Libretto by Alice Goodman Directed by Peter Sellars Choreographed by Mark Morris Conducted by John DeMain Introduced by Walter Cronkite Richard Nixon.......James Maddalena Pat Nixon......................Carolann Page Chou En-lai....................Sanford Slvan Mao Tse-tung.................John Duykers Henry Kissinger....Thomas Hammons Chiang Ch'ing......Trudy Ellen Craney Mao's Secretaries...............Mari Opatz Stephanie Friedman Marion Dry Act One The opera begins at Beijing Airport. A detachment of Chinese troops marches on to the stage and sings a 1930s Red Army song, The Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points of Attention. As the soldiers wait, an airplane taxis and lands on the stage - the Nixons and Henry Kissinger disembark and are greeted by Chou Enlai. As Nixon is introduced to various Chinese officials by Chou, he sings of his hopes and fears for his historic visit. Later, Richard Nixon and Kissinger visit Mao's study along with Chou. While Nixon attempts to set out his stall with a simple and simplistic vision of peace between America and China, Mao wishes to discuss philosophy with Nixon and speaks in riddles. The visit is not entirely a success, and the elderly Mao is soon worn out. Chou departs with Nixon and Kissinger. On the first night of the visit, a great feast for the American delegation is held in the Great Hall of the People. The Nixons and Chou gradually relax in one another's company as ...