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Houston Opera present the very rare John Adams piece, Nixon in China. Based on the erstwhile former President's visit with his wife Pat to Bejing (then known as Peking) in 1972. It was hailed at the time as an historical breakthrough, a very public attempt to forge ties with the Communist superpower, but more than just goodwill was at the heart of this very strange political vacation.

Oddly, when it first premiered in Houston in 1987, Nixon in China was not given a positive by critics, who couldn't quite figure out this incredible musing on the recent past. However, in the years since, the rebellious and minimalistic streak has finally been recognised as one of the most influential Operas of the 20th Century.

DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT NIXON IN CHINA?

It's 1972 and President Richard Nixon is hot on the campaign trail. Along with his wife Pat, and ever-present advisor Henry Kissinger, he decides to make a very special visit to China and it's president Mao Tse-Tsung, where the westerners are moved to question more than just political integrity in the face of an incredibly different culture...