Renee Fleming stars as Nixon In China arrives in Paris

Renee Fleming as Patricia Nixon (Opera national de Paris/AP)

After spending decades portraying generals’ wives, a countess and a courtesan, Renee Fleming walked gingerly on to the stage of the Bastille Opera in a blonde wig, red coat and black gloves to depict Pat Nixon, former first lady of the United States.

John Adams’ Nixon In China, a 1987 work among the most acclaimed American operas, received its Paris Opera premiere on Saturday to eight minutes of applause following a revelatory production by Argentine director Valentina Carrasco that replaced literalism with metaphor.