Sellars, Adams pair in return to Lyric

Peter Sellars' love for opera has no limit, and the world-renowned writer/stage director will officially mark his long-awaited return to Lyric Opera of Chicago with tonight's opening of "Doctor Atomic," running through mid-January.

This opera, the fifth project involving the Philadelphia-born Sellars and American composer John Adams, depicts the final days leading up to the first test of the atomic bomb on July 16, 1945, at Los Alamos, N.M.

The opera's story centers on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Doctor Atomic of the opera's title. "Oppie," as he was known among colleagues, is portrayed by baritone Gerald Finley, who created the role for the opera's world premiere two years ago in San Francisco and reprised it last year at The Netherlands Opera. The three opera companies co-commissioned the work, which arrives at the Lyric in its most refined form.

"The first act runs about an hour, the second act is closer to an hour and a half, and that second act does what Wagner does … it takes its time," Sellars said. "One of the reasons I love opera is certain things must remain long."

Related coverage Review: Lyric Opera offers captivating new theater with 'Doctor Atomic' [12/15/07] Sellars, Adams pair in return to Lyric [12/14/07] 'Doctor Atomic' counts down to Chicago premiere [12/13/07] Sellars made his Lyric debut at a crucial point in the opera company's history. In 1981, Ardis Krainik was named general manager (the title later changed to general director) of the financially ailing company. Within a year, she turned a $300,000 deficit into a surplus, and the new, prosperous Lyric Opera was on its way.On the stage, Krainik wanted to do something that would really create a buzz, and for a special presentation in the spring of 1983 she came up with a modernized version of the popular Gilbert Sullivan chestnut "The Mikado." Produced with a young stage director named Peter Sellars, this "Mikado" delivered the goods.Sellars was invited back for the 1988-89 season, directing Richard Wagner's "Tannh#228;user," updated to reflect that year's ongoing television evangelism sex scandals. It remains one of the most talked-about productions of the Krainik era."You know, there's still enough stuff going on these days that it would be possible to freshen it up and do it again!" Sellars said, smiling.Sellars and Adams joined forces in the early 1980s, when "Nixon in China" was on the drawing board. That opera's text was written by poet Alice Goodman, who also wrote the libretto for "The Death of Klinghoffer." Sellars has been librettist for his other three subsequent Adams collaborations, "El Ni#241;o," Doctor Atomic" and "A Flowering Tree." The latter premiered this summer in Vienna to high critical acclaim and will be presented by Chicago Opera Theater in May."What's so marvelous about each of John Adams' pieces, as well as many other new operas, is they're not formulaic in the least," Sellars said. "The five operatic projects I've worked on with John all have their own qualities. 'Nixon in China' is now a classic, 'El Ni#241;o' is a stage piece, and really there's nothing more operatic than the birth of Jesus and the massacre of the innocents. It's drama. And in this opera, what could be more dramatic than the first explosion of the atomic bomb?"One of Sellars' most acclaimed projects was a radically updated cycle of the Mozart-Lorenzo da Ponte operas -- "The Marriage of Figaro," Don Giovanni" and "Cosi fan tutte" -- first staged in 1989 at Summerfare in Purchase, N.Y., televised by PBS and revived in Europe. It can be seen on DVD."This is an art form that you love, and it's just a deepest pleasure to work in it," he said. "It's so stimulating -- the atmosphere, the energy, all of the layers that go into it. There's nothing more thrilling than that. And, of course, the depth of the music just lifts the art form even higher."