Dr. Atomic Opera (broadcast Friday, October 17th, 2008)

A scene from the John Adams opera 'Doctor Atomic' with Gerald Finley (center) as J. Robert Oppenheimer. Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

In this segment, Ira talks with the composer, the director, and the lead of the opera 'Dr. Atomic,' taking the stage in a new production this week at New York's Metropolitan Opera. The opera, by composer John Adams, examines the conditions and attitudes in Los Alamos leading up to the Manhattan Project's 'Trinity' atomic test. Much of the libretto is made up of actual statements from scientists and military and government officials.

The opera made its debut in 2005 at the San Francisco Opera. This week a new production of the opera, directed by Penny Woolcock, opens at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In this segment, Adams, Woolcock, and lead performer Gerald Finley, who plays Robert Oppenheimer, join Ira to talk about the performance and the challenges of bringing science to the stage.