Atomic Adams
Composer John Adams and Theatre Director Peter Sellars have both had storied careers in the operatic world, notably for both Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer. When you hear either of them speak about their art, it’s clear that they have a child-like curiosity that keeps them engaging with the changing world. For Adams’ part, he gets some credibility for talking intelligently about Aphex Twin and Glenn Branca at the Minimalist Jukebox festival he curated in LA. For Peter Sellar’s part, he brilliantly directed a Mozart festival by commissioning interesting avant garde works that shed a strange light on Mozart’s legacy, notably his political activism. Sellars also teaches at UCLA and has hair that shoots straight up like a muppet.
In the new film Wonders Are Many, we get a glimpse into this creative partnership. Their new opera Doctor Atomic is about the invention of the atomic bomb. It premiered in 2005 in San Francisco, the 60th anniversary of the Trinity testing of the bomb. An official selection of last year’s Sundance, I’m assuming the film will be great for film lovers, opera lovers, and history buffs alike. The film opens May 30 at the Laemmle in Santa Monica near 3rd Street Promenade. Go!
