After the final drums sounded on opening night of Doctor Atomic and the music gave way to the lone voice of a Japanese woman calling for water, a packed house at the Metropolitan Opera sat in awed silence for several moments before bursting into thunderous applause.

“Just extraordinary,” commented Walter Gray, a Manhattan accountant seated in one of the Met’s tier boxes. “Yes,” responded Fiona Thomas, public relations director for a New York fashion house. “I honestly won’t forget that.”

From the red velvet seats of the Met, selected guests made their way to the Doctor Atomic after party, held on the Grand Tier. Cast and crew members mingled with musical luminaries, UN officials, designers, Met patrons and one mixologist who preferred to remain anonymous but said, “I adored Kitty’s treatment of the martini.”

“Oh look,” commented composer-about-town Nico Muhly, “it’s John Berry.” The Artistic Director of the English National Opera drifted through a swirl of conversation and clinking glasses. The ENO, which has co-produced Doctor Atomic and will host the production beginning in February 2009, will continue to feature the vision of director Penny Woolcock, designers Julian Crouch, Catherine Zuber, and Brian MacDevitt, and the projections of Fifty Nine Productions. But how will their London Coliseum, a smaller venue, handle the explosive force of Doctor Atomic?

“Well, we don’t want the place to crumble,” Berry joked. “But we want the ending as loud as we can get it. It’s a piece for our time,” he continued. “If you want to connect with a contemporary audience, Doctor Atomic is it.”

As guests availed themselves of grilled salmon with mango and roasted vegetables, Met General Manager Peter Gelb took to the podium to congratulate the creative and technical forces behind Doctor Atomic as well as key sources of support, including Board Member Agnes Varis and the Sloan Foundation. Calling the group the “dream team of creative partners,” Gelb elicited whoops of agreement and cheers as he singled out the cast and crew.

“To the man who made the Metropolitan Opera shake as it has never before,” he said, acknowledging sound designer Mark Grey. “Sasha, you owned the Met stage tonight,” Gelb continued, nodding to Sasha Cooke who played Kitty Oppenheimer. To Gerald Finley, who returns to the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Gelb raised his glass and said simply, “Bravo, bravo, bravo.” Finally, Gelb acknowledged John Adams as “America’s greatest living composer,” and ceded the podium to the celebrated musician.

“Well, Philip Glass is pretty good too,” Adams wryly retorted before speaking.

The evening melted into early morning. Plates and glasses were refreshed and drained. The bustle of the crowd gave way to a scattering of hangers-on. At the center table, Doctor Atomic projection artists Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer held court with their friends amid a scattering of beautifully wrapped champagne bottles, part of their thank you from the Met.

“We should go,” someone said, noting the discreet shuffle of wait staff and the ebb of the room. “Yes, yes,” it was agreed. The last of the guests gathered their jackets, bags and champagne bottles. They made their way to the Met’s grand staircase, which Grimmer slid all the way down along the handrail.

“So, where’s the after-after party?” he asked.

This entry was posted by Caroline Cooper on Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 at 10:45 am and is filed under Doctor Atomic Blog, 2008-09 Season. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.