Baritone Johnathan McCullough to Lead Opera San José's First 'Doctor Atomic'

Opera San José will stage the South Bay premiere of John Adams' "Doctor Atomic" from Feb. 14 to 28, 2027, at the California Theatre. It's the company's first opera by the Berkeley-based composer, and it lands just ahead of his 80th birthday.

Baritone Johnathan McCullough makes his company debut as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who led the Manhattan Project. Mezzo-soprano Laura Krumm joins him as Kitty Oppenheimer, his wife.

What is 'Doctor Atomic' about?

Adams' opera is set in the final hours before the world's first atomic bomb test. It follows Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project scientists as they confront the moral and human consequences of the weapon they've built. The tension isn't in the explosion itself — the score concentrates on the waiting, the doubt and the weight of what's about to happen.

That makes the piece an unusual fit for a regional company. It demands sustained dramatic focus from its leads, and Oppenheimer in particular carries much of the opera's interior life on his shoulders.

Who is staging it?

General Director & CEO Shawna Lucey directs. Music Director Joseph Marcheso conducts. The two previously worked together on Opera San José's "Bluebeard's Castle," so this production reunites that creative team.

The design roster is fixed as well:

• Set design: Steven C. Kemp
• Costume design: Caitlin Cisek
• Lighting design: Michael Clark

What does this change for South Bay audiences?

Simply put: they won't have to travel to San Francisco to see Adams' work staged. Opera San José has never before produced an Adams opera, according to the company, so this February 2027 run marks a first for the 1,100-seat California Theatre's opera programming.

There's also the timing. The production arrives shortly before Adams' 80th birthday, which puts the South Bay inside a wider season of attention on one of America's most performed living opera composers. A company debut for McCullough adds a casting draw — he takes on a role that many baritones build careers around.

The practical details

Performances run between Feb. 14 and 28, 2027, at the California Theatre in downtown San José. Tickets and casting details beyond the announced principals haven't yet been published, so audiences should watch the company's season announcement for the full schedule.

For Opera San José, the bigger signal is ambition: a contemporary American epic, a new-to-the-company composer and a reunited directing-conducting team, all staged in a single winter window.