When I imagine adaptations of Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, opera is hardly the first medium that comes to mind. No, opera may not be the first thing that comes to mind with The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, but the Met’s season opener had me convinced—and hooked—from the very first orchestral swell. Chabon’s expansive novel could easily power a whole new Ring Cycle, so it’s no surprise that Scheer trims the sprawl. General manager Peter Gelb hasn’t been shy about programming new works by contemporary composers, but Kavalier & Clay feels unlike anything I’ve ever seen at this storied old palace. If the post-Covid world of live performance is all about cultivating the next generation of spectators, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay might just be the key to the future.