(NOTE: A condensation of the first part of this appears in today's In the Wings.)

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Tuesday night's Broadway opening of August Wilson's "Radio Golf," along with the parties that followed, was a milestone, both celebratory and elegiac.

	Outside the Cort Theatre, left to right: Constanza Romero, her daughter Azula, Kimberly Ellis, Freda Ellis and Paul Ellis. Click photo for larger image. May 10 review of 'Radio Golf.' August Wilson and his Pittsburgh Cycle: A Coverage Index

We welcomed the definitive version of the 10th and last Pittsburgh Cycle play as it took its place beside its predecessors. But we also lamented the first New York Wilson premiere without the quiet, courtly, passionate presence of the man himself.

Nonetheless, it was another joyous, tumultuous August Wilson opening. The crowd started gathering outside the Cort Theatre on 48th Street, an hour before the 6:30 curtain. Fittingly, given all the music in Wilson's plays, that block of 48th is one music store after another.

As the photographers and TV interviewers created a stir, everyone milled about and talked, as at a college reunion mixer. That's what it was: a reunion of the far-flung August Wilson clan, made up of actors, artistic directors of the many theaters he graced and his several families, both literal and figurative. Doubtless there were celebrities, too, but those I noticed, like Leslie Uggams and Phylicia Rashad, are bona fide members of Wilson's stage family.

Inside the Cort: Wilson's daighter, Sakina Ansari, wore his own black "producer's" homburg.

Afterwards, still vibrating with the play's climactic rebellion by its hero, Harmond Wilks, we all stood around meeting, greeting and congratulating, not wanting to leave the same theater which had also seen the unknown Wilson's electric 1984 eruption onto the New York scene with "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

But more experienced opening nighters had already left for the party at Bond45, the big 45th Street restaurant that was once famous as a menswear store. The lines for food and drink were already long when we arrived, but it didn't matter, there were so many people to talk with. The notes that follow depend somewhat on the serendipity of encounter amid the throng.

Bearing the brunt of August's sudden 2005 death at age 60 was his widow, costume designer and artist Constanza Romero, who was there with their daughter, Azula, 9. They live in Seattle, where Romero has had to give herself a crash course in what it takes to run the estate of this prolific literary giant. Last night, she was in high spirits, gracious and happy, enjoying the celebration and glowing with pride in the work.

Contributed their names to 'Radio Golf': Al Frank and Dena Levitin.

So was his older daughter, Sakina Ansari, who lives in Baltimore and was looking great in her father's trademark homburg, what he liked to call his "producer's hat."

I met Constanza's Seattle neighbor, Winnie Sperry. Others from Seattle included Dena Levitin, Wilson's long-time secretary and assistant, and his good friend, Al Frank, a used book dealer, both of whom have the honor of having loaned their names to offstage characters in "Radio Golf" -- she, fittingly, to Harmond's secretary, and he, to a baseball star being interviewed at Three Rivers Stadium for Sports Illustrated.

Wilson's Pittsburgh family was there in force, including his sisters, Linda Jean Kittel and Freda Ellis, and Freda's children Kimberly and Paul. Wilson's brother, Edwin Kittel, was there with his wife, Kristin, from Michigan.

The Kreidler gang, left to right: Tim Colbert, Todd Kreidler, Erin Annarella, Adam Kulbersh and Sue and Ronald Kreidler.

With the playwright every step of the way on "Radio Golf" was Todd Kreidler, his associate, dramaturg, close friend and surrogate son. No one except his family was closer to August in his last years, so Todd was celebrating and probably also regretting the end of a very long and emotional journey. He was with his wife, Erin Annarella, who worked on the show as vocal coach, and his parents, Ronald and Sue, from Leechburg.

With them all was former Pittsburgher Tim Colbert, who first met Todd when they were Duquesne undergrads and then became part of the August Wilson family doing p.r. at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. He was best man at Todd's wedding; the bridesman that day was actor Adam Kulbersh, who entertained us all with tales from the recent shooting of a comedy with Paris Hilton, "The Hottie and the Nottie."

Homestead's Tamara Tunie, actress and co-producer of "Radio Golf," was with her husband Gregory Generet. Other Pittsburghers included Neil Barclay, CEO of the August Wilson Center for African American Culture and Pam Golden of the Allegheny Conference. I should also include Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, author of this year's "The Muckle-Man" at City Theatre, and Sarah Zeitler, former Pittsburgh theater worker now working in NYC and with a particular interest in set designer David Gallo, as I learned a few days later.

	Heidi Mathis and Tonya Pinks. Click photo for larger image.

Among those Wilson mentored is Pitt theater grad Derrick Sanders, one opf the founders of Chicago's Congo Square theater, who was assistant director on "Radio Golf" and just recently directed the Signature Theater's well-regarded "King Hedley II."

Mt. Lebanon native Heidi Mathis introduced me to Tonya Pinkins, who plays Harmond's ambitious wife Mame, and she reminded me that she'd gone to CMU, although she left after her freshman year to do Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along." Another CMU grad of about that era is Kent Gash, now a busy director.

Uggams claimed a Pittsburgh connection, too: "I'm playing a former Pittsburgher, Lena Horne," she volunteered. That was in "Stormy Weather: Imagining Lena Horne" by Sharleen Cooper Cohen, which played at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia and is now awaiting New York interest; Dee Hoty and Davis Gaines were among the strong supporting cast.

Pittsburghers Neil Barclay of the August Wilson Center and Pam Golden of the Allegheny Conference.

Director Timothy Douglas, who has worked frequently in Pittsburgh, mainly at City Theatre, had one of the earliest relationships to "Radio Golf" -- he directed the premiere at Yale Rep in spring, 2005. He's just come off a four-"Gem of the Ocean" maraton, directing it in Milwaukee, Indiana, Syracuse and Rochester. Timothy introduced me to Inga Ballard, so memorable last year in "Yellowman" at the Public.

In addition to Pinkins, the cast is made up of Harry Lennix (Harmond Wilks), Anthony Chisholm (Elder Joseph Barlow), John Earl Jelks (Sterling Johnson) and James A. Williams (Roosevelt Hicks). I had never seen Lennix do Wilson before, but his bio lists "King Hedley" and "Ma Rainey," and there may be more. He's a handsome man with great stability and quiet charisma, and as I said in my review, he listens well, which is essential for Harmond. I thought his opening night performance was even better than that at the critics preview I reviewed five night earlier: he seemed more deeply stirred by the upheavals of Act 2. I think he'll deepen even more as the show runs.

Two producers: Tamara Tunie and Gordon Davidson, former head of the Center Theater Group and Mark Taper Forum in L.A.

Williams played Bono in the second "Fences" at the Public (spring, 1999, at the Hazlett). More important, he holds a unique record: he's from St. Paul, where he appeared in Wilson's first professional production, "Black Bart and the Sacred Hills," staged by Penumbra Theatre in 1983; and now he's appeared in Wilson's last work, too.

In all, Williams has done six Wilson plays, but this is the first on Broadway. Roosevelt is as close to a villain as the play gets, and Williams figures Wilson liked him for the role because when he saw him do Memphis in "Two Trains Running," he was "willing to be a [jerk} -- not all actors will let go and do that.

Jelks has done at least three Wilson plays, especially "Gem of the Ocean" on Broadway, where he played Citizen Barlow.

But holding the Wilson record in this cast is Chisholm, who has done six plays in 44 productions. That icludes 18 "Jitneys," in which he played the former tailor, Fielding, starting right here in Pittsburgh.

Actors Anthony Chisholm and James A. Williams.

The party-after-the-party lasted past 2 a.m., and the actors were there to the end. It all felt like Broadway ought to feel. There was even a moment before midnight when a buzz ran through the room, conveyed to our table by Colbert, saying that the New York Times review was strong.

Will "Radio Golf" run? It has made a early rush of the gate in the awards sweepstakes, winning the New York Drama Critics Circle award for best American play ("The Coast of Utopia" won best play overall and "Spring Awakening" won best musical).

That makes eight NYDCC awards for Wilson (out of 10 tries, a fantastic percentage), the most awards for any playwright, ever.