World Premiere of The Monkey King in San Francisco

The show dazzled with a thrilling score, a poetic libretto, and visual pyrotechnics paired with a celebratory dinner

Words by DIANE DORRANS SAEKS
Photography by DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY
Production Photography by CORY WEAVER and MATTHEW WASHBURN

The Monkey King, a dramatic new opera by composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang, launched at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House with sublime sets, poetic and frisky lyrics, artful battle scenes, punkish military figures, and enchanting new realms of Asian instrumental melodies.

One of the most highly anticipated new works commissioned by San Francisco Opera, the two-and-a-half-hours production was a tour de force of originality, propulsive and soulful music, and intertwined cultural references. White horses with flowing manes galloped across the stage and red-headed monkeys turned somersaults in the air, all created with Basil Twist’s mesmerizing puppet figures.

“This is the most incredible opera I’ve seen in my lifetime, and I’ve seen a lot of Puccini and Rossini and Bellini all over the world,” said Denise Hale, a lifelong fan. “The Monkey King was remarkable in every detail, from casting and costumes to the very beautiful performances. Of course, congratulations must go to Doreen Woo Ho, a longtime Opera board member who raised millions of dollars for this superb production.” It was announced at the dinner that preceded the performance that the entire series of eight performances — 24,000 tickets — was sold out.

Commissioned by San Francisco Opera in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota, The Monkey King is based on one of China’s four greatest literary classics. This vivid new adaptation, performed in English and Mandarin, brings together the disciplines of the Peking Opera, acrobatic choreography, warcraft, propulsive rhythms, a poetic and witty libretto, and new musical realms with Chinese instruments and melodies. Composer Huang Ruo said, “If dreams do come true, creating The Monkey King with my longtime collaborator David Henry Hwang for San Francisco Opera is one of those dreams.”

“The many years of the creation of The Monkey King have been a very inspiring journey for me personally, and all the many talents and communities involved,” San Francisco Opera general director Matthew Shilvock said. “Our international creative team has come together to build something magical and stunningly beautiful.”

Many of the donors supporting the production were from the Chinese community with strong ties to San Francisco Opera. “Thanks to the strong resonance of this China/California production with the tech world in Silicon Valley, and to great opera company outreach, Silicon Valley and the entire tech world really got behind this new creation financially,” said Jerry Yang, a cofounder of Yahoo and one of the first tech leaders to support the San Francisco Opera and other cultural institutions over the past two decades.

At a dinner preceding the performance, Mayor Daniel Lurie addressed and praised donors whose committees raised the funds required. “Making a magnificent opera relies on philanthropists, with their great generosity of spirit, and their support of new ideas and creativity of the arts,” he said.

Conductor Carolyn Kuan led the orchestra as The Monkey King’s high-octane adventures traveled from the depths of the sea to his epic battle with the gods in heaven. The story’s whimsical and fantastical world was conjured for the stage by director Diane Paulus, set designer and puppeteer Basil Twist, choreographer Ann Yee, Hong Kong–based costume designer Anita Yavich, lighting designer Ayumu “Poe” Saegusa, and projection designer Hana S. Kim.

Also attending the celebratory dinner and performance were Sakurako Fisher, San Francisco chief of protocol Penny Coulter, Maria Manetti Shrem, Nancy Pelosi, and members of the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota Jerome and Thao Dodson, Margaret Liu Collins, Eric Yuan, and Sherry Zhang.