A legendary Chinese monkey wearing a golden wig, a bright-red mask, and gleaming armor is about to leap onto the War Memorial Opera House stage.
San Francisco Opera’s latest production, “The Monkey King,” premieres Friday. It’s a bold retelling of “Journey to the West,” a 16th century Chinese epic novel about a mischievous monkey, Sun Wukong, who has magical powers and joins a Buddhist monk’s pilgrimage.
The show is no modest undertaking. Commissioned by the SF Opera in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota, “The Monkey King,” which is presented in Mandarin and English, cost roughly $10 million to produce. Costumes, puppets, and sets have been in the works for months in San Francisco and Burlingame.
The Standard got an early peek at the costume studio, where artisans were hand-stitching shimmering robes and sculpting headpieces tall enough to brush the rafters.
Monkey King puppets on display at the opera’s costume design studio. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
A costume designer at work. Morgan Ellis/The Standard
“We’re creating about 200 costumes,” said Jai Alltizer, manager of the opera’s costume shop. “To capture the Monkey King’s wild energy, we’re using fiery reds and yellows, plus prism-like metallic leather trim that catches the light. The 3D-printed chest pieces have this tumbling graffiti texture — it gives everything motion and emotion.”
In addition to the Monkey King, the stage will burst with deities and demons — the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, Crab General, and the three-eyed warrior god Erlang — each in costumes tailor-made to dazzle.
Julia Colvard measures and cuts fabric for costumes. | Source: Morgan Ellis/The Standard
Centering Asian American audiences
The opera knows exactly whom it hopes to reach with this new show.
“In San Francisco, it’s hugely important that we tell stories that connect with an Asian American audience,” said Matthew Shilvock, SF Opera’s general director.
“The Monkey King” has been in the works at SF Opera since 2017, inspired by the sold-out success of 2016’s “Dream of the Red Chamber,” based on another classic Chinese novel.
The new show focuses on the beloved Sun Wukong character — from his birth from stone to his imprisonment under Buddha’s palm and discovery of a hidden waterfall kingdom. Expect shimmering underwater scenes, complete with bioluminescent sea creatures.
“It is a privilege to be telling one of the great stories of Chinese literature on the American opera stage, celebrating the piece with audiences who have grown up with Sun Wukong and introducing him to many new audiences for the first time,” said Shilvock.
Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
Chinese Australian tenor Kang Wang stars as the Monkey King, supported by dancers and puppets. The score is by composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang, both acclaimed for cross-cultural collaborations.
“Our world is full of superheroes — Superwoman, Spiderman, Batman,” Huang said. “Sun Wukong is Asia’s superhero. I wanted to bring that spirit to life on stage.”
Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera
A first for SF Opera
For the first time in its centurylong history, the SF Opera will sing in Chinese, woven through the action with six Buddhist sutras. A four-minute aria, “All Dharmas Are Equal (opens in new tab),” is online as a preview.
After a pandemic-era struggle, the company is seeing signs of revival — subscriptions are up 10%, and donations are up 7%. Board member Doreen Woo Ho said “The Monkey King” is an investment in the future.
“We’re committed to telling diverse stories that reflect the cultural legacy of our city,” Ho said. “I can’t wait to see this production become a beloved favorite in the Asian American community — and then share its magic with the world.”
That global journey may not be far off. SF Opera plans to take “The Monkey King” on tour across the U.S. and to China — keeping the English portions even overseas.
“There’s a real pride in this story,” Shilvock said. “A great work of Chinese literature that’s migrated to the West — and now returns home, transformed. That’s the global power of art.”
SF Opera’s “The Monkey King”
Nov. 14-30
Tickets (opens in new tab) start at $29
Tickets for a Nov. 18 livestream (opens in new tab) are $25.