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Monkey King puppets on display at the opera\u2019s costume design studio. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\nA 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.<\/p>\n
San Francisco Opera\u2019s latest production, \u201cThe Monkey King,\u201d premieres Friday. It\u2019s a bold retelling of \u201cJourney to the West,\u201d a 16th century Chinese epic novel about a mischievous monkey, Sun Wukong, who has magical powers and joins a Buddhist monk\u2019s pilgrimage.<\/p>\n
The show is no modest undertaking. Commissioned by the SF Opera in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota, \u201cThe Monkey King,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Monkey King puppets on display at the opera\u2019s costume design studio. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n
A costume designer at work. Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re creating about 200 costumes,\u201d said Jai Alltizer, manager of the opera\u2019s costume shop. \u201cTo capture the Monkey King\u2019s wild energy, we\u2019re 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 \u2014 it gives everything motion and emotion.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the Monkey King, the stage will burst with deities and demons \u2014 the Jade Emperor, Guanyin, Crab General, and the three-eyed warrior god Erlang \u2014 each in costumes tailor-made to dazzle.<\/p>\n
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Julia Colvard measures and cuts fabric for costumes. | Source: Morgan Ellis\/The Standard<\/p>\n
Centering Asian American audiences<\/p>\n
The opera knows exactly whom it hopes to reach with this new show.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn San Francisco, it\u2019s hugely important that we tell stories that connect with an Asian American audience,\u201d said Matthew Shilvock, SF Opera\u2019s general director.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Monkey King\u201d\u00a0has been in the works at SF Opera since 2017, inspired by the sold-out success of 2016\u2019s \u201cDream of the Red Chamber,\u201d based on another classic Chinese novel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new show focuses on the beloved Sun Wukong character \u2014 from his birth from stone to his imprisonment under Buddha\u2019s palm and discovery of a hidden waterfall kingdom. Expect shimmering underwater scenes, complete with bioluminescent sea creatures.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt 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,\u201d said Shilvock.<\/p>\n
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Cory Weaver\/San Francisco Opera\u200b<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur world is full of superheroes \u2014 Superwoman, Spiderman, Batman,\u201d Huang said. \u201cSun Wukong is Asia\u2019s superhero. I wanted to bring that spirit to life on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Cory Weaver\/San Francisco Opera\u200b<\/p>\n
A first for SF Opera<\/p>\n
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, \u201cAll Dharmas Are Equal (opens in new tab)<\/a>,\u201d is online as a preview.<\/p>\n After a pandemic-era struggle, the company is seeing signs of revival \u2014 subscriptions are up 10%, and donations are up 7%. Board member Doreen Woo Ho said \u201cThe Monkey King\u201d is an investment in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re committed to telling diverse stories that reflect the cultural legacy of our city,\u201d Ho said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait to see this production become a beloved favorite in the Asian American community \u2014 and then share its magic with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n That global journey may not be far off. SF Opera plans to take \u201cThe Monkey King\u201d on tour across the U.S. and to China \u2014 keeping the English portions\u00a0even overseas.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a real pride in this story,\u201d Shilvock said. \u201cA great work of Chinese literature that\u2019s migrated to the West \u2014 and now returns home, transformed. That\u2019s the global power of art.\u201d<\/p>\n SF Opera\u2019s \u201cThe Monkey King\u201d<\/p>\n Nov. 14-30\u00a0<\/p>\n