Running November 14–30, 2025, at the War Memorial Opera House.
San Francisco Opera will present the world premiere of The Monkey King by composer Huang Ruo and librettist David Henry Hwang, running November 14–30, 2025, at the War Memorial Opera House.
Commissioned by San Francisco Opera in partnership with the Chinese Heritage Foundation of Minnesota, the new work reimagines the legendary story of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King — one of the most enduring heroes in Chinese culture.
Performed in English and Mandarin, The Monkey King unites opera, dance, and puppetry to depict the mythical monkey’s quest for immortality and enlightenment as he challenges the gods of the seas and heavens. The opera is based on episodes from Journey to the West, the 16th-century Ming Dynasty novel attributed to Wu Cheng’en.
Composer Huang Ruo said, “If dreams do come true, creating The Monkey King with my long-time collaborator David Henry Hwang for San Francisco Opera is one of those dreams. The Monkey King is Asia’s supreme superhero—loved and adored not only by Chinese people throughout the centuries but increasingly by people throughout the world. In our new opera, which blends cultural traditions with a spectacular multidisciplinary production, I hope to bring this Eastern superhero to life and shine a positive light that will always appear in any turbulent time.”