The story of The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong (孙悟空) from the classic 16th-century novel Journey to the West, has long defined some of the most enduring themes in Chinese art and storytelling, from courage and rebellion to transformation and enlightenment. Passed down for centuries through books, plays, film, animation, and even video games, this legendary tale now takes on a new form at San Francisco Opera, reimagined as an epic world premiere opera adventure.

Before the curtain rises, we had the chance to meet the artists, visionaries, and designers bringing this story to life on stage. We also got an inside look at rehearsals and a first glimpse at elements of the production that no one else has seen yet.

Scroll below to watch our Behind the Curtain of The Monkey King…!

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Our first tour guide of the day was San Francisco Opera’s General Director, Matthew Shilvock, who’s been leading the charge in shaping how we see and experience opera in the 21st century. The idea for The Monkey King first surfaced back in 2017, and it was officially greenlit in 2021, so bringing it to the stage today has been quite a journey.

“We really wanted to create something that would connect audiences across the Pacific,” said Matthew. “This builds on the incredible success we had with Dream of the Red Chamber, another of China’s great classical novels.”

And that connection runs deep here in San Francisco. The city is home to one of the oldest and most significant Chinese communities in the United States. Chinese immigrants first arrived during the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s and helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. Despite facing early challenges and discrimination, they shaped the city’s identity, and today, over 20% of San Francisco’s population is of Chinese descent.

“From an operatic perspective, one of the things we really wanted to make sure we were doing is bringing the heart into it,” said Matthew. “Taking on a story of this epic magnitude is really exciting and it’s a piece that has so many locations and a story that so many grew up with.”

After walking with Matthew from the War Memorial Opera House to the rehearsal space at Zellerbach Hall inside Davies Symphony Hall, we met “The Monkey King” himself, Kang Wang, who will bring this legendary character to life in the world premiere production.

When Kang Wang learned he’d been cast in the role, he immediately accepted, even though he hadn’t yet heard the music. He was all in. “I was so excited!” said Kang. “The Monkey King is pretty much the original superhero for a lot of Asian cultures. It would be like an American kid getting to play Superman! This monkey, he stands for courage, he stands for freedom, he stands for defiance for oppression and authority, and is quite the hero.”

Originally from Harbin, China, Kang Wang has performed with many notable opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera (New York), the Vienna State Opera (Austria), the Teatro di San Carlo (Naples, Italy), Sydney’s Opera Australia (Australia), and Washington National Opera (Washington, D.C.), just to name a few. This performance will mark his San Francisco Opera debut.

It was incredible to step inside rehearsals and see just how many moving parts go into bringing an opera to life, from staging and lighting to the intricate costumes that help shape each character’s world.

After speaking with Kang Wang, we made our way to the costume area, where garments, masks, and props waited to be brought to life. That’s where we met soprano Mei Gui Zhang, who will portray Guanyin, a divine spirit of wisdom, protection, and light, guiding the Monkey King on his transformative journey.

Mei Gui trained with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program in 2018 and made her company debut in 2022 as Dai Yu in Dream of the Red Chamber. But this role will be unlike anything she’s done before. As Guanyin, nearly 90% of her performance will take place midair, suspended above the stage, embodying a celestial presence in every sense of the word. “I’m very excited to perform for everyone!” said Mei Gui. “I’m very excited about the music. I have three arias, and the melodies are extremely beautiful.”

After meeting some of the cast, we were excited to meet one of the creators of the production, Basil Twist, the Puppetry Director and Set & Puppetry Designer, and one of the brilliant minds behind the stunning visual world of The Monkey King. “There’s a poetry to puppetry,” said Basil. “It’s kind of like an avatar. It’s different from the performer in flesh and blood, it’s the idea [of the character].”

Basil Twist is a MacArthur-winning puppetry artist and director whose work has appeared at major companies and stages worldwide, from Lincoln Center (a commissioned Petrushka) and Houston Grand Opera to London’s West End with the Royal Shakespeare Company. His productions and collaborations span Europe, Asia, and North America, including Opera Comique and the Dans les Jardins de William Christie festival in France, as well as U.S. engagements in Chicago and New York for Huang Ruo’s Book of Mountains and Seas.

One of our favorites was his collaboration with the San Francisco Ballet, where he created the enchanted tree and carriage sequence in Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, a co-production with Dutch National Ballet that earned raves for its imaginative design. But this production is different…

“For this production, I have a much greater responsibility because I’m creating the entire environment, the space where the story itself unfolds,” said Basil. “And I’m doing it my way, with a lot of fabric and a lot of movement. In opera, you often see a set that changes only at intermission, but this one keeps evolving. It keeps moving.”

By using fabric as a central element, Basil creates a sense of continuous motion and transformation. The designs are intentionally suggestive, evoking what he calls “the ephemeral and the impermanent,” a reflection of the Buddhist perspective that everything is in flux. “All this fabric might settle in a puddle on the floor,” he explained, “but it can also come to life and become a horse… or a jellyfish.”

Experiencing the creative process behind The Monkey King offered a rare glimpse into the imagination, collaboration, and artistry that define San Francisco Opera’s mission of creating innovative productions that connect cultures and inspire new generations of audiences. From the music and movement to the visual poetry unfolding on stage, every detail of this production reflects a deep respect for tradition and an exciting vision for the future. 

You can experience it all when The Monkey King premieres at the War Memorial Opera House from November 14 through November 30, 2025. To grab your tickets, CLICK HERE! And don’t wait too long, because this epic new opera adventure is one you won’t want to miss. Tickets are going fast!