英语时文 歌剧《猴王悟空》旧金山首演 莘莘云课堂
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歌剧《猴王悟空》旧金山首演
InNovember2025,auniqueoperamadeitsworldpremiereattheSanFranciscoOpera（旧金山歌剧院）.TitledTheMonkeyKing,itbringsoneofChina’smostbelovedmythicalfigurestotheWesternoperastage,blendingEasternandWesternartstylesinacreativeway.
AdaptedfromtheearlychaptersofJourneytotheWest(西游记),aclassicChinesenovelbyWuCheng’en,thestoryfollowsSunWukong—theMonkeyKing,bornfromastoneegg.Heseeksimmortalityforhistribe,defeatspowerfulfoesyetstrugglestogaintherespectoftheHeavenlyCourt（天庭）.ImprisonedunderFiveElementsMountainfor500years,helearnshumility（谦逊）anddecidestoassistthemonkXuanzangonhissacredpilgrimage（朝圣）toTianzhu(ancientChinesetermfortheIndiansubcontinent)toretrieveBuddhistscriptures.
Theopera’screationisacross-culturalcollaboration.Chinese-borncomposerHuangRuowrotethescore,whileDavidHenryHwangcraftedthelibrettoinbothEnglishandMandarin.TobringtheMonkeyKing’smagicaladventures—suchasflyingoncloudsandbattlingcelestialbeings—tolife,threeperformersportrayhim:asinger,adancer,andapuppet.Puppeteer（木偶大师）BasilTwistdesignedsetsfeaturingsilksthattransformintowater,clouds,andmountains,andaPekingOperaspecialisttrainedthecastintraditionalgesturesandmovements.
Musically,theproductionmergesaWesternorchestrawithtraditionalChineseinstrumentslikethepipa,afour-stringedpluckedlute.Thisblendcreatesenergeticbattlesequencesandserene,reflectivemoments,leadingdirectorDianePaulustodubita“magicalKungFuopera”foritscombinationofsinging,KungFu,dance,andpuppetry.
MatthewShilvock,generaldirectoroftheSanFranciscoOpera,hopestheoperawillresonatewithallaudiences.“ForthosewhogrewupwiththeMonkeyKing,itevokesnostalgia（怀旧之情）;forothers,it’sachancetodiscoveratreasureofChineseclassicallitera