Dai Yu
Summer 2022
Dream of the Red Chamber
By Bright Sheng
Overview
Dates
June 14–July 3, 2022
Composer
Bright Sheng
Price
Starting at $31
Run Time
Running time is approximately 2 hours, 45 minutes including one intermission
Libretto
David Henry Hwang and Bright Sheng
Language
Sung in English and Chinese supertitles
A Love That Tears A Dynasty Apart
The noble Jia family may have finally found the solution to its age-old debt: She’s young, she’s beautiful, and, most importantly, she’s wealthy. There’s only one problem. She’s not the woman of Bao Yu’s dreams.
Adapted from a classic of world literature, Dream of the Red Chamber is an opulent exploration of love, lust, and political intrigue in imperial China by composer Bright Sheng and Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang.
Pre-Opera Talk with Byron Au Yong
See a Performance
The Buzz
"Konu Kim flaunts a high-flying tenor... His personality and charm combine with remarkable vocal gifts to suggest a star career in the making." – The Stage (UK)
“Yet the evening’s true star, at least from where I sat, was soprano Meigui Zhang, who brought both tonal bloom and alert precision.”
–San Francisco Chronicle
“[Hongni] Wu’s adroit, sparkling phrasing and neat, fluid movements make any stage seem like her comfort zone.”
–Opera News
Synopsis
To settle an age-old debt to the emperor, one Chinese nobleman is forced to make a devastating choice: between his true love and an heiress who could make his family’s money troubles disappear.
* San Francisco Opera Debut
Performances
June 14, 17, 19, 23, 25; July 1, 3, 2022
Previous performances of Dream of the Red Chamber can be found in our Archive.
A co-production with the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
Hear The Music
Audio excerpts are from the 2016 San Francisco Opera production of Dream of the Red Chamber.Featuring Yijie Shi as Bao Yu, Karen Chia-Ling as Princess Jia, and Pureum Jo as Dai Yu.
See Photos
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Pureum Jo (Dai Yu) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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San Francisco Opera's production of Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Yijie Shi (Bao Yu) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Irene Roberts (Bao Chai) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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San Francisco Opera's production of Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Randall Nakano (The Monk/Dreamer) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Hyona Kim (Lady Wang) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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San Francisco Opera's production of Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Pureum Jo (Dai Yu) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Qiulin Zhang (Granny Jia) and Pureum Jo (Dai Yu) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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San Francisco Opera's production of Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Irene Roberts (Bao Chai) and Yanyu Guo (Aunt Xue) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Karen Chia-ling Ho (Princess Jia) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Karen Chia-ling Ho (Princess Jia) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
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Pureum Jo (Dai Yu) in Dream of the Red Chamber. Photo by Cory Weaver.
Watch Videos
Made Possible By
This production is made possible, in part, by John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn; Edmund W. and Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Fund; and Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem.
The commission of the 2016 world premiere of The Dream of the Red Chamber was initiated and funded by the Chinese Heritage Foundation Friends of Minnesota.
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