S.F. Opera Presents Dream of the Red Chamber
Just one day after its season opening, 94th annual Opera Ball, the San Francisco Opera hosted yet another extravagant affair with the world-premiere of Dream of the Red Chamber at the War Memorial Opera House on Saturday, September 10. Based on the 18th-century Chinese novel by author Cao Xueqin, the opera—a co-production with the Hong Kong Arts Festival—drew luminaries from across the Bay, including Yahoo founder Jerry Yang and his wife, Akiko Yamazaki, social empress Denise Hale, newly appointed S.F. Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock and his legendary predecessor David Gockley, who co-chaired the event alongside Doreen Woo Ho, Timothy Kahn and Gorretti Lo Lui. The evening commenced with a cocktail reception and intimate seated dinner sponsored by Tiffany & Co. at the Diane B. Wilsey Center for Opera, which set the tone for the evening with Chinese-inspired decor and projected set design images on the walls. Attendees, including honorary co-chairs S.F. Mayor Edwin M. Lee and, his wife, Anita Lee, later made their way to the theater for the season’s inaugural performance, composed by Bright Sheng with a libretto by Sheng and David Henry Hwang. With the full 2016-2017 season ahead, the San Francisco Opera set the bar high with opulent costumes, intricate set designs by Academy Award-winning Tim Yip and an enchanting production, set to run through September 29.
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