Adapted from the best-selling novel by beloved Bay Area author Amy Tan, this world premiere tells a resonant story of belated intergenerational understanding that leads to emotional healing. A troubled Chinese-American woman learns the horrible secrets of her immigrant mother’s past in this touching and terrifying tale, set in both modern-day San Francisco and the Chinese countryside during the tumultuous events surrounding World War II.

Composer Stewart Wallace (Harvey Milk) incorporates the timbres and textures of Chinese music into his highly expressive and lyrical score—an American opera with roots in China. Mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao, the splendid Suzuki in San Francisco Opera’s recent Madama Butterfly, heads the cast of this deeply personal work. Star of the Lincoln Center Festival’s historic production of The Peony Pavilion, Kunju singer Qian Yi has been acclaimed by the The New York Times Magazine as “China’s reigning opera princess.”

• Approximate running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes including one intermission
• Sung in English with English supertitles


• World Premiere San Francisco Opera Production
  
  Support for the conception and development of The Bonesetter's Daughter was generously provided by The Bonesetter's Daughter: The Journey, Sarina Tang, Executive Producer.
• Company Sponsors John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn are proud to support this production. This production is made possible, in part, by Roberta Bialek with additional support provided by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The production of The Bonesetter’s Daughter received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Fund.




• Image: Han Feng
• Cast, program and schedule are subject to change

Performances

• Sat Sep 13 2008   8 pm
• Tue Sep 16 2008   8 pm
• Sat Sep 20 2008   2 pm
• Thu Sep 25 2008   7:30 pm High-definition video projection screens will be featured on the balcony level for this performance.

  Learn more

• Sun Sep 28 2008   2 pm High-definition video projection screens will be featured on the balcony level for this performance.

  Learn more

• Tue Sep 30 2008   7:30 pm High-definition video projection screens will be featured on the balcony level for this performance.

  Learn more

• Fri Oct 3 2008   8 pm

Subscriptions for the 2008-09 Season are now available! Take advantage of this opportunity to save up to 30% off regular ticket prices.

Cast

Production