Tomorrow, Saturday, September 12th, the San Francisco Opera premieres ‘The Bonesetter’s Daughter,’ the opera. The opera? you’re asking - yes, the opera. Amy Tan has adapted her novel into an opera, as described on the opera website:
“… 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”
I’ve never read Tan’s novel, but did read Tan’s popular “The Joy Luck Club,” which I enjoyed (as well as the film (despise some shortcomings) - which I was impressed at how well the director was able to weave the story of all eight characters). I think I also read Tan’s “The Kitchen God’s Wife.” You can read more about the process of how the opera was developed in an interview with Tan in The San Francisco Chronicle back in August.
The opera runs until October 3rd, and the approximate running time of the opera is: 2 hours, 40 minutes including one intermission and is sung in English with English supertitles. If anybody does wind up watching this - let me know how it is (I’m kind of curious and might see it myself, though I’m not a big fan of opera).
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Akrypti wrote:
Phooey. On all the dates I’m free, the balcony seats are sold out.
Posted on 12-Sep-08 at 5:49 pm | Permalink
Rob wrote:
Isn’t this the book that still suffers from the same problem as all her other books? Where all the Chinese men are horrible misogynists and the root of all evil except 1.) the extremely old father and 2.) the young mother’s first love who usually dies…tragically…catering to the of “the last good Asian man” syndrome.
Posted on 13-Sep-08 at 5:39 am | Permalink
Moye wrote:
Hahahaha I know exactly what you’re talking about, Rob. I can’t standing reading any of Amy Tan’s books. Enough with the mother-daughter/flashback themes, already.
Posted on 13-Sep-08 at 3:44 pm | Permalink
John wrote:
A friend of mine who is really into opera wrote this on his Facebook status regarding the Opera, “Stayed awake through probably the most horrific excuse for an opera ever…. Well i did overstate a bit. The opening of the opera sounded as if some animals were being tortured. The east/west fusion was a mess.”
@Moye -
I’m sure once you become a mother and have a daughter, you’ll be eating your words
Posted on 14-Sep-08 at 3:37 pm | Permalink
John: That’s really interesting that your friend didn’t like the fusion. The woman that plays Precious Auntie is actually a Chinese Opera (forget the actual name and I’m too lazy to look it up) singer - this is her first Western Opera.
My guess is that if you aren’t open to the sounds of Chinese Opera, you’ll hate everything about this. That said, this actually peaks my interest now, more than the Opera previously did before. They will have to do a LOT of marketing for Asians in SF though; especially when Amy Tan’s stories don’t resonate with non-American Asians too much.
Posted on 14-Sep-08 at 8:40 pm | Permalink