SAN FRANCISCO - The world premiere of The Monkey King at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco takes place on Friday.

And on Wednesday night, KTVU was allowed to take a sneak preview of the final dress rehearsal.

Many Chinese-Americans first heard about the adventures of the Monkey King, a beloved, mythical character in Chinese literature, as a child.

The creators said this opera offers a look into Chinese culture with a message of hope for everyone.

It features acrobatics, martial arts, and action sequences with big fights.

"It's like a marvel movie put onto the stage. It's unlike anything anyone has seen before," said David Henry Hwang, who wrote the text to the Monkey King opera.

The story is based on a classical novel about how Buddhism came to China from India.

The Mo

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