Watch traditional Vietnamese opera at Binh Tay Market, see young people in the play "The Virtuous Minister".

Binh Tay Market is a very familiar place for the Chinese community in the old District 5 and District 6. Performing traditional Vietnamese opera at Binh Tay Market is like taking people back to the memories of old Saigon.

Audiences watching the play "The Virtuous God at the Gate of Binh Tay Market" - Photo: QUOC THANH

That beautiful image from my memory was once again encountered during the performance of the play "Hien Than" (written by Le Cong Phuong) by the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Opera Theatre right in front of Binh Tay Market.

Expanding the performance space for traditional Vietnamese opera.

The play "Hiền thần" was performed in the "Heritage Convergence" program commemorating the 20th anniversary of Vietnam's Cultural Heritage Day and in a series of activities celebrating 50 years of literature and art in Ho Chi Minh City.

The audience wasn't very large, and the performance was quite long, lasting about two hours.

However, as people came and went, others arrived. Along the market entrance were food stalls where people enjoyed food while watching traditional opera performances. This created a lively and unique evening at the entrance to the Big Market (Binh Tay Market).

For several years now, as part of its program to promote traditional Vietnamese opera (hat boi), the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Art Theatre has made efforts to bring hat boi to many public spaces, offering free performances for viewers.

Things aren't like they used to be; there are so many forms of entertainment now. People can sit at home, open the internet, and watch everything from music and movies to traditional Vietnamese opera. Therefore, free programs that lack appeal will still fail to attract viewers!

Artist Thanh Binh, Head of the Performance Organization Department, said that the theater also had to explore and learn how to do media and introduce the show in an attractive way to attract attention. The program structure over the years had to be learned so that in 1 or 2 hours of performance, it could hold the audience's attention and not let them leave halfway through.

The traditional opera "Hien Than" bears the strong imprint of young people - Photo: LINH DOAN

Because of that effort, the theater's weekly morning programs at the Hung King Temple (in the Zoo) and the Le Van Duyet Mausoleum attract a large audience, and fortunately, the majority of the audience is young. In addition, foreign visitors who have heard of the reputation also come to see what Vietnamese opera is like.

Building on that success, the theater is also looking for and experimenting with performing in other public spaces. Initially, it was difficult, but the theater believes that if it perseveres, it can attract and create a habit for people to come and watch hát bội, creating opportunities for hát bội to reach today's audiences so that the art form considered a cultural heritage of Vietnam will not be lost.

Traditional Vietnamese opera (Hát bội) is geared towards young people, easy to watch, and accessible - Photo: LINH DOAN

Youthfulness in the Virtuous Official

"The Virtuous General" is a play that portrays the life of the renowned general Nguyen Cuu Dam. He commanded the construction of the Ban Bich Fortress in 1772 to protect Saigon - Gia Dinh, and is considered to have laid the foundation for the city's development today.

During the reign of Lord Nguyen Phuc Thuan, when the Siamese army besieged Ha Tien citadel, Nguyen Cuu Dam and Tran Phuoc Thanh were sent by the Lord to lead troops to suppress the invaders.

Although it's a Vietnamese historical play, the way "The Virtuous Minister " is staged breathes new life into it. It's new in its characters, new in its staging, and new in its acting, with many captivating elements that leave the audience constantly amazed.

Notably, this is the first time a traditional Vietnamese opera has had three completely new names in the directing team: Thanh Bình, Bảo Châu, and Ngọc Giàu.

Two young actors, Ha Tri Nhon and Chau Thanh Mong, were boldly promoted to lead roles in the play "Hien Than" - Photo: LINH DOAN

Mr. Hoang Vinh, the theater director, said this was a bold move by the theater, giving opportunities to young people. Hat Boi has no training major, so to have a successor, the theater must source from students who graduated from the traditional theater department at the University of Theater and Cinema in Ho Chi Minh City to retrain.

The two main roles in the film "Hien Than ," played by the couple Nguyen Cuu Dam, are given to two new faces, Ha Tri Nhon and Chau Thanh Mong.

For the past few years, the theater has also encouraged artists in the troupe to study directing. Thanh Binh and Ngoc Giau have graduated, while Bao Chau is a seasoned actress. To prevent the young ones from being left "stranded," the theater has invited director Tran Ngoc Giau to act as an advisor, mentoring the three young directors.

Three young directors staged the play "The Virtuous God," from left to right: Thanh Binh, Ngoc Giau, and Bao Chau - Photo: LINH DOAN

Young female director Ngoc Giau confided to Tuoi Tre Online that the play has 6 scenes, each director is divided into 2 scenes. "Mr. Giau gave us the freedom to be creative, if we had any new ideas, we could just bring them in. Then we performed for him as "rehearsal". On that basis, he showed us what was good and what was not good.

"When we study at school, we learn basic theory, but applying it to each subject requires specific approaches. This kind of learning combined with concrete practice in each performance is incredibly effective; we grasp things extremely quickly and are very enthusiastic to continue with the next projects."

People's Artist Tran Ngoc Giau said that currently, many actors at the theater have gone on to study directing, however, according to the plan, the theater only receives funding to stage about two plays each year, so the opportunities for young people are not high.

"If we keep rotating roles, it might take another 5 or 6 years before young people have the opportunity to stage a play. And if that's the case, people will find it hard to trust them enough to give them plays, because they've just graduated and haven't done anything yet."

So in the play "The God of Wisdom", there are 3 young directors working together as a way for us to create opportunities for the children to work and learn so that they can stand on their own. This initial experiment proved effective, the children did very well, I was very happy so I was willing to stand behind and guide them" - Mr. Giau said.

LINH DOAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/coi-hat-boi-tai-cho-binh-tay-coi-nguoi-tre-trong-vo-hien-than-2025121009270016.htm