Heritage sites illuminated amidst nightlife

VHO - From the dim lights and vibrant music of nightlife, the sounds of traditional Vietnamese opera drums and folk songs suddenly resound – a bold "encounter" between traditional art and modern life.

When bars and pubs become stages for traditional Vietnamese opera and folk theater, it's both a spectacular innovation and a creative bridge bringing heritage closer to the younger generation...

However, for old values ​​to truly thrive in the new era, innovation needs to go all the way, not just superficially, but touching upon the deeper aspects.

Traditional Vietnamese opera performance in a modern setting at Dot Bar.

Traditional Vietnamese opera and folk theater... into bars.

Once associated with moss-covered village communal houses, theater stages, or lively village festivals filled with drums and gongs, traditional Vietnamese opera – seemingly relegated to the past – has unexpectedly made a comeback in the vibrant atmosphere of bars. This is a refreshing shift, paving the way for traditional art to harmonize with the modern spirit.

At Dot Bar (Ho Chi Minh City), traditional Vietnamese opera (hat boi) is performed regularly. The bar's design incorporates a modern folk aesthetic, using traditional props such as embroidered banners, drums, and horns, combined with lighting and traditional music to recreate a miniature traditional stage that is both familiar and novel.

The two plays, San Hau and On Dinh slaying Ta, were performed in a shortened version, combining bilingual narration and dance demonstrations, making them more accessible to audiences, especially young people and international tourists. Amidst the bar atmosphere at night, with the clinking of glasses and dim lights, the audience unexpectedly witnessed On Dinh wielding his sword and San Hau donning a dragon robe.

According to Le Ngoc Minh (co-founder of Dot Bar), the idea of ​​incorporating traditional Vietnamese opera into the bar's space stemmed from the reality that many young people today have never been exposed to this art form, partly because they find it unfamiliar, and partly because they lack a suitable environment to experience it.

From there, Dot Bar proactively conceived ideas, connected with, and collaborated with artists from the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Opera Theatre and the non-profit cultural organization Hieu Van Ngu to create a series of performances.

“Currently, Dot Bar has hosted three traditional Vietnamese opera performances. In the future, we plan to maintain this frequency at once every two months and continue to introduce more traditional art forms into our space,” shared Mr. Le Ngoc Minh.

In Hanoi , audiences also had the opportunity to experience the art of Tuong (Vietnamese classical opera) through the program Ai Long Dia #3 : Tuong meets techno, held at ENTROPY Cocktail Club. With the goal of bringing traditional art out of the theater space and closer to younger audiences, the project is a collaboration between the creative team of ENTROPY Cocktail Club and the Vietnam National Tuong Theatre.

Under the direction of Meritorious Artist Tran Van Long, two classic excerpts from the play " On Dinh Executes Ta" are modernized through experimental theater, where traditional Tuong performance techniques intersect with techno music, contemporary dance, and lighting effects inspired by folk art.

Many people worry that bringing traditional art into the nightlife environment will diminish its heritage value, but "Ai Long Dia" has proven that traditional art can integrate into the lives of young people. Ms. Tran Thi My Nhat (Head of Marketing at ENTROPY Cocktail Club) expressed: "Nightlife music always needs climaxes that make the audience's emotions explode. Interestingly, traditional theater also has its own unique fantastical and dramatic plot twists. When placed in the right context, those climaxes perfectly harmonize with the atmosphere of an electronic music night."

Experiments at Dot Bar and ENTROPY Cocktail Club not only showcase an interesting blend of tradition and modernity, but also demonstrate that nighttime entertainment spaces can become stages for traditional art forms and be readily embraced by young people.

An excerpt from a traditional Vietnamese opera was performed at the ENTROPY Cocktail Club.

Refreshing but without losing identity

Integrating traditional art into modern entertainment spaces allows old values ​​to blend seamlessly into contemporary life. However, this modernization process must be based on a proper understanding and respect for the essence of traditional art forms, avoiding distorted interpretations or the dilution of their core spirit.

Bringing traditional art into modern entertainment spaces is not just about innovating forms, but requires a genuine collaboration between those preserving traditional art and young creators. Theaters need to proactively share materials, techniques, and expertise.

Conversely, young people must also approach art with an open mind, understanding that each art form has its own structure and value. Collaborative models such as the one between ENTROPY Cocktail Club and the Vietnam Traditional Opera Theatre, or Dot Bar and the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Opera Theatre, are examples of seriously revitalizing traditional art. The participation of veteran artists is a guarantee of technical skill and quality.

The creative team also needs to equip themselves with a sufficiently deep artistic mindset to understand that simply bringing traditional art into a bar, mixing it with electronic music, and adding contemporary choreography doesn't automatically create a breakthrough.

Khanh Linh (co-founder of ENTROPY Cocktail Club) said: “To harmonize traditional and modern elements, the prerequisite is to respect the core structure of the original art. We don't remix traditional Vietnamese opera by replacing drums with electronic beats, but instead maintain the rhythmic structure and singing style, placing it within a modern electronic soundscape so that listeners can feel the weight of each drum beat and each footstep, rather than a facile mix. Traditional art, if only performed on theater stages, is easily seen as alien to the younger generation. We are not trying to bring audiences to traditional opera, but rather to bring it closer to today's life.”

For traditional art to truly "live" in modern life, sustained efforts are needed to convey ancient values ​​using the language of today – on flexible stages, while still preserving the spirit and identity of the heritage.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/di-san-len-den-giua-nightlife-154356.html