Reading “PUPU” – Continuing the dream of professionalizing musicals

On June 21, at the Youth Theater, Hanoi, a reading showcase of the children's musical "PUPU" was held, to initially introduce to the audience the meaningful message and artistic vision of a stage work jointly staged by Vietnamese and Korean artists.

Youth Theatre organizes a reading of the children's musical "PUPU". (Photo: YOUTH THEATRE)

“PUPU” is one of two musical projects for children (along with “My Dream”) jointly implemented by the Youth Theater and SangsangMaru Theater (Korea) in 2025-2026, with the participation of Korean musical experts and performing artists of the Youth Theater.

Previously, in an effort to find new directions for modern theater, the two theaters "joined hands" to stage and introduce to the audience, especially young audiences, a number of outstanding musicals, such as: "The Goblin's Child", "Zorba - Detective Cat"... The plays not only bear the mark of creativity in storytelling, stage design, music ... but also demonstrate the harmonious combination between Korean artistic standards and Vietnamese cultural identity, thereby winning the love and response of a large audience.

Continuing the journey of cooperation, the children's musical "PUPU" carries a profound message about love for nature, climate change, tolerance and harmonious coexistence between humans, animals and the living environment.

During the 1 hour performance, through the lively dialogue and emotional musical performance of the artists and actors, the audience clearly felt the soul and story of each character in the work.

The musical "PUPU" conveys a profound message about love for nature and environmental protection awareness. (Photo: TUOI TRE THEATRE)

The story begins in a coastal village where siblings Jun and Sara live peacefully with their family. But the peaceful atmosphere is broken when storms and rising sea levels submerge the entire village. The cause seems to be the curse of a mysterious "monster". While fleeing the flood, Jun and Sara accidentally meet a strange penguin named Pu Pu from Waka village (Antarctica), who is also lost due to melting ice caused by climate change.

The three young friends decided to set out together to confront the monster to break the “curse”. But then, the truth gradually revealed: the monster was not a bad guy, but a lonely creature, who had been discriminated against and misunderstood. He secretly sought a way to clean the village’s water source with the “Waka Water” project.

After many misunderstandings and injuries, Pu Pu – despite being injured – still wholeheartedly protects the monster, helping the villagers realize: it is human discrimination and uncontrolled development that causes nature to rebel. The story ends with a song of solidarity, when humans, nature and creatures join hands to live together, with the message: "Who is the master of this world ?"

Even though it was just a reading showcase – where the actors read the script and performed the main songs without a complicated stage or elaborate lighting, it was still enough to touch the hearts of the audience thanks to its humane content, creative storytelling and the efforts of the entire crew.

The performance impressed with the actors' lively dialogue reading. (Photo: TUOI TRE THEATRE)

According to Meritorious Artist Nguyen Si Tien, Director of the Youth Theater, reading is a very popular form of performance in the world, becoming the standard in creative activities and staging in countries with highly developed musical performing arts industries, but in Vietnam it is still quite new.

In the context that our country does not have a training unit for musical theater - a type of art that requires actors to possess all three skills: dancing, singing, and acting, the Youth Theater is making efforts to build a training environment for musical artists, and reading performances like this are one of the practical steps with the support of domestic and international experts.

“To have this 60-minute reading showcase, the artists practiced for many weeks, working more than 10 hours a day with a spirit of learning, creativity and high responsibility” - Meritorious Artist Si Tien shared.

Actors interact with the audience, (Photo: TUOI TRE THEATRE)

Through the process of working with Vietnamese artists, Mr. Um Dongyoul, Director of SangsangMaru Theater, said that he did not see any difference in ability between the artists of the two countries, but only a difference in experience in professional musicals. He also said, "The musical "PUPU" was inspired by the reality of climate change in Antarctica in 2016, which caused mass penguin deaths due to melting ice. I hope that through the image of the lovely penguin, children will receive a gentle and profound message about the environment."

It is known that after the reading, the musical “PUPU” will continue to complete the script and move to the stage staging stage so that it can soon be released to serve young audiences. Produced according to the modern family musical model, with professional support from Korean experts, the project is also an opportunity for young Vietnamese artists to learn and grow in a professional musical environment.

This summer, in July 2025, the Youth Theater will perform the musical “Zorba – the Detective Cat”. The play is a Vietnamese adaptation of the original work that premiered in Korea in 2015, and has been loved by many children and parents for many years. The play brings together more than 50 performing artists, creators, and stage technical experts from the Youth Theater and SangsangMaru Theater, working together for 2 years to create a truly unique and large-scale work, promising to bring the audience impressive experiences and emotions.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/dien-doc-pupu-–-viet-tiep-giac-mo-chuyen-nghiep-hoa-nhac-kich-213831.html