“Chi Pheo's Dream” - Vietnamese musical dream

The play of “firsts”

The audience at Vinh Phuc Theater witnessed Chi Pheo “revived” on the stage of the National Music and Dance Festival from Thang Long Music and Dance Theater. “Chi Pheo’s Dream” surprised even the most discerning audience and they did not think that musicals could be so good and attractive.

“Giác mơ Chí Phèo” is inspired by the work “Chi Pheo” by writer Nam Cao. With 90 minutes of music combined with drama, it will take the audience through many emotions: sometimes romantic, soaring, sometimes fierce, with surging drama. On the Broadway stage, Chí Phèo is once again revived within himself, with a beautiful dream of a good life and a desire for a normal life with a virtuous wife and young children, in a simple thatched house.

And “Giác Mơ Chí Phèo” has now established its “first” marks, demonstrating the determination and efforts of the Thang Long Music and Dance Theatre crew. That is, for the first time, a Broadway musical inspired by Vietnamese literature. In fact, there have been many literary works adapted to cinema and stage, but “Giác Mơ Chí Phèo” is the first musical.

"Chi Pheo's Dream" performed at the National Music and Dance Festival.

For the first time, a musical of international stature was produced by Vietnamese people. According to musician Duong Cam, “We have always made musicals, but from the perspective of a musician, I think these musicals have not yet reached the “Broadway standard”. We are trying to turn “Giác Mơ Chí Phèo” into a ‘musical made in Vietnam’ brand.”

For the first time, the domestic audience can enjoy a Musical made in Vietnam and fully enjoy the live performances of the cast. For the first time, on a Broadway stage, there is a Liveband that brings the most genuine emotions.

Director Jesse Donaldson Jarrett (director of the famous musical Shrek) once shared: "A Broadway musical is different from a regular play because of the music and choreography and how they create emotional sublimation. Broadway musicals require actors to not only act honestly and emotionally; but also have good choreography, a stable voice; and know how to combine all three elements smoothly to shine on stage. Singing, dancing, acting."

Scene from "Chi Pheo's Dream".

With the Broadway musical “Chi Pheo’s Dream”, the 3 elements: Singing, dancing, acting can do more than that, bringing many surprises and amazement to make us proud “Vietnamese musicals turn out to be so good! Vietnamese people eating Vietnamese food is still the best!”

The appeal of a pure Vietnamese dish

People's Artist Huynh Tan Minh, Director of Thang Long Music and Dance Theater, said: "Hopefully, the combination of literature, music, choreography, and stage art will bring a complete experience to audiences of any age. For the middle-aged generation, "Giác Mơ Chí Phèo" will be like a ticket to take them back to the sweetness of youth literature. As for the younger generation, the play will be like a prism, an interesting perspective from a work that you are all too familiar with when you were in school. It is expected that "Giác Mơ Chí Phèo" will be an affirmation of the Broadway brand "musical made in Vietnam" not only to domestic audiences but also to "spread its wings far and wide" about the dream of Vietnamese musicals reaching out to the world ."

Hai nghệ sĩ tài năng Đông Hùng và Hoàng Thái Phương.

Two talented artists Dong Hung and Hoang Thai Phuong.

Producer Duong Cam affirmed: "Among many artistic and entertainment "dishes", I think musicals are the current trend of enjoyment for the audience". He is also the one who wrote all 20 new songs. Sharing at the press conference on December 2, musician Duong Cam said, "Giac Mo Chi Pheo" is a musical with strong Broadway colors but inspired by Vietnamese literary works, satisfying the Vietnamese people's desire for a dream of a musical "made in Vietnam".

Musician Duong Cam wants to recreate a literary spirit through a humanistic perspective; through music to express a “normal and kind” Chi Pheo; honor the value of sincere human love even though it is crushed by fate. Because in all circumstances, love is always salvation: “Everyone wants to be a normal person, everyone wants to be loved!”

Dinh Tien Dung is the scriptwriter of “Chi Pheo’s Dream”. He expressed: "I was very surprised, touched and somewhat overwhelmed by the actors’ performance during the rehearsals. Adapting a classic work by writer Nam Cao has many advantages because the characters’ personalities and plot are very clear. The story of Chi Pheo is very meaningful in that it honors love and human values with the message that thanks to love, a demon can become a human, thanks to love, a silly girl can also become a human". He hopes to adapt the work “Chi Pheo” into a musical with a Vietnamese brand, through a way of expression that is close to the entertainment needs of the audience.

The production crew of the musical.

In this musical, if the music is enchanted by artist Duong Cam, the arrangement is solid and professional by Dinh Tien Dung, then the remaining piece that creates the "three-legged tripod" is the participation of director, Meritorious Artist Phung Tien Minh. He once again affirms his strength in the stage, while striving to bring the most complete perfection to an international musical on the Vietnamese stage. He confidently affirms that this is a musical standard of the world, not just of Vietnam, and more than that, it also carries the national cultural identity.

Hopefully, the combination of literature, music, choreography, and stage art will bring a complete experience to audiences of all ages. Right before the musical's premiere at Ho Guom Theater on the evening of December 23, many excerpts from "Chi Pheo's Dream" have become hot on the online community. The song "Doi nhu nay thich nhi" performed by singer Dong Hung (playing the role of Chi Pheo), Hoang Thai Phuong (daughter of artist Thanh Thanh Hien, playing the role of Thi No) in Vietnam's first Broadway musical is sought after by young people.

It can be seen that the appeal of Vietnamese literary materials to young audiences is not only in movies and music, but also in drama and musicals. Vietnam's first Broadway musical "Giác Mơ Chí Phèo" shows the appeal of musicals to Vietnamese audiences and the tireless dedication of artists from the Thăng Long Music and Dance Theatre, adding a valuable spiritual food to today's diverse musical life.

BAO LINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/giac-mo-chi-pheo-giac-mo-nhac-kich-viet-post848824.html