The Hong Van Theatre (Ho Chi Minh City Student Cultural Center) recently staged the musical "Bong Canh Co" (written and directed by Le Nguyen Tuan Anh, based on the musical story of the late composer and Meritorious Artist Bac Son). The performance attracted a large audience of Vietnamese musical theater enthusiasts.
Following the musical "Tien Nga" directed by Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc, which sparked a new trend, Ho Chi Minh City theaters are increasingly featuring purely Vietnamese musicals. According to People's Artist Hong Van, musicals in general, and purely Vietnamese musicals in particular, are currently a popular trend in theater. "After 'Bong Canh Co,' we will be producing two more purely Vietnamese musicals: 'No Than' by the late author Le Duy Hanh and a musical based on compositions by musician Minh Vy. This is an effort to revitalize the theater scene, serving audiences and providing Ho Chi Minh City's stage life with more new forms of entertainment," People's Artist Hong Van stated.
A scene from the purely Vietnamese musical "Bong Canh Co" by Hong Van Theatre.
To contribute to the overall success of the musical "The Crane's Wing," People's Artist Hong Van invited musician Minh Vy to serve as the music director. He meticulously crafted each song, arranging and orchestrating the music, including the musical elements incorporated into each line of dialogue, the climactic scenes, and even the musical pieces expressing the characters' emotions in the play, ensuring everything was perfectly suited to the performance.
According to insiders, the purely Vietnamese musical "Bong Canh Co" (Crane's Wing) brought many viewers to tears. The music by Bac Son, imbued with the love of the homeland and carrying a heavy burden of nostalgia, evoked emotions and improvisations in the style of Southern Vietnamese theater, with its rivers, docks, boats, and a complex mix of poignant feelings about the land and its people. The trend towards purely Vietnamese musicals also provided a favorable basis for promoting the image of Vietnamese culture, country, and people through the performance. This purely Vietnamese content was also suitable for young audiences and foreign tourists .
The trend of purely Vietnamese musical theater is also heating up the stages in Hanoi . The People's Police Theater, in collaboration with the Vietnam National Academy of Music, successfully staged the musical "The Driver." The play vividly explores the image of President Ho Chi Minh and the People's Police force, especially the intelligence force of the People's Police during the resistance war. The Youth Theater presented the musical "Waves," which explores the life and works of the female poet Xuan Quynh; this is also one of the plays that has continuously performed on stages in both the North and South of Vietnam.
Experts believe that purely Vietnamese musical theater will flourish in the near future. There will be more opportunities for artists to showcase their talents, but even now, attention must be paid to professional expertise and human resources for this emerging field. People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc observes: "Purely Vietnamese musical theater requires actors with extensive skills. Because the script not only tells the story but also involves the director's and composer's techniques to incorporate music appropriately. The musical language, with songs replacing dialogue, must be extremely convincing. Choosing actors who can sing well and have a good sense of musicality, especially for folk-inspired music, is not a simple matter."
Director Le Nguyen Tuan Anh believes that all stages of a theatrical production, from finding actors and creating the story to commissioning compositions, must be tailored by the directors to be relatable to the audience. Therefore, in the long term, adequate investment is needed in a team of actors who can sing and dance; only then will this genre of theater have a foundation for sustainable development.
Besides the aforementioned purely Vietnamese musicals that have captivated audiences, many other purely Vietnamese musicals have been and are being prepared for premiere, such as: "Tam Cam Musical," "Thuy Tinh - The 101st Child," "The Story of the Red River," etc.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/van-nghe/giac-mo-nhac-kich-thuan-viet-20230918210722326.htm
Comment (0)