Little Minh Khanh, wearing shorts and a pullover, ran to the village gate, and in the middle of the night, looked up to the sky and prayed for the rain to stop and the wind to stop. Inside the yard, the sounds of drums, cymbals, gongs, and zithers... along with the lyrics of traditional songs harmonized in a lively, soaring harmony.
Minh Khanh (11 years old) is the son of female artist Phuong Loan of the Ngoc Khanh Traditional Opera Troupe ( Dong Nai ), one of the "seeds" of the traditional opera "field". At the age of 6, Minh Khanh made an impression when he confidently performed excerpts from traditional opera, was able to sing and dance gracefully and fluently with the Ho Quang tunes such as "Chung Ban", "Tong Lien Chi", "Xao Ban"...
Five years later, she returned to Hue with the troupe, more confident and mature. Although she did not know whether Khanh would follow in her mother’s footsteps, her eyes were filled with faith and passion for traditional art, a pride that her mother and senior artists were preserving.
This is the third time the Ngoc Khanh Traditional Opera Troupe has "returned to its roots" to celebrate its 35th anniversary. In addition to paying tribute to its ancestors at Thanh Binh Temple - a national monument dedicated to the founder of Vietnamese traditional opera, the troupe also organized two nights of free traditional opera and traditional opera performances. The program featured many big names in the traditional opera and traditional opera scene such as Meritorious Artist Ngoc Khanh, Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long, Meritorious Artist Trinh Trinh, Meritorious Artist Vu Luan, singer Long Nhat (guest), along with artists Phuong Loan, Khanh Tam, Hieu Canh, My Hau, Phuong Thao, Tuan Duong, Thanh Quang, Quang Bao...
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| Artist Phuong Loan in an excerpt from the ancient play "Lu Bu plays with Diao Chan" performed at Thanh Binh Tu Duong stage. |
This event attracted hundreds of spectators from the ancient capital, including those who had not seen a play for a long time. For example, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuoc (70 years old), after a bicycle ride at Dong Ba market, headed straight to Thanh Binh from the street to watch a play. He said that the last time he saw a traditional opera was 55 years ago. Or Mrs. Tran Thi Yen (69 years old), from Vinh Phu commune, 30 km from the center of Hue city, did not mind the long journey to watch.
The affection of the people of Thanh Binh hamlet for the troupe was also extremely warm. Many days before the troupe arrived, the people together cleaned up, set up the stage, tents and prepared accommodation for the troupe. Meritorious Artist Ngoc Khanh, Head of the troupe, emotionally shared: "The people of Thanh Binh hamlet helped us a lot... Those things, together with the sacred fire of the ancestors, are a great source of warmth and encouragement for us artists."
On the last night (July 14), while the troupe was performing, there was a thunderstorm. When the excerpt of the play "Triệu Tử nhập Cam Lồ" was almost over, the rain suddenly poured down. The troupe had to apologize to the audience and turn off the lights. The artists and staff hurriedly packed up but could only protect some musical instruments and electronic equipment. Everyone was soaked, their makeup was smudged. Their costumes and personal belongings were all wet. The members huddled inside the tent amidst the clutter.
Despite facing countless difficulties due to the decline of the art of hát bội - tuong cổ, the artists are still determined to keep their passion for the profession. They consider following the profession as their "career". Meritorious Artist Ngoc Khanh said that there are only half a year when there are shows, the remaining half of the year the artists have to earn a living by doing "side jobs". When returning to Hue or touring far away, without the help of benefactors, the troupe would face many difficulties. Like this time, the artists had to pay for themselves, spend frugally, rent a shared bus and live in tents during their stay in Hue. However, no one complained. Female artist Khanh Tam shared: "Today under the roof of Thanh Binh ancestral temple, thank the ancestors for allowing us to sit together again, wipe away the past to repaint a new, more brilliant chapter with the colors of love and sympathy".
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| Artist Phuong Loan in an excerpt from the ancient play "Lu Bu plays with Diao Chan" performed at Thanh Binh Tu Duong stage. |
Thanh Binh Tu Duong was built during the reign of King Minh Mang (1825), and is a national monument (1992). It worships many gods, saints, and ancestors, including the founder and predecessors who made great contributions to the art of Tuong (Hue opera). Studies have shown that Tuong once held a "unique" position, the pinnacle of the art industry when it carried the style of royal Tuong; it was once the "national drama" in Dang Trong under the Nguyen Lords. During the Nguyen Dynasty, Thanh Binh Tu Duong held a solemn Ancestor worship ceremony every year for 3 days, attracting Tuong troupes from all over the country to perform. The climax then the decline. Although there were periods when it seemed to have fallen asleep, the good news is that for nearly ten years, Thanh Binh Tu Duong has been lit up at least three times every time the Ngoc Khanh Tuong - Hat Boi Art Troupe "returned to its source" to perform.
On the night of July 14, under the heavy rain covering Thanh Binh from the street, I looked out into the yard, then up at the stage, as if I saw somewhere the figure of the great figure of the Tuong - Hat Boi industry, the late artist Nguyen Huu Lap. He had just passed away at the age of 83. This time Hue was without him, the audience did not get to see him perform, but an excerpt of his ancient Tuong - the play "Luu Kim Dinh Giai Gia Tho Chau" was still enthusiastically received by the performing artists and the audience of the ancient capital.
I still remember that in 2017 and 2020, artist Huu Lap and the troupe went to Hue. On July 25, 2020, when he "returned to his roots" for the second time, I asked him what kept him passionate about his profession, even though the traditional opera was in decline and the artists' lives were facing countless difficulties. Artist Huu Lap smiled gently: "In our profession, as long as there is an audience watching, we will continue to perform."
Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202507/lua-nghe-van-chay-o-thanh-binh-a26108c/
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