My Duyen: Princess for life in Once Upon a Time

This year, the Once Upon a Time program celebrates its 25th anniversary. In that journey, Princess My Duyen is an unforgettable memory for the children.

Artist My Duyen plays Princess Me Ly in the play The Adventures of Captain Sinbad: The Battle of the Little Mermaid - Photo: TTD

Once Upon a Time first aired in 2000. The show has been around for 25 years and artist My Duyen has been on the children's playground for more than 20 years.

No one has "usurped" the throne

After 1975, Once Upon a Time can be said to be the longest-running children's drama program produced by a private unit. For many years, Idecaf Drama Theater has maintained it, invested heavily, and performed at Ben Thanh Theater every summer.

The latest episode is the play Descendants of the Sun (author: Quang Thao, director: Dinh Toan) which is the 36th episode of Once Upon a Time.

During that journey, Once Upon a Time has gone through many generations of actors, from those who left their first mark such as director Doan Khoa, author Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, artist Thanh Loc, director Hung Lam, then Huu Chau, Thanh Thuy, Hoang Trinh, Bach Long, director Vu Minh, author Thanh Phuong, My Duyen, Dai Nghia, Dinh Toan, Hong Anh, author Quang Thao...

Up to now, there are many new faces such as Quoc Thinh, Tuyen Map, Dong Hai, Tra Ngoc, Cam Ho, Dong Hai...

Among them are artists who have "nailed" the children in specific roles.

For example, artists Thanh Loc, Huu Chau, Dai Nghia often play the roles of witches, the villains who "muddy the water" in the play, Dinh Toan is often the prince. And when mentioning princesses, the audience will definitely immediately think of My Duyen.

My Duyen has a good foundation from studying dance in Russia. She has also been very successful in movies. And when she got involved with theater, especially children's theater, she was often "tailored" to beautiful characters, taking advantage of her good dancing ability.

Among them, the princess character that the young audience "defaulted" to be was Miss My Duyen in Once Upon a Time.

During an exchange with the audience at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street on the occasion of Once Upon a Time issue 33, the play The Adventures of Captain Sinbad: The Battle of the Little Mermaid was adapted into a comic book, author Quang Thao revealed a "shocking secret" about the plan to... usurp the princess throne of My Duyen in Once Upon a Time issue 34, the play The Princess and the Hemp Shirt.

In the play, the author and director Dinh Toan intended to give her the role of the fairy Thach Nhu. However, the role of the princess has a part where she has to silently weave clothes from nettles to restore the appearance of her brothers. If she doesn't speak, she has to dance to express her inner feelings. And who can dance better than My Duyen? So, it is really difficult to usurp My Duyen's position as princess!

Artist My Duyen (left cover, playing Princess May) in Once Upon a Time 35 with the play The Adventures of Captain Sinbad: The Legend of the Magic Eye - Photo: LINH DOAN

My Duyen, "princess for life"

My Duyen started participating in the program Once Upon a Time for the 5th time (2003) with the play Cinderella. In this first program, she immediately received the beautiful character, Cinderella.

That beginning was like fate tying My Duyen to the beautiful character, the princess. Up to now, she has played about 2/3 of this type of character in Once Upon a Time.

In which, with the role of princess, My Duyen is the champion. Young audiences are so familiar that they know by heart the names of My Duyen's princesses such as Princess Ba Tun Mu, Princess Mi Nuong, Princess Takachi, Princess Tieu Phung, Princess Hoa Hong, Princess Thien Kim, Princess Me Ly, Princess Ruby...

In Once Upon a Time, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this summer, the play Descendants of the Sun does not have a princess role, My Duyen (left) continues to be assigned the beautiful role of the Wind Goddess - Photo: LINH DOAN

Director Dinh Toan happily said that in the children's plays of Once Upon a Time, the princess character often has to sing and dance a lot, and according to him, no one can do this better than My Duyen.

He added that in the theater, there were Hong Anh, Le Khanh... who played princess characters, however, the young audience still remembers Princess My Duyen the most.

Little Tram Anh, a loyal audience member of Once Upon a Time, whispered: "Every time after watching Once Upon a Time, I ask my mom to let me run up and take a picture with Ms. My Duyen. Because I think she's as beautiful as the princess in the story I watched. Then she has to fight against witches and monsters, so I feel so sorry for her!"

It can be said that "princess" has become My Duyen's trademark, so her colleagues jokingly say that My Duyen will play the role of a princess... for the rest of her life! Because this year she is over 50 years old, but children still love and enjoy watching her play a princess for a long time.

Not only that, the story of My Duyen being closely associated with the image of a princess is also a funny "anecdote" that colleagues put into their plays to create a scene. Remember in the play The Princess and the Hemp Shirt, My Duyen played the role of Princess Ruby. During a performance, artist Huu Chau "publicly" asked My Duyen to transfer the role of the princess to him, because he thought she had played that role for too long and should be transferred to someone else.

On his personal page in each season of Once Upon a Time, artist Dai Nghia also "hinted" about wanting to take My Duyen's princess throne. However, it's not easy for young audiences to accept. And My Duyen's journey to become a "princess for life" is very well-founded!

"My Duyen not only dances beautifully but is also pretty, petite, youthful, has a gentle voice, the true qualities of a beautiful actress.

She is also very romantic, dreamy, and dreamy, so she is very similar to the princesses in fairy tales. All of these qualities make her easily become a lovely princess in the eyes of children.

Children watch it so often that they get used to it and assume that the princess in Once Upon a Time must be Miss My Duyen" - Dinh Toan shared.

LINH DOAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/my-duyen-cong-chua-tron-doi-trong-ngay-xua-ngay-xua-20250606091404551.htm