Meritorious Artist Tú Sương and Trinh Trinh created outstanding highlights for the play "Spring Comes to Thăng Long".

Meritorious Artist Tú Sương in the role of Bùi Thị Xuân

On the afternoon of November 17th, director Bach Long introduced the premiere of his self-written Vietnamese historical Cai Luong play about the female general Bui Thi Xuan.

For artist Bach Long, staging Vietnamese historical cải lương plays is a difficult path, but he is not discouraged.

"I chose this script because the historical period in the story of Bui Thi Xuan was explored by the Minh To traditional opera troupe in the 1980s and 1990s with the play 'The Sword and the Female General'. Now, I've rewritten it, investing more in the music , composing the theme song combined with rap to create a fresh feel in the staging," said artist Bach Long.

Meritorious Artist Trinh Trinh (playing Princess Ngoc Han) provides support for the young cast of Bach Long Children's Theatre.

Over the years, many Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) theaters have begun to focus on "purely Vietnamese" Cai Luong stories by re-staging and re-staged historical plays. Among them, many privately-run theaters have been very enthusiastic and staged many excellent historical plays that have been loved by the public, such as: "Queen Mother Duong Van Nga", "The Rosy Cheeks Reflecting the Silver Sword", "The Female General's Sword", "The Radiant Gem of Con Son", "The Loyal Minister", "The Poem on the Horse", "The Battle of Bach Dang Giang", "The Loyal Minister"...

Since relocating to the Nụ Cười Theatre within the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Palace, the Bạch Long Children's Troupe has strived to create numerous performances. Their play, "Spring Comes to Thăng Long," promises to bring many emotions to fans of cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera).

The unique highlight of the play is the appearance of Meritorious Artist Tú Sương (playing Bùi Thị Xuân) and Meritorious Artist Trinh Trinh (playing Princess Ngọc Hân).

Artist Kim Nhuận Phát (playing Nguyễn Huệ) and Meritorious Artist Tú Sương (playing Bùi Thị Xuân)

According to many historical sources, Bui Thi Xuan was one of the Five Imperial Consorts of Tay Son, the wife of Grand Tutor Tran Quang Dieu, and a Grand Admiral of the Tay Son dynasty.

Director Bach Long cleverly fictionalized the early days of Bui Thi Xuan's joining the Tay Son movement as a girl disguised as a man, in order to conceal her female identity and hopefully gain admission into the Tay Son ranks.

It was this scene that gave Meritorious Artist Tú Sương the opportunity to experience emotional transcendence, confronting Trần Quang Diệu and Nguyễn Huệ, then forging a brotherhood, vowing to protect the country and drive out the Qing invaders.

By incorporating rap into traditional Vietnamese opera, artist Bach Long hopes to bring a fresh perspective to Vietnamese historical plays.

With her exceptional skills in swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, and elephant training, coupled with her courage, Meritorious Artist Tú Sương's performance surprised many viewers.

In addition, the appearance of Princess Ngoc Han, played by Meritorious Artist Trinh Trinh, added many beautiful touches to the traditional Vietnamese opera scene.

The two female artists from the Minh Tơ - Thanh Tòng family have grown up and become pillars of support for the younger generation of actors at Bạch Long Children's Theatre.

The play spans six acts. The story unfolds around Bui Thi Xuan's encounters with Nguyen Hue and Tran Quang Dieu, followed by her appointment as admiral, proving her status as a great general.

"Spring Comes to Thang Long" is the beautiful love story between her and Tran Quang Dieu, a marriage orchestrated by Nguyen Hue, who were both talented generals of the Tay Son dynasty.

Artist Hoang Hai showcased impressive martial arts moves while portraying the character Pham Khanh.

Throughout the story, as each layer builds to a climax, the performances of Meritorious Artist Tú Sương and Meritorious Artist Trinh Trinh captivate the audience.

Both of them served as a stepping stone for the new recruits of the Bach Long children's theater group, including: Kim Nhuan Phat, Bach Luan, Bach Tu My, Thanh Du, Ai Loan, Phu Yen , Thuy My, Tai Nhan...

Besides, artists Bach Long, Hoang Hai, and Chi Bao also wholeheartedly supported the young actors.

Artists Bach Long and Chi Bao played supporting roles for the young actor.

Director Bach Long is very skillful; he has applied traditional techniques combined with modern approaches to create a tragic historical play, rich in historical significance and imbued with national pride.

The story "Spring Comes to Thang Long" highlights the exemplary righteousness of our ancestors, guiding today's generation—especially the youth—to remember the unwavering loyalty, integrity, love, and unity of our forefathers in fighting foreign invaders.

On the evening of November 18th, the play will continue its run at the Nụ Cười Theatre - Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Palace.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/van-nghe/nsut-tu-suong-trinh-trinh-tao-diem-nhan-noi-bat-cho-vo-xuan-ve-tren-dat-thang-long-20231117173742397.htm