Cải lương theatres offer new shows

CELEBRATING NATIONAL DAY: Cải lương (reformed opera) shows on Vietnamese history will be staged in HCM City to celebrate National Day on September 2. Photo courtesy of Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre.

HCM CITY — Five new shows on Vietnamese history will be staged by theatres in HCM City this month.

These shows celebrate National Day on September 2.

Highlighted shows include Tiếng Trống Mê Linh (The Sounds of Mê Linh Drum), a cải lương (reformed opera) production directed by People’s Artist Trần Ngọc Giàu.

The play portrays the lives of Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị, the two sisters who led the nation’s first resistance movement against Chinese occupiers in the first century, around 2,000 years ago.

Their victories liberated Đại Việt (old name for Việt Nam) after 247 years of Chinese domination.

People’s Artist Thanh Ngân plays the oldest sister Trưng Trắc, who led her troops on elephants to repel the invasions.

“I will offer true cải lương with modern techniques of performance,” said 51-year-old Ngân, who has 35 years in the industry.

SPREADING HER ART: People’s Artist Thanh Ngân has worked to expand her art, the South’s 100-year old cải lương (reformed opera), among young people. Photo courtesy of the artist’s facebook.

Ngân performed as lead artist for leading theatres in the provinces of Huế, Cà Mau, Hậu Giang and Tiền Giang, which is her home province.

She won several top prizes for best theatre actress at national contests and festivals organised by prestigious organisations, including the Mai Vàng (Golden Ochna) Award presented by Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper in 2000 and 2002.

She has released 22 albums and many videos featuring cải lương.

Tiếng Trống Mê Linh will be staged by Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, one of the region’s leading State-owned troupes.

It will open at 8pm on August 17 and on weekends in August and September at 136Đ Trần Hưng Đạo Street, District 1.

Meritorious Artist Tú Sương of the private Thiên Long Troupe will return with a lead role in Long Phụng Kỳ Tài (Vietnamese Hero), a new play of tuồng or hát bội (classical drama), a Vietnamese traditional theatre genre that originated in the 12th century.

The play features national hero Lê Lợi or Emperor Lê Thái Tổ, who led the Lam Sơn uprising against the Ming invaders between 1418 to 1427.

The themes of patriotism and bravery are also included.

Theatre star Sương will play Trịnh Thị Ngọc Lữ, a concubine of Emperor Lê Thái Tổ.

“I wanted to perfect the staging of tuồng to attract younger generations,” said Sương, adding that she has tried her best to portray Vietnamese history on stage as realistically as possible.

Sương said her theatre, Thiên Long Theatre, invested several hundreds of million đồng on high-tech equipment, including light and sound effects, artificial smoke and visual arts.

Long Phụng Kỳ Tài will debut at 7:30pm on August 27 at 136 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, District 1. — VNS