CẢI LƯƠNG TALENTS: Theatre stars Vũ Luân (right) and Ngọc Huyền will stage a live show featuring cải lương (reformed opera), a traditional genre of Vietnamese theatre which began 100 years ago, in HCM city this weekend. — Photo courtesy of the producer

HCM CITY — A live show featuring cải lương (reformed opera) stars Ngọc Huyền and Vũ Luân will open in HCM City this weekend.

The event will star Vietnamese-American actress Huyền and veteran actor Luân – who have played a role in the development of Vietnamese theatre.

The artists will stage a unique cải lương, the 100-year-old art genre of the South. Young talents from Vũ Luân Troupe, one of the city’s leading private traditional theatres, will be included.

“We will offer a quality show featuring a modern style of cải lương,” said actor Luân, founder and art director-producer of the Vũ Luân Troupe. “Today, cải lương should be staged in new styles to meet the demand of young audiences."

Luân’s troupe opened in 2000 and has faced many challenges to develop and bring cải lương closer to young audiences. Luân and his actors have offered experiment shows with images, sounds and music aimed at young people.

“Our live show this time will entertain and provide youngsters with a taste of southern culture and lifestyle,” said Luân. Born to a poor family in HCM City, Luân studied cải lương under the instruction of actor Bạch Long, owner of the Đồng Ấu Troupe, which consisted of teenage artists.

In 2007, he won a gold medal at the National Competition for Cải Lương Young Talents, organised annually by the HCM City Theatre Association. He spent 20 years working before taking home his first national prize.

Luân has worked for leading theatres in the region, including Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre of HCM City.

DEVELOPING THE ART: Young and veteran artists from private Vũ Luân Troupe are helping to preserve and develop cải lương, a traditional gerne of the South’s theatre. — Photo courtesy of the theatre

Similar to Luân, actress Ngọc Huyền will sing original traditional tunes for theatre lovers. She is hoping that this weekend's event, which will feature an orchestra of traditional instrument players, will please her fans.

“I’ve been practising my vocal and dance skills several hours a day,” said Huyền, adding that her love for cải lương is still fresh after several years of living in the US.

During her stage debut for the Thanh Nga Troupe in 1985, Huyền wowed the audience with her voice, looks and performance. She quickly became one of the region’s brightest stars in cải lương.

In 1992, she performed pop songs in cải lương plays and left a very strong impression on young audiences.

In 2002, her first live show, Mãi Mãi Một Ước Mơ (Forever Dream), staged cải lương for three nights and attracted more than 5,000 people.

She has performed in several hundred cải lương plays, videos and movies at home and abroad.

She has won dozens of top prizes at national traditional theatre festivals and contests, including the Trần Hữu Trang Award and Mai Vàng (Golden Apricot) Award presented by HCM City Theatre Association and Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper.

The live show featuring Luân and Huyền will open at 8pm on June 8 at Bến Thành Theatre, 6Đ Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street, District 1. — VNS