UNCLE HỒ: The cải lương play called Đêm Trước Ngày Hoàng Đạo (The Night Before Dawn) features Vietnamese history. It is part of HCM City’s cultural and art activities to celebrate the 48th anniversary of the day Sài Gòn-Gia Định was officially named after late President Hồ Chí Minh. Photo courtesy of Đại Việt Cải Lương Theatre.

HCM CITY — Artists from the HCM City-based private Đại Việt Cải Lương Theatre will stage a new show about Vietnamese history this weekend.

The play, Đêm Trước Ngày Hoàng Đạo (The Night Before Dawn), is a production featuring cải lương (reformed opera), the South’s 100-year-old traditional art genre.

The play is part of the city’s cultural and arts activities to celebrate the 48th anniversary of the day Sài Gòn-Gia Định was officially named after late President Hồ Chí Minh.

The 120-minute event focuses on the unjust death of national hero Nguyễn Trãi, one of Việt Nam’s greatest politicians and poets. His death was resulted from a secret involving the death of King Lê Thái Tông in early 1442.

King Lê Thái Tông visited Trãi’s family, where the king met Trãi’s young wife, Nguyễn Thị Lộ, a native of Thái Bình Province, who was known for her great learning. He decided to sleep at the manor Lệ Chi, owned by Trãi’s family, and that night, he suddenly becomes ill and dies.

The court later blamed Trãi and his wife for the king’s death, accusing them of treason. Trãi, Lộ and members of three generations of both of their families are then executed.

The play’s director, Meritorious Artist Hoa Hạ, featured cải lương stars Lê Tứ as Nguyễn Trãi and Tú Sương as Trãi’s wife.

“Our play dipicts historical events. We have worked to breathe life into the play,” said director Hạ in an interview with local media. “We promise to offer a quality and innovative show meeting the demands of theatregoers.”

TRADITIONAL THEATRE - Actors from the private Đại Việt Cải Lương Theatre perform in Đêm Trước Ngày Hoàng Đạo (The Night Before Dawn), a cải lương play about Vietnamese history. The play will debut in July 7. Photo courtesy of Đại Việt Cải Lương Theatre.

Đêm Trước Ngày Hoàng Đạo is among many music and theatre shows with the theme of patriotisim being staged this month marking the 48th anniversary of the day the city was named after late President Hồ Chí Minh (1976-2024).

The shows are organised by the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in co-operation with its partners, including theatres, art clubs, and entertainment centres.

Đêm Trước Ngày Hoàng Đạo by Đại Việt Cải Lương Theatre is scheduled to be staged at Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre at weekends in July and August, starting on July 7. – VNS