STAGE STAR - Ngân Tuấn, a veteran of cải lương (reformed opera), will perform in his live show in HCM City this Christmas. The event celebrates his 40-year career in theatre. Photo courtesy of the artist’s face book.

HCM CITY — Veteran theatre actor Ngân Tuấn, a guru of cải lương (reformed opera), will perform in a live show in HCM City on Saturday. 

The show, Trọn Tình Sân Khấu (All Love for the Stage), celebrates Tuấn’s 40-year career. 

It will feature vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes), cải lương, and tuồng (classical drama), traditional theatre genres in the southern and central regions.  

Extracts from famous plays featuring Vietnamese historical events and heroes will also be included. 

Tuấn will perform with his peers, Meritorious Artist Ngọc Huyền and Thoại Mỹ, who have played a role in the 100-year-old development of cải lươin the South. 

Younger colleagues, such as veteran actresses Thoại Mỹ and Bình Tinh, are also invited.  

“I will dazzle theatre lovers with an original style of cải lương this Christmas. I hope my talented friends and their art will help young people foster their love for the traditional theatre,” said Tuấn, who was famous in the 1970s-80s. 

PRESERVING CẢI LƯƠNG - Veteran actor Ngân Tuấn (right) has worked to preserve cải lương, a 100-year-old theatre genre in the South. Photo courtesy of Hồ Chí Minh City Theatre Association.

Tuấn will perform a series of extracts from works by his teacher, late veteran scriptwriter Bạch Mai, founder of the Bạch Long Tuồng Troupe.

Mai wrote, directed and performed in 60 cải lương and tuồng plays, many of which won top prizes for best plays at national theatre contests and festivals.

One of her highlighted plays is Ngô Quyền Và Chiến Thắng Bạch Đằng Giang (Ngô Quyền and the Great Victory on Bạch Đằng River), a production about Vietnamese history. 

The work features the Bạch Đằng Battle of 938 on Bạch Đằng River between Vietnamese troops led by Ngô Quyền, who later became the King and ruled the Ngô Dynasty, and Chinese invaders under the Han dynasty.

Mai worked with State-owned and private theatres and art schools in the region to offer training for artists. 

She opened Huỳnh Long Troupe featuring 30 actors in 2017. The troupe is managed by her daughter, talented actress Bình Tinh, who has nearly 20 years of experience in cải lương.

“I hope my live show will help fans to understand why and how cải lương is the spirit of the Vietnamese people," said 56-year-old Tuấn, who has overcome challenges and proven his ability to keep cải lương alive.  

Tickets for the show Trọn Tình Sân Khấu were sold out.

The event will begin at 8pm at the Hậu Giang Cultural Centre in 259Đ Hậu Giang Street, District 6, on December 21.— VNS