Modern opera show to raise money for poor theatre artists

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The 90-minute concert, Nghe Si Tri Am (Performers Together), will feature cai luong (modern folk opera) stars, like Ngoc Giau and Minh Vuong, together with colleagues from traditional art troupes.

They will stage songs composed by veteran artists Nguyen Van Ty, Vien Chinh, Han Chau and Mac The Nhan. 

Famous extracts from historical plays, such as Thai Hau Duong Van Nga (Queen Duong Van Nga) and To Anh Nguyet (Ms To Anh Nguyet), will also be featured.

"Our concert is for 170 poor actors, especially the elderly and backstage workers, as well as 20 children from artists’ families," said 80-year-old People’s Artist Kim Cương, the event’s organiser and deputy chairman of the HCM City Association in Support of Disabled People and Orphan Children. 

“We have tried our best to organise the show every year in a professional way because we want it to be not just a charity work but also a quality artistic endeavor,” she said.

All artists at the event will perform for free. They will give clothes, food and VND5 million (US$220) in cash to each needy person.

Cuong said that through the show she hopes to encourage more organisations and individuals to contribute to charity for theatre artists, who devoted their life to their art.  

Last year, Nghe Si Tri Am attracted more than 170 artists, raising over VND1.5 billion (US$66,000) for charity. 

Cuong began her professional career when she was 17 and later performed with cai luong gurus such as Nam Phi and Phung Ha, and Bay Nam, head of Dai Phuoc Cuong Troupe, one of the region’s leading cai luong troupes.

In the 1960s, she opened the Kim Cương Drama Troupe, managing a staff of 70, including young talents like Tu Trinh and Van Hung.

Her troupe offered dozens of quality plays on topics such as love, family and social problems, with most of them written by Cuong. They are still staged today.

For her contribution to the theatre, Cuong was named a People’s Artist by the Government in 2012.

The show Nghe Si Tri Am will open at 8pm on January 14.