A scene from the rehearsal of 'Nguoi Cam Lai' (The Helmsman). (Photo courtesy of the organiser) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Nguoi Cam Lai (The Helmsman), a musical which tells the story about the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh, is scheduled to be performed on stage on April 24 and May 17.
Produced by the Public Security Theatre, the musical aims to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the theatre (April 24, 1982-2022) and 132 years of President Ho's birth (May 19, 1890-2022).
Centring on the life and career of Ho Chi Minh, from the moment he left Vietnam to find a way for the nation's freedom, independence and unification, the musical focuses on the time after he travelled abroad, returned to the country to start the war of resistance against the French, and displays the image of President Ho with the People's Security force.
The musical’s art direction is by People's Artist Nguyen Thi Thuy Hien, director of the Public Security Theatre, with a team of 180 artists, including many big names in the fields of theatre, music and dance.
Following Nguyen Xuan Thang’s original script, choreographer Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh is the musical’s general director. She also manages the show’s dance performances with the help of choreographers Nguyen Van Dung and Manh Quyen.
The music will be performed by one choir, one symphony orchestra and one ethnic orchestra with musician Do Hong Quan, president of the Union of Arts and Literature Associations of Vietnam as music advisor.
According to choreographer Minh the musical was built in the symphony-choir form of academic art, but still represents the traditional heritage of the national theatre stage, honouring Vietnamese cultural identity through the sound of traditional musical instruments and folk-dance material.
“To build an artistic image to reflect President Ho's lifestyle and wisdom is a special difficulty and challenge," Minh said.
“This musical is like a reel showing moments of President Ho Chi Minh's 30-year journey of finding a way to save the country, so the highlight and challenge of the show is how to convey his images in different spaces and times.
“Making dancing depict the image of the nation’s beloved leader has always been a dream in my career. I hope The Helmsman will be a great work, bringing a lot of emotions and many new perspectives through storytelling in the language of music and dance.
“The audience will feel the quintessence of world classic musical art blending with the traditional stage "flowing" into the formation of Ho Chi Minh's thought.”
Another highlight of the show is the flexible stage design with fixed and dynamic scenes, using virtual technology effects, the curved LED screen embracing the map of Việt Nam is expected to create special visual and auditory effects for the audiences.
The open stage will also help the audience enjoy the full techniques of the artists instead of just hearing the sound from backstage as usual.
The musical is expected to take place over two nights, April 24 and May 17 at the Hanoi Opera Theatre./.
