VietNamNet Bridge – Not even rush hour on Cong Hoa Street in Tan Binh District can stop numerous people rushing to the Military Theater to watch the new artistic and cultural performance A O Show.

 

A scene from A O Show.

 

It is not only locals, though, fighting the madness on the city streets for the six pm kick off but a load of expatriates were also present when I went along, including an old French couple on their first visit to Vietnam to see their son, who is working in HCMC.

They informed that the son bought tickets and told them to go to A O Show but they admitted they didn’t have a clue what the show was going to be about.

At 6 p.m. the show started and the stage is covered with bamboo baskets of various sizes as the actors come out to strut their stuff. The stage area depicts countryside landscapes in Vietnam and local daily activities. The traditional music in harmony with the melodies of a singer and mixed with the circus art saw audiences smile and clap their hands enthusiastically.

What is A O Show?

A O Show is a 60-minute-gig performed from Tuesday to Friday at the Military Theater from 6-7 p.m. and at the HCMC Opera House with a more irregular schedule.

A O Show is the sibling of My Village which was performed from 2009 by a group of Vietnamese expatriates in Europe, as they tried to introduce the culture and lifestyle of Vietnamese of the past through a modern art performance called ‘new circus’.

It was taken all over the world with 300 performances mainly in Europe.

In 2011, My Village ended its journey but a private company in HCMC contacted the composers Tuan Le, a German Vietnamese who also performs in the fabulous Cirque Du Soleil; Nhat Ly, a French Vietnamese who researches Vietnamese traditional musical instruments; and Nguyen Lan, who learns circus in France.

And the company invited choreographer Tan Loc to join the new project as the four brainstormed before coming up with A O Show.  

“HCMC is the heart of the south, so it must tell audiences about the stories of her people because My Village told stories of the North, Central and South Vietnam,” Vu Kieu Linh of A O Show says.

The show has actors from the city’s three circus troupes, stunt performers and street hip-hop dancers. When the show was unveiled this year, there were 18 actors aged 21-32 and five bandsmen joining A O Show instructed by four talent directors.

A O Show has an open screenplay performed in line with the inspirations and health conditions of actors. Accompanying with the show are 18 traditional musical instruments of Vietnam such as goong, flute, zither, to name just a few, and are played live by five bandsmen.

In the show, spectators can listen to traditional melodies of cai luong, ho, vong co, dan ca tai tu and Jingle Bells from dan tam thap luc (a Vietnamese hammered dulcimer with 36 metal strings).      

A O Show tells a series of stories describing the life and daily activities of people in the Mekong Delta from the past until now. Viewers can see the images of southerners going to the market together, how they make rice, and many others. The last part sees stories of a new city through activities of the youth as well as conflicts of an urbanized land with tenements in poor condition, people are curious and look into others’ lives, the horn sounds from motorbikes, buses and cars, and street dance performances of teenagers.

The meaning of the show is connected closely with Lang (village) and Pho (city) in an urbanization. “But we can’t translate it into foreign languages and still keep the original meaning. After many debates, we use A from Lang and O from Pho because these two words also describe the surprise of Vietnamese,” Linh adds.

Hossein, a foreign spectator, leaves his comment on the show: “One word: Fantastic! Far beyond expectations, impressive, sexy! Keep up with this job!” While Stephen says, “The show was mind blowing. The music, physical movements and the props were all used to perfection.”

Becquart George Eric from France also commented: “I liked very much the traditional values of Vietnam being represented with so much love and artistic talent. It is like a long trip in the ages of Vietnam seeing different traditions which are still alive. The show does not stop to tradition but makes a suit to the actual Vietnam with the joy, the deepness, and the sweetness of the country.”

“I’ve found this show so sensational. It touches all my feelings. I would recommend my friends, family and foreign visitors to watch this. It’s just so Vietnamese another foreign tourist in HCMC adds.

Tickets priced at VND600,000, VND1 million and VND1.2 million and are sold Saigontourist Information Center 45 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1; and 102 Nguyen Hue Blvd., Dist. 1 and HCMC Opera House 7 Lam Son Square, Dist. 1. Or readers can book tickets at reservation@aoshowsaigon.com or (08) 6281 6893.

Source: SGT