 |
| The Hue Royal Traditional Art Troupe (belonging to Hue Monuments Conservation Center) during a performance at Thanh Binh Ancestral House. Photo: Bao Minh |
On those days, the ancient Chi Lang street looked livelier than usual with the presence of cai luong and tuong co artists from Ho Chi Minh City coming to perform in Hue. After offering incense in tribute to ancestors who are credited for founding the art form, they performed on the spot as a way to express their gratitude to their audience. It was also to satisfy their passion and desire to promote and spread the traditional art form of Vietnam with a history spanning hundreds of years.
In the shade of the big banyan tree at Thanh Binh Thu, the artists were busy putting on their makeup amid colorful costumes and suitcases filled with props. As always, backstage is where I experience the most unforgettable emotions.
Comedian Hieu Canh, while applying his makeup himself, said he had been pursuing this art form since he was a child. He said that as long as the audience still loved and supported him, he would continue wholeheartedly with his job. Well-known Hue-born singer Long Nhat happened to be in Hue at the time, and he came to attend this meaningful event. He said as a child, he had often gone to Thanh Binh Thu to watch tuong or cai luong.
As for me, the performance recalled lots of childhood memories. Back on those days, whenever we heard the announcement through loudspeakers, we siblings asked our parents for permission to go watching. We ate dinner earlier than usual, then rushed to Duong Xuan Ha Communal House. Our parents gave us money for tickets plus cold drinks and ice cream.
What I loved most was hiding backstage to watch artists get ready for the show. I watched well-drawn eyebrows, rosy cheeks, red lips, especially shining costumes adorned with sequins and jewels that glowed glamorously on stage. The courtyard was packed with people. It was the combination of the talking, the cries of vendors selling drinks, ice cream, peanuts, etc. and the sounds of instruments and drums.
There were moments when the audience got excited, they showered the stage with money to show their admiration for artists as a routine.
The night grew late, but the stage at Thanh Binh Tu duong was still lit with impressive excerpts from classic musicals. More and more people rushed in, filling the alleyway that leads to the ancestral house. They laughed, cried, and gave applause. Those beautiful images proved their love for the ancient arts.
On this occasion, many audiences expressed their wish that Hue Royal Art Theatre and Hue Royal Traditional Musical Theatre should give more outdoor performances like this to help bring audiences closer to these art forms. People find it easier to access if they can enjoy art in this way. “Vô tri bất mộ” as a saying goes, meaning if one can’t understand, one doesn’t appreciate. If younger generations can’t access traditional arts easily, they don’t understand, and if they don’t understand, how can they love the traditional art of their homeland?