Bringing the work "Bi Vo" to the musical stage

Adapted from the famous novel of the same name by writer Nguyen Hong, the musical “Bi vo” directed by the Hai Phong Department of Culture and Sports and performed by the Hai Phong Song and Dance Troupe will officially premiere on the evening of June 29 at the Hai Phong Opera House and broadcast live on the Television Stage Program - Hai Phong Television Station (THP).

The novel "Bi Vo" is brought to the musical stage. (Photo: Provided by the Organizing Committee)

With a duration of about 80 minutes, the play takes the audience to a drama that is connected with 3 acts and 15 scenes. In which, Act I - "The Final Boss" includes 3 scenes: Hai Phong 1937, The Verdict, The Final Boss; Act II - "The Chase of Fate" includes 6 scenes: Ha Ly Street, Night Sounds, Last Words, The Unlucky Woman, Also a Human Life, The Dream of Liberation; Act III - "The Dusty Road" includes 6 scenes: The Love of the Wanderer, The Train, The 6-Warehouse Wharf, Living in Decay, Touching Love, A Drop of Conscience.

Through the combination of music, dance, and acting, the musical brings to life the miserable fate of the little people living at the bottom of the colonial and semi-feudal society. They are impoverished, degraded, pushed into a life of debauchery, robbery, and become gangsters, with Nam Sai Gon and his gang and Tam Binh as the central characters.

A scene from the musical "Bí vo". (Photo: Provided by the Organizing Committee)

However, from the haunting lives of Nam Sai Gon and Tam Binh, we can still recognize the desires of people under a cruel social regime. That is the desire to live a full life, to feel the light of freedom and happiness, even if it is just a glimmer of hope at the end of a long, distant road...

One of the factors that makes “Bi Vo” so appealing is that in the stories of suffering and filth, readers can still feel the sparkling beauty of the human spirit. And that is exactly what the scriptwriter and general director Tuyet Minh tried to express in the musical.

She said she had carefully researched the novel "Bi Vo" by writer Nguyen Hong and many documents and images of ancient Hai Phong to have a clear impression of the most bustling trading port in Indochina in the 1930s.

Master Tuyet Minh did not want the musical to simply illustrate the original work of writer Nguyen Hong, but wanted to connect with his thoughts so that the audience could see a Ha Ly that was very different from the context of the text but close to memories, with old photos that carried the breath of Hai Phong's identity.

Scenes of life and fate are vividly recreated on stage. (Photo: Provided by the Organizing Committee)

The artists performing the work are people who were born and raised here, with strong and passionate Hai Phong accents, and will take the audience on a lively musical train "Bi vo".

Musician Luu Quang Minh shared that he accepted to participate in producing music for the musical “Bi vo” not only because he is a son of the port city of Hai Phong, but also because the story and script touched his own emotions. What made him feel the most pressure was finding a musical vein to fully express the emotional nuances of the characters in the literary work that has entered the subconscious of many generations.

In the play, there are some songs that he added rock elements to emphasize the darkness, violence, and conflict of harsh reality. The bustling elements of Funky or the stylization of Jazz, along with some compositional techniques of sudden harmonic changes, are also exploited to bring many colors to the musical.

The combination of music, lyrics, choreography, acting, and stage effects promises to bring emotional artistic experiences. (Photo: Provided by the Organizing Committee)

In addition to the use of musical language, choreography, acting, etc., the investment in stage design and modern projection effects is expected to create a satisfying and emotional artistic experience for the audience when enjoying the musical "Bi Vo".

The musical is directed by People's Artist Khanh Hoa, Head of Hai Phong Song and Dance Troupe; Master Tuyet Minh wrote the script, lyrics and is the general director; musician Luu Quang Minh is in charge of the music; Choir arrangement: musician Chinh Ba; Vocal technique: People's Artist Ha Thuy-Le Cuong; General choreographer: Meritorious Artist Van Dung.

Trang Anh

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dua-tac-pham-bi-vo-len-san-khau-nhac-kich-post815446.html