The Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will for the first time staged the musical ‘Diary of a Cricket,’ which is based on one of the best-known Vietnamese children’s books by late writer To Hoai, at the city’s Opera House on December 29.
Published in 1941, the children book ‘De men phieu luu ky’ (Diary of a Cricket) is about the adventures of a cricket that leaves his nest to travel and discover the world. He learns new things and grows through encounters with various insects and animals.
Veteran composer Vu Viet Anh, who was musically trained in New Zealand, and conductor Tran Nhat Minh, a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, prepared the musical for years. They wrote the Vietnamese script together, with Anh being in charge of the play’s music and libretto.
A musical performance at the play ‘Diary of a Cricket’. Photo: dantri.com.vn
Anh is popular among local music fans for pop songs like “Dong Song Lo Dang (Wandering River) and “Dem Nam Mo Pho” (Dreaming of Town).
He is known for his instrumental works, including Spring Prayer Suite for orchestra and choir, “Vo De Cam” (Untitled Instrument), “Truong Son Suite,” and “Chan Troi” (Horizon), which were highly regarded by critics and audiences.
Minh will lead the upcoming performance, featuring tenor Dao Mac as the cricket – the main character.
The HBSO said the musical was wrote in Broadway theater style, which combines traditional theater art and modern visual art as well as different musical genres, including Pop, Rock, and Jazz.
Source: VNA
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