Unique chance to enjoy Vietnamese Version of Carmen in Hanoi

Venue: Hanoi Opera House

Time: 8 PM September 29th and 30th, 2011

Ticket Price (VND): 300,000/ 500,000/ 700,000 ($15, 25, 35). Buy directly at Hanoi Opera House, no. 1 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

The two hour newly adapted opera directed by Helena Rohr (Sweden) and performed by more than 150 artists, musicians and singers of Vietnam National Opera and Ballet is going to be on stage in Hanoi at the end of this September.

Different from the classical opera with acts taking place in Seville, Spain, this opera Carmen tells the audiences the story of a female worker (played by Vanh Khuyen) in a tobacco factory in Hanoi with the contemporary social background.

In this new version, the origin of the characters, their occupations, behaviours and even their communications are creatively adapted to the current Vietnamese society, yet the development and the spirit of the original one are still fully brought to the audiences.

A common characteristic of the two Carmens, in the classical version and this newly adapted one, is their spirit of struggle to win freedom. Carmen in the classical opera is a wildly rebellious Gipsy girl, who desires for absolute freedom. The other Carmen is a poor lonely mother, who has to fiercely fight against family violence.

Vanh Khuyen, the leading opera artist in Vietnam will play the Carmen in this opera. Her life and the opera artists’ lives in Vietnam are strenuous since opera is still something unfamiliar to Vietnamese. Yet, Vanh Khuyen’s passion for opera prevents her from leaving this art and makes her the best opera artist on Vietnam stage.

Previously performed last May and received high appraisal from the experts as well as preference from the public, the version is once again presented to the opera lovers in Hanoi this September.