Siren song: Nhu Huynh hopes to bring audiences back to cai luong theatre. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY (VNS)— "Everything that I am is due to my love for cai luong," said Nhu Huynh, one of the young talents with the HCM City-based Tran Huu Trang Theatre.

Huynh's passion, strongly evident in her performances on stage, typically leaves audiences deeply moved and aware of the power of cai luong.

After winning the first prize at the Cai Luong (reformed opera) Singing Contest in 2006 organised by Ca Mau Radio and Television, Huynh revealed that she has had to "work very hard, to improve my both skills and creativity".

In her mid-20s, the talented Huynh had to face up to a serious challenge – to get audiences back to cai luong theatre. On the hand, she realised that artists like herself couldn't live without cai luong and, on the other, the art form itself would not surive without the support of fans.

Born to a farmer's family in Ca Mau Province, Huynh was into cai luong very early, but she only began working as a professional artist when she turned 20.

She participated and won the fourth prize at the Golden Bell Contest in 2007, an annual cai luong singing competition organised by HCM City Television to identify young talents and develop the traditional theatre form.

Once she turned pro, Huynh captured the hearts of audiences and theatre critics with her singing and performance skills.

"I give the performance everything I have," said Huynh, who has performed in more than 40 plays and dozens of TV shows that have been seen by thousands of audiences across the country.

Before working as a leading performer for the Tran Huu Trang Theatre, Huynh performed for prestigious cai luong troupes in Long An, Hau Giang and Tra Vinh provinces.

While she deeply respects her senior colleagues like Vu Luan and Kim Tieu Long, she doesn't want to live in their shadow.

So she worked extra hard to "demonstrate my own personal style on stage".

New spins

Besides Huynh, artists like Ho Hong Tham and Le Hong Tham are also recognised pioneers in cai luong who have succeeded in giving their own spins to the traditional art form.

Born in Quang Ngai Province, Ho Hong Tham laboured for years to complete her dream of becoming one of the brightest stars on the cai luong stage.

She was a school student when she won the Tran Huu Trang Award in 2001 for Most Promising Female Artist presented by HCM City Theatre's Association.

Her beauty and sweet voice were a signature attraction.

In 2003, she graduated from the HCM City College of Theatre and Cinematography, and seven years later, she got her degree in theatre direction from the same institution.

"I decided to improve my art by studying directing because I wanted to try and provide some new offerings for theatre lovers, particularly younger audiences," said 32-year-old Ho Hong Tham, who now works as a lecturer for her school.

"To develop cai luong, our young artists need to innovate on the stage," said Le Hong Tham, winner of one of gold prizes at the Tran Huu Trang Awards in 2003.

She said cai luong had a distinctly urban feature "that gives us a reason to attract the youth".

Le Hong Tham has worked hard to highlight this feature and show Vietnamese youth the beauty and creativity of an indigenous art form that can help them get in touch with their nation's real roots.

There are signs that the passion and commitment of these young female artists have made important inroads into reviving and preserving cai luong.

"The work of these female performers proves that cai luong theatre is still alive," said theatre critic Thanh Hiep of HCM City. — VNS