A O Show - Surprising and more

This question can not be answered at this time but it is sure that A O Show changed  the normal conception of a dramma-circus. I thought that when  I was attracted by the artists of A O Show. I watched with concentration during the show of more than one hour, at the city theater. As a show of new circus, A O Show is a combination of opera music and contemporary circus to showcase a cultural story of Vienam at the period of expanding to the South. Artists dressed in the traditional costumes of Southern people, combined with a collectioin of instruments and gestures; describe the mode of production o local people.

When the screen opens, it is the opening of a legend, which is very artistic but familiar like daily life was "breathing" its natural breaths. You will be amazed at your first sight when the old theater is designed for the most classical kind of music - the Western chamber music turned into the simple space of the South with bamboo houses, baskets and creels. In the story, the Southern region of Vietnam is truly alive as if you were staying in some regions of the Mekong river delta. Skillful artists create rope bridges, bamboo sticks combined with the images of boatwomen to form a charming water region of the South. All symbolic images of local ,people are vibrant in the traditional music.

"To create a true representation, we use the main properties of coracles and bamboos in keeping with what the local people used. Particularly in A O Show, five instrumentalists play Vietnamese traditional music lively", the coordinator of the show sharing his expertise.

And when the music is turned up, it seems the audiences cannot find the gap between the subjects - the artists and their instruments. All are blended with each other to open the flow of life on stage, with the river, wharf, and floating market, the long-handles bucket, bailing out water to catch fish and local specialties. These appear closely to local people, longingly to Vietnamese people, who are living far away from home and surprisingly to those, who first visit Vietnam. The scene that makes me feel most emotional is an old instrumentalist playing Southern traditional music on a violin going down from the stage to the audiences. Then, the final scene closes the show with an actress dressed in a brassiere sitting on a coracle in the gentle music under the rain and red leaves fall around her...

A O Show is named after two words of "lang", which means village and "pho", which means city. These two scenes of the show, the first part about the village, which reflects the simple and plain features of Southern region, and the rest of the show about the city, which manifests the lifestyle of the contemporary Saigon city. A O, which means Ah and Oh also expresses two states of emotion during the show. You will speak off-hand that "Ah, this is ... '' when watching close the images of Southern people and "Oh" with cheery laughter when watching scenes of roadside restaurants, fitness, love stories or even the scene of power - the "iceberg" of Saigon aroused by the professional performances of artists.

Arranged by Vietnamese - international directors, A O Show is an adjustment, mixing quality and quantity between the real art of opera and circus, the music and purpose of introducing Vietnamese culture to audiences, especially foreigners in Saigon and Vietnam. Therefore, the show is not difficult to understand but brings about exciting experiences whoever you are, Vietnamese or foreigner. "All is wonderful, from the movement of actors and actresses to music and voices. They help me feel the deep culture of the people of Vietnam that I have never had a chance to understand before", Lexi Keller, an audience member.

The show takes place with its natural stories, in which the storytellers are 16 artists from circus and stuntmen in the harmonious music melodies played by instrumentalists. In respect to creation and encouragement for the inspiration of artists, directors give artists 20% freedom to perform in the show. They move and move continuously and exactly in every action, full of emotion with inspiring movements. "I always feel excited before the show and I never feel bored", an actor shared his feelings after the show while he was bathed in sweat and smiled as if he had finished a mission. This may be why both actors and audiences feel no boredom in the show, even though they watch it many times and the show is performed 10 times a week.

Launched in HCMC Opera House in the beginning of 2013, A O Show is a new choice for those, who love the opera and contemporary circus. It is not simply for international visitors of Saigon and Vietnam as the first objectives of the show's producers./.