Thanh Nien’s “charming” fundraiser to hit HCMC
“Charming Vietnam” (Duyen Dang Viet Nam), Thanh Nien's annual music and fashion extravaganza, will open in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) next week with a star-studded cast and state-of-the-art technology.
Performances of the 19th annual charity event will run at Hoa Binh Theater for four consecutive nights from January 3 to 6.
This year's music and fashion charity show, the first to feature three-dimensional (3D) visual techniques, has a “Pho” (town) theme.
“With 200 performing artists and event organizers working hard on the rehearsals and the application of the world's cutting edge 3D technique, Charming Vietnam gears to cheer the audience up in the new year as well as bringing happiness and good luck to all,” Thanh Nien's Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nguyen Quang Thong told a media briefing Thursday.
Thong also thanked local authorities, sponsors, philanthropists, event executives, artists and the future audience for their support of the show. Since its debut, Charming Vietnam has raised more than VND9.8 billion (US$612,500) for the Nguyen Thai Binh Scholarship Fund.
The fund has used the money to grant more than 6,500 scholarships to economically disadvantaged students.
Nguyen The Thanh, deputy head of HCMC Department of Culture and Information, said Charming Vietnam played an important role in preserving Vietnam's traditional values and arts.
The event attracted a huge number of famous local and international artists, she said, and encouraged people from all walks of life to support Vietnam's needy.
“Charming Vietnam has proved to be the most efficient and meaningful entertainment extravaganza within the country since its inception in 1994,” she told the media briefing.
“The gala has become a bridge linking the Vietnamese at home and overseas expatriates.”
The last Charming Vietnam show traveled to Singapore this August, captivating an audience of 2,000 people.
This year's performance will include five sections: Pho xua (ancient town); Pho chien tranh (town road); Pho tam linh (spirit town); Pho nay (present town); and Pho hoi nhap (integration town).
The sections reflect the beauty of the Vietnamese countryside, the misery and devastation of war, and the modern, international Vietnam.
The show, which marks Thanh Nien's 22nd birthday, features 17 giant LED, light and cinema screens that will display ancient Hanoi town-themed artworks by renowned painter Bui Xuan Phai.
“The screens will be placed like several layers on the stage,” said the show's technical manager Dinh Nguyen Bao. “Artists will be arranged to perform between the layers to stimulate the audience's imagination and ardor.”

Charming Vietnam stirs deep emotions
Thanh Nien’s annual charity gala, Charming Vietnam (Duyen Dang Viet Nam), wrapped up last night in Ho Chi Minh City after wowing over 8,000 people who turned up for its four shows that began on Thursday (3.1.2008)
The 19th Charming Vietnam at Hoa Binh Theater this year was themed the “Streets” and comprised five sections – the old, the wartime, the spiritual, the present, and integration.
Within three hours, the show evoked the changes that have taken place in the country between the 19th and 21st centuries as it moved from wars to peace and then integration.
Renowned painter Bui Xuan Phai's “Old Street” using 3D technique reflects the tranquil and romantic beauty of Hanoi, the heart of Vietnam, in the 19th century.
The story begins with ancient houses and, on the streets, three-wheelers hurrying along during winter.
Peach blossoms in pink together with banana leaves in emerald green transport the audience back to that traditional period. Suddenly, bombs fall on the peaceful, beautiful city as a devastating war breaks out.
Thousands of houses are on fire and people flee in terror.
In the corpse-filled streets, a child clings to an incense stick as if it was his dead parents and siblings.
Nearby, a bony old woman is weeping in sorrow.
Transported back to their anxious childhoods, many elderly people in the audiences, who have been witnesses to their country's ups and downs, were moved to tears.
“War Street” showed young audiences the devastating scenes of war they had only seen on television or heard from their grandparents.
In the country's rich cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs play a central part.
Vietnamese believe that after death people's spirits visit their relatives at night.
Wearing white garbs and long-haired, the dead people's “spirits” appeared along the aisles, somewhat eerily putting their hands on audiences' shoulders.
For the startled viewers “Spiritual Street” was the hit of the night.
To present times
After the spooky it was back to the modern period represented by skyscrapers, a glimpse of the country's largest city, and people on motorbikes and in helmets.
Peace has returned but natural disasters have taken the place of war to become the biggest threats.
Typhoons routinely slam into the central region, among Vietnam's poorest areas.
Deadly winds and floods leave many areas with collapsed houses and people facing starvation.
While enjoying the entertainment, the audiences were still stirred into feeling deep sympathy and grief at the plight of their compatriots.
Gala of solidarity and humanity This year's show was the best ever, reckon two loyal fans of Charming Vietnam since 2003, Hoang and his wife.
Hoang said, “While it provided plenty of entertainment, the organizers, either on purpose or by chance, reminded us how we should share both happiness and sadness with our people.”
An American tourist, Henry, who came to the show after seeing a Charming Vietnam poster on the street, said, “The tourist guide was right in telling me it is both a traditional and popular show.”
Highly impressed by the singing and dancing of model-turned-singer Ho Ngoc Ha in “Integration Street”, he added that though he did not know Vietnamese, he still understood what was going on.
An Australian, John, who had come with his Vietnamese girlfriend, said, “The show has helped me learn much more about my girlfriend's heroic country and people.”
Charming Vietnam, first organized in 1994 to raise money for Thanh Nien's Nguyen Thai Binh scholarships for disadvantaged students, has gradually grown into a show of humanity and national solidarity.

Charming Vietnam delights opening night audience
The 19th Duyen Dang Viet Nam (Charming Vietnam) wowed a full-house of more than 2,000 people at Thursday’s opening night at Hoa Binh Theater in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
Arriving at the theater an hour before the show, thousand of excited fans acted as if they were at a New Year’s festival.
Energetic crowds queued at the theater entrance in scenes rarely seen at local entertainment venues.
Audience members said tickets to the show had been hot items on the black market for several days.
Beyond anticipation
The show’s state-of-the-art 3D technique, appearing for the first time ever in Vietnam, was a hit with the audience.
“I was absolutely amazed at the images and scenery in all of the five sections of the street theme,” said Hanh, who was in the opening night audience.
“The director was excellent, reflecting the devastating war with houses on fire and dead and injured people in the background.
The show also successfully depicted later times and the liveliness of towns at peace.”
Director/designer/scriptwriter Huynh Phuc Dien sighed with relief as he heard the loud and lengthy applause the show drew from the audience.
As usual, Charming Vietnam featured most of the nation’s top musical artists and models.
Northern divas Thanh Lam and My Linh displayed their native elegance, gracefully capturing the noble beauty and tranquility of the ancient capital of Hanoi.
Popular singer Thu Phuong, who has not performed in Vietnam for five years, was one of the night’s hits.
“Returning home and being able to sing in front of my fans is adream I never thought could come true,” she said.
“The sympathy and generosity of local authorities, the consideration of Charming Vietnam’s organizers and the support of the audience are the most meaningful gifts I have ever received,” Phuong said.
Overseas singer Le Uyen’s made a comeback, performing for the first time in front of a Vietnamese audience since leaving for the U.S. 30 years ago.
Le Uyen said she was amazed to learn fans, including the younger generation, still loved her voice and her husband’s songs.
Le Uyen and her husband were one of Vietnam’s most popular singer/songwriter couples in the 1970s and 1980s.
Joining Thanh Nien’s charity gala for the 9th time was sizzling songster My Tam, who performed her own compositions on guitar. Of all the sections, ‘Integration Street’ was the most splendid with modern convertibles arriving onstage with dynamic youngsters. Model-turned-singer Ho Ngoc Ha heated up the air with energetic songs and stimulating dance.
Her dazzling performance impressed male and female audience members alike.
But the success of the extravaganza can’t be mentioned without noting the contribution of more than 30 beauty queens and supermodels, who donned the latest collections by famous homegrown fashion designers.
Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai PhuongThuy said she was thrilled to appear in Charming Vietnam for the third time.
“I’ll never forget the first time with Charming Vietnam in 2006,” she said.
“I missed the flight to Nha Trang. But when the airlines knew that I had to be at the gala they tried to arrange a place for me on the last and totally full flight.”
“That memory shows me how prestigious the event is. Therefore, I always try to do my best,” Thuy said.
Top model Xuan Lan, who has traveled with Charming Vietnam 15 times, said she felt differently about each of her appearances in the gala.
“Charming Vietnam has become a routine for the top-most artists annually,” she said. Since 1994, Charming Vietnam has raised money for the Thanh Nien-founded Nguyen Thai Binh fund for economically-disadvantaged students.
The 19th gala will run for three more nights until Sunday.