VietNamNet Bridge - An operal staged as an American musical for this first time in the country will debut in HCM City next week and feature dozens of Vietnamese and foreign performers.

Positions please: Performer-director Brian Riedling (middle) and his colleagues rehearse for Annie Get Your Gun, the first fully-staged and costumed Broadway musical to be held in Viet Nam. The play will be staged later this month.

The musical Annie Get Your Gun has been created by Brian Riedlinger, artistic director of the HCM City International Choir, who has been living in Viet Nam for the last five years.

The play’s story revolves Annie Oakly (played by Kim Davis), a skilled shooter who meets and falls in love with freelance artist Frank Butler (Reidlinger). The couple participates in a Wild West Show by Buffalo Bill (Richard Bond) that takes them across the US and Europe.

Their performance tours provide audiences a glimpse into their lives and art.

The opera, to be accompanied by music, song, and dance, will culminate in a memorable climax.

Through the play’s leading characters, particularly their performances in various locations, viewers are expected to comprehend the love for art that connects people around the world.

Riedlinger, who will also direct the show, said, “A musical production is a natural extension of the concerts we have traditionally given.”

“I hope Annie Get Your Gun will provide city audiences, both Vietnamese and foreigners, fully-staged and costumed Broadway theatre,” he added.

He began his career as a piano artist and dancer in the US and UK. He worked for Walt Disney Company in live and television shows.

He performed as a soloist for the HCM City International Choir, staging several plays like It’s Broadway, Mozart and More and An Evening on Broadway, which left a strong impression on audiences.

In Annie Get Your Gun, Riedlinger and his crew will seek to delight audiences through their lighting and sound techniques.

The play will feature artists from the HCM City Ballet and Opera Symphony Orchestra, the HCM City International Choir, and the Saigon Players and DanCeter clubs.

The show’s proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorship will go to Poussieres de Vie (Dust of Life), a French charity that provides educational and training programmes for street children and other underprivileged people.

Annie Get Your Gun will be staged on November 21, 22, 23, 28, and 30 at Tran Hung Dao Theatre, 136 Tran Hung Dao Street.

Tickets are available at the theatre and at the Tourist Information Center at 4G-4H Le Loi Street, and Mekong Merchant at 23 Thao Dien Street.

Tickets cost VND200,000 (US$11.78) to VND500,000 ($29.45). For students it is VND25,000 ($1.47).

(Source: VNS)