Quang Dung (L) and Hong Nhung are opting for a cabaret show before a select audience in response to the tough times

Vietnam’s pop singers are scaling down the size of their live shows as sponsorship dries up in these tough economic times.

Some singers are still going the whole hog, even though their concerts are barely profitable at best and often end up well in the red now that the Vietnamese are tightening their belts and staying home at night. And the heavily sponsored shows with free admission haven’t finished but the spectators of yore are voting with their feet and staying away, making the sponsors think twice about where they spend their money.

Up close and personal

Overseas, the top acts are raking it in from live appearances despite using small venues, where the minor scale does not stop them from making major bucks.

One such is the Canadian diva Celine Dion, who completed a five-year stint at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, United States last year. Her show was not a lavish affair by any means, yet her 717 concerts at the casino drew millions. The promoters pocketed more than US$400 million and Dion herself made $250 million.

Vietnam’s singers, who rely on live appearances rather than recording for their income, are following suit and favoring smaller venues after checking their bank balances and observing how the audiences have grown tired of the endless special effects and hordes of cavorting dancers.

Just last month, stars like Hong Nhung, Quang Dung and others announced their plans for intimate shows, and Uyen Trang got the ball rolling with two appearances at 126 Theater in Ho Chi Minh City on February 13.

Hong Nhung and Quang Dung’s show, Co dau bao gio (Has it ever?), which will feature the songs of the late, great Trinh Cong Son, opens on February 28 at a midtown restaurant called On the Six.

It’s not their first collaboration; their Vi ta can nhau (Because we need each other) concert in 2007 packed the HCMC Opera House despite the steep ticket prices.

This time it will be a cozy cabaret with seating for a hundred people combined with an art exhibition and a buffet before and after the show. At VND3 million ($173) a ticket, it’s not cheap. In fact, the tickets are the most expensive ever in Vietnam for a musical show.

Cabaret has already worked well for several big names in Vietnamese music. Doan Trang, who won second prize at the HCMC Television Singing Contest in 2001, and Ha Anh Tuan, a winner of the Vietnam Television’s Sao Mai Diem Hen singing contest in 2006, had great success with a show called Ngau hung (Sudden inspiration) at the Khong Ten Cabaret last April.

Then there is Duc Tuan, who has carved a niche for himself in recent years with soulful tunes and Broadway hits. The young crooner with a mellifluous voice has done much cabaret work to lavish praise from audiences and critics alike.

His intimate shows like Doi mat nguoi Son Tay (A Son Tay woman’s eyes) and Dem nhac Pham (Pham Duy’s music night) in 2005 and 2006 were well thought out and went down well with the audience.

Though he has found a sponsor for a major outdoor concert this year, Duc Tuan too has chosen the Opera House as, in his words, “My genre of music does not suit a big stadium. Besides, it’s unwise to squander sponsorship money on large shows when the return is uncertain.”

Minimalism means class

Hong Nhung finds that a small venue guarantees that everybody in the audience gets the VIP treatment. Doan Trang agrees, and notes how a singer sounds better when the special effects are kept to a minimum. Furthermore, since the restricted space places greater demands on the singer to perform well, the audience gets to hear quality music.

Trang reckons that such shows, if held on a regular basis, will create an “elite audience” distinct from the stadium rabble. And there’s no lip-synching or “fans” from the rent-a-crowd mob, notable features of the big concerts.

Like her fellow singers, the seasoned pop star Phuong Thanh accepts the new reality. “It’s hard to draw people in an economic downturn. The solution is to hire affordable stages and charge reasonable ticket prices. But that doesn’t mean we can make just cursory preparations as audiences these days are choosier,” she said.

Concert promoter Hoang Tuan is also a realist. “The global recession is taking its toll on the local music industry. It’s increasingly difficult to draw audiences to major music shows. One of the best ways to cope is to enhance the quality of the music and prove to the audiences that the shows are good value for the money,” he said.

Source: TN, TT