A Vietnamese version of the famous musical Chicago will be staged at HCM City’s Quân Đội (Army) Theatre early next month. Humane values: Young actors of the Buffalo Theatre Club will perform a Vietnamese version of the musical "Chicago", directed by Khắc Duy, in HCM City. - Photo courtesy of Buffalo Theatre Club The Broadway-style show is a production by young director Khắc Duy, one of the founders of the Buffalo Theatre Club. Duy and his producer, Hoàng Quân, spent more than US$4,000 to pay for copyright use to stage Chicago in four shows. “I want to develop the art in Việt Nam, and I can see profits in the future,” said the 27-year-old. Duy’s Chicago uses jazz, swing and pop rock.   The play includes two acts … [Read more...]

SEOUL: South Korean pop star TOP received Thursday a 10-month suspended jail sentence for smoking marijuana multiple times last year, weeks after being hospitalised for a drug overdose. TOP, the 29-year-old rapper of K-pop boy band Big Bang, admitted in court to smoking marijuana on four occasions in his home in Seoul last October AFP/JUNG Yeon-Je The 29-year-old rapper of K-pop boy band Big Bang had admitted in court to smoking marijuana on four occasions in his home in Seoul last October. "As Choi has admitted to the charges, he is found guilty," Yonhap news agency cited a Seoul judge as saying, referring to the singer by his real name, Choi Seung-Hyun. The judge added that crimes related to drugs require stiff punishment as they can have a "negative effect" on overall society, but said the singer's deep regret … [Read more...]

Toyota Motor Vietnam (TMV) yesterday launched the Toyota Concert 2017 performed by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) under the support from Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism. With the main theme “The Romantic Love Songs”, the concert nights this year will continue to be under the baton of the Japanese experienced conductor Honna Tetsuji – the conductor that has supported and accompanied with Toyota Concert from the first days, as well as the first-time partipation of young talented pianist Nguyen Viet Trung and two famous Vietnamese singers Dang Duong and Dao To Loan. This is the 20th year that TMV has co-operated with VNSO to organise this event, in order to bring classical music nearer to music lovers, by that, contribute to bring a better life for Vietnamese. This year, beside three concert nights in Ho Chi Minh Theatre on August 16 and Hanoi Opera … [Read more...]

The Quảng Ngãi Sea and Island Culture Week will be held on the South Central Coast of the Quảng Ngãi Province and other coastal districts at the end of August. Quảng Ngãi beach tourism is famous for breathtaking and pristine beaches like Mỹ Khê, Dung Quất, Sa Huỳnh, Lý Sơn. - Photo baodulich.com.vn The event, organised by the Quảng Ngãi People’s Committee, will include relevant outdoor activities such as a seminar titled ‘The Cultural Legacy of Quảng Ngãi’s Seas and Islands,’ release of books on seas and islands including the Bé island, and ranking of the Giếng Tiền and Thới Lới mountains among the top beautiful spots in the country by the government. The opening ceremony scheduled to be … [Read more...]

A new classical music programme will be staged twice a month in HCM City with the aim of attracting young people to the genre. The programme, The Friday 9 music, includes more than 25 foreign and Vietnamese musicians and singers of the Saigon IDECAF Acoustica Troupe. Featured artists include American drummer Ronnie Williams and bass player Steve Desvaux Desire. Young Vietnamese talents, including violinist Nguyen Dan Cat Du, pianist Minh Dang, and singers Dong Lan, Vo Le Vy and Ho Quang Hung, are also included.    More than 200 people attended their first show last week at the IDECAF Music Hall in District 1. The artists performed popular foreign works, including Je T’aime, La Vie en Rose and Nocturne, remixed by Philadelphia-based Mario Trane. They also performed Vietnamese … [Read more...]

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood paid tribute Friday (Jul 14) to Walking Dead stuntman John Bernecker after he was killed in a fall on set. Production of Walking Dead has been temporarily shut down after stuntman John Bernecker (pictured) was killed in a fall on set. (Photo: Facebook/John Bernecker) Bernecker died in hospital Wednesday after falling 22 feet (6.70 meters) from a balcony headfirst onto concrete, according to The Hollywood Reporter, citing a county sheriff's report. An assistant director told police the stuntman tried to break his fall by grabbing a railing after he slipped, but fell instead, missing a safety cushion "by inches", celebrity news website TMZ reported. AMC said in statement circulated among US media outlets that it was temporarily shutting down production of the hit show, which is filmed in … [Read more...]

Tom Holland is the perfect millennial Spider-Man for the new generation, says Channel NewsAsia's Genevieve Loh, who's calling this the best Spidey movie since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 in 2004. "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can." (Photo source: Movie still) SINGAPORE: By now, everyone knows that with great power comes great responsibility. And even though this over-familiar mantra is never uttered once in Spider-Man: Homecoming (an evidently clever move), it’s a reliable adage that the film’s director Jon Watts and his cast seem determined to live up to. Because, as the sixth Spider-Man film in a franchise that has seen three different actors, three different directors and three different continuities in a mere 15 years, Homecoming manages to pull off the most challenging of feats: To justify … [Read more...]

The Đồ Sơn Buffalo Fighting Festival of the northern city of Hải Phòng will lose national intangible heritage status if its organising process does not fulfill its safety commitments, according to a report submitted by the Agency of Grassroots Culture to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện. Culture or cruelty? The Đồ Sơn Buffalo Fighting Festival was recognised as national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2013. - VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Ngọc The report was compiled after a man was gored to death by his buffalo during a fight on July 1. Authorities halted the festival after the incident. The agency has also proposed a meeting between the minister and Hải Phòng City’s People … [Read more...]

The 3rd Việt Nam International Fingerstyle Guitar Festival will be held in Hà Nội and HCM City on July 18 & 19. His own style: Belgian guitarist Jacques Stotzem. - Photo fanart.tv.com Five artists will perform at the festival: American Justin King; Belgian Jacques Stotzem; Spaniard Augstin Amigo; Japanese Akihiro Tanaka and Vietnamese Duy Phong.  Phong will perform two Vietnamese pieces Tóc Ngắn (Short Hair) and Mẹ Yêu Con (Mother Loves Her Child). Tóc Ngắn is a popular song first brought out by A-listed pop singer Mỹ Linh in 2000. It was arranged by Phong. Mẹ Yêu Con was composed by Nguyễn Văn Tý in 1956. It is one of the most loved songs about maternal love. Tý used lullabies from the north and emotional lyrics … [Read more...]

The Grand Ho Tram Strip today declared its all new Khói Barbecue 'open for business' in a celebration at the site that also saw a preview of The Grand’s new water fountain show and an exclusive VIP luncheon for a group of Vietnamese orphans who were visiting the site with Allambie Orphanage. Nestled between two of the integrated resort's five pools, with views across the water's surface towards the East Sea on one side, and at The Grand's forthcoming fountain-show on the other, the Khói seafood barbecue was first launched in mid-2016. "Khói became an instant phenomenon," explained Michael Kelly, executive chairman of The Grand Ho Tram Strip.  "We had line-ups every week.  So, today, after a six-week full refurbishment, the new Khói is open for business." Named for the Vietnamese word for ‘smoke’, the 100-seat Khói spans 400 square metres, … [Read more...]

5 breathtaking beauties from Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 have graced us with their presence at the VIR office to have a live chat with followers and fans, answering queries and telling us of their experiences. Here is a live report of the questions and answers given by our five beauties - Miss Asia Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (Thailand) - 1st runner up Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (Vietnam) - 2nd runner up Benedicta Heda Mercy Charis (Indonesia) - Top 5 finalist Tinaprit Kaur Dillon Balwant Singh (Malaysia) - Top 10 finalist To Mai Thuy Duong Photo by Huy Pham Bui Duy Khanh (30), businessman Good afternoon, now that the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 competition is over, what are the most precious … [Read more...]

To respond to the love and support from fans, followers, and media agencies, five representatives from Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 arrived to Hanoi to prepare for the online exchange. Five beauties arrived to Hanoi on July 6 to prepare for the online exchange RELATED CONTENTS: Ambassadors of ASEAN beauty and friendship : Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Meet the five beauties from Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 at the online exchange Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 contestants hold online exchange in Hanoi Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 grand final: Thai beauty is crowned These beauties were in Vietnam since the evening of July 6 to be … [Read more...]

‘Professional, creative and fresh’ is how the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 contest was described by audiences. It is not simply a beauty contest but also a celebration of culture, people and friendship and the relations between ASEAN member countries. Following three months of preparation the Miss ASEAN Friendship contest lasted just 15 days, but in that time it made a huge impression on its audiences due to its message about humanity. The competition saw the attendance of 27 contestants from nine ASEAN countries who represented the wisdom, beauty and unique culture of each country. Right from the beginning, the competition received a great deal of public attention through the media. This was the first time for a large-scale competition to be held in an underdeveloped province like Phu Yen. However, the province was able to deliver on every … [Read more...]

Five beauties—five representatives of the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 will take part in an online exchange to talk about their feelings and experiences after the beauty pageant at Vietnam Investment Review headquarters tomorrow. Along with two other contestants, the three most beautiful women of the ASEAN will hold an online exchange at VIR RELATED CONTENTS: Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 contestants hold online exchange in Hanoi Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 grand final: Thai beauty is crowned Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017: A monumental stage for the moment of truth Pageant unveils Phu Yen’s beauty Miss ASEAN … [Read more...]

Leaving the wonderful land of Phu Yen, five beauties from Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 will visit Hanoi, and they will hold an online exchange with fans in the beautiful capital of Vietnam. Five top finalists from Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 will hold an online exchange at the    VIR headquarters at 15 PM on July 7 RELATED CONTENTS: Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 grand final: Thai beauty is crowned Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017: A monumental stage for the moment of truth Pageant unveils Phu Yen’s beauty From 3 to 4 PM on July 7, 2017 in the Vietnam Investment Review headquarters at 47 Quan Thanh Street the five beauties from Miss ASEAN … [Read more...]

The Ho Tram Strip yesterday hosted the kids of Allambie for two fun-filled nights at the award-winning Grand Ho Tram Strip. Grounded in the empathy of its founder, Suzanne Thi Hien Hook, herself orphaned during the Vietnam-American War, before being adopted by a family in England.  She returned to the land of her birth in 2007, planning to spend a year teaching English to other orphans, only to find a one year project become a transformative mission to raise the orphaned-kids of the nation. Thus, Allambie was formed - a UK-registered charity noted for channeling 100 per cent of its proceeds direct to the kids it assists.  Located in Ho Chi Minh City, the centre aims to provide a family for kids whom fate and circumstance have found themselves without one of their own. "It is hard to hear Suzanne's story without being touched," said The Grand Ho Tram Strip executive chairman Michael Kelly.  … [Read more...]

Creative Lab by Up is opening a creative space for art and design lovers, and it promises to be an amazing experience for visitors by giving them a chance to team up with others who share their interest in art and design, express their own ideas, and turn them into actual products. The creative space Creative Lab by UP, which was opened on June 25 in Hanoi Creative City, 1 Luong Yen street, Hai Ba Trung district in Hanoi, is the product of cooperation among UP Co-working Space, Hanoi Creative City, and University of Engineering and Technology (Vietnam National University). This cooperation is aimed at opening a creative space for those with a strong passion for art and design. Creative Lab by UP provides equipment, machinery, and space for technology and science experiments, holds numerous classes and workshops about creative arts and fashion, and builds a communication channel for start-ups in the … [Read more...]

Vietnamese performers will attend a folk culture festival across Europe for the first time from July 5 to August 15.  Vietnamese artists perform at the World Folk Culture Festival for the first time. Photo: Facebook of the theatre The performances by artists from Việt Nam Singing-Dancing-Music Theatre will feature folk songs and dances accompanied by traditional instruments such as đàn bầu (monochord), đàn tranh (zither) and bamboo flute. The festival, held by the World Folklore Union, will take place in France, Italy, Romania, Greece and Serbia.  "This is the first time the World Folklore Union has invited Vietnamese artists through the Cultural Centre of Việt Nam (CCV) in France to perform at the festival," said Nguyễn Trường Giang, leader of … [Read more...]

The Voice of HCM City People (VOH) radio station plans to open a new opera house called Music One this month. Kicker: Artists perform at the Voice of HCM City People (VOH) press conference to introduce a new opera house called Music One.-Photo nld.com.vn The Music One opera house, which is an upgraded version of the old VOH hall, will feature 350 seats with a brand-new lighting and music system. The lobby, which has been redecorated in a cozy, elegant style, will be used for musical exhibitions. The opera house will stage musicals, plays, and performances of đờn ca tài tử (southern folk music) and cải lương (reformed opera), Nguyễn Trọng Trí, deputy director of VOH, said. “The plan to open the opera house has been on the table for many years, … [Read more...]

The finale of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Phu Yen gains a great success to find the beauty and friendship ambassadors to ASEAN. And the winner is Thailand’s beauty. The region of “yellow flowers on green grass” of Phu Yen lightens up with a brilliant stage based on the unique cultural symbols of each country within the ASEAN community. The modern equipment, colours, and animations makes it a truly memorable night for the contestants, the audience, and people at Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 in Phu Yen. Overcoming 26 ASEAN beauties, the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (No. 20), born in 1993, is 1m71 height, 51kg weight and body measurements of 84-54-89. She attracts the contest judges and audiences for her fine beauty and friendly character. In the contest, Nuttanan Naree questioned what she would do if becoming Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. Her answer … [Read more...]