VietNamNet Bridge – Englishman Rick Yvanovich (born in 1962), President of TRG International, a software solution consultant and provider in Vietnam, has developed a website in English introducing 3 kinds of traditional Vietnamese opera. 

The website on Vietnamese tuong, cheo and cai luong can be found at www.vietnamopera.com.

The website on Vietnamese tuong, cheo and cai luong can be found at www.vietnamopera.com.  He explained the reason he invested time and money in this peculiar field in an interview with the newspaper Culture and Sports. 

After more than 16 years living in HCM City, he wants to contribute something to the Vietnamese community and society.  In December 2006, his company sponsored Australian artist Eleanor Clapham to perform cheo and tuong at the Hanoi Opera House.  According to Mr. Yvanovich, as an English speaker, Eleanor can easily introduce traditional Vietnamese opera to the world.  In addition, as a young and foreign lover of these traditional art forms, Eleanor can even deliver persuasive messages about them to young Vietnamese, who are quite uninterested in them. 

But Mr. Yvanovich added that his company realised it wasn’t enough to merely sponsor Eleanor.  To provide updated information and increase public awareness of traditional opera, a website is the most effective tool.  His company has mobilised 10 employees to gather info on traditional opera and develop the website.  Mr. Yvanovich said that this wasn’t an easy task, even for a company specialising in computers like his own.  But he succeeded.  The English website will help foreigners to learn more about different forms of traditional Vietnamese opera. 

According to Mr. Yvanovich, the website’s managers will try to update information daily.  At present, his company is asking Vietnam’s cultural agencies, operas, and artists as well as any other interested people to be regular sources of info.  Interestingly, Mr. Yvanovich doesn’t often watch Vietnamese traditional opera himself, because as he said, he doesn’t “know where to find the info on performances.”  The reason may be that Vietnam doesn’t have an effective marketing method to popularise traditional forms of opera. This is also why Mr. Yvanovich has decided to update all info on coming performances at theatres throughout the country. 

In response to the question, “How is your life in Vietnam?” Mr. Yvanovich answered that Vietnam was his second homeland.  His family has been living happily in Vietnam.  He understands Vietnam much better than other foreigners, though he said he wasn’t an expert yet. 

(Source:  Culture and Sports)