Van Son 26 – Nang La

The show starts off with a mesmerizing performance from Lac Hong group recapturing the life of the Vietnamese fled by boat seeking freedom. The powerful video clips in the background add tremendous drama to the live performance. It is a great way to start off the video; unfortunately the theme does not carry on throughout the show. I was all excited to see more dramatic content but disappointment comes in as the video gets off that direction. Actually the “Luu Vong” performance introduces the play “Nang Ha” featuring Van Son, Bao Liem, Hong Dao, Le Huynh, Minh Tri, Viet Thi, Charlie, and Vicky (It’s funny how this little girl keeps waving to the audience during the play). Unfortunately, the play does not live up to the introduction performance. It is a big mistake to start the show with excitement then gradually drifts off. The play is not bad but it is definitely not powerful either. There are several additional comedies in this show but the only funny one is “Toi Khong Thay” by Quang Minh, Sunny and Bich Thi. That new kid Sunny is pretty amusing.

There are a few good music performances. Minh Tri and Viet Thi give a tight performance of “Vietnamese Boy.” The beat is nice and the outfits are pretty cool. Next to that is the “Lien Khuc Nho Nguoi Yeu” by Che Linh and Tuan Ngoc. When you put two well-known artists together, you get a beautiful combination of the two. The rest of the performances are pretty ordinary. I am simply tired of Truong Vu. He sings the same kind of music over and over again and he also puts me to sleep.

Overall, Van Son 26 is not too bad. It’s not highly recommended but somewhat enjoyable. There is also a bonus video in the end where Viet Thao highlights some of the accomplishments by the Vietnamese community in San Jose. It’s nice to see how we come this far in our second homeland.