Musical variation of the story ‘The old fisherman and the goldfish’

The work borrows ideas from Russian folk tales, premiered on June 1 and 2 at Au Co Theater (Hanoi). The script is set in the time after the old man and his wife met a goldfish and were granted a wish. They lived a happy life and then returned to poverty, continuing to make a living by fishing.

Under the ocean, Baby Shark idolizes Goldfish, dreaming of magic to help people. Due to the fact that his father is a bloody character, the other creatures all pretend to be affected by his magic, making Baby Shark think he has special abilities.

Excerpt from the musical ‘The Fishing Man and the Shark’

He went ashore by himself, got caught in the net of the old man and his wife, and said that he wanted to grant them wishes. Originally without magic, Shark could not grant any wishes of the old grandparents. While in dire straits, the old woman intended to kill him.

Dad Shark looks to Goldfish, hoping the fish uses super powers to help find him. Goldfish admits there is no miracle, only knows how to use hypnosis to fool the old grandparents. When he met his son again, Shark Daddy shared with him the meaning of his dream, being himself. Interwoven with the main story, the author also sends a message to protect the environment and marine life.

The musical installs many satirical details about the ocean world as well as the lives of old grandparents. Goldfish are idols of all species, but they can’t remember anything for long. Its amnesia causes many funny situations. On the shore, the old grandparents fish or fight because of poverty. In the play, the old lady is pragmatic and greedy. When Baby Shark said she would grant wishes, she wished for everything like being young and beautiful, living a long life, and finally wishing to become the lord of all species, holding the right to life and death. Meanwhile, the old man kept the virtue of simplicity and sincerity, only dreaming of new pig troughs, pans and pots.

Musical variation of the story ‘The old fisherman and the goldfish’

In an hour, the cast attracted the attention of 800 young viewers through many Q&A and interactive sessions, which were enthusiastically responded by the children. The crew incorporated many humorous lines related to trends on social networks, making viewers excited. The children are mainly of primary school age, constantly clapping and cheering to support the artist. Quang Vinh (six years old) laughed loudly when the artists mentioned famous songs Baby Shark or joke about the “goldfish brain” syndrome.

The musical scores points through the beautiful setting of both the ocean and the shore. The crew used many props with the help of LED screens, lights, and bubble blowers to create visual effects. Characters mainly express their inner feelings through emotional songs, mixed in many genres – pop, rock, jazz. In it, singer Dong Hung (as Ca Map Bo) expressed his feelings with a song about a father’s feelings. More than 50 child actors in the role of ocean creatures have many fun singing and dancing performances.

Artist Tran Ly Ly – Acting Director of Performing Arts – assessed the musical as having a unique and new idea that easily conquers young audiences thanks to its fun music and easy-to-understand plot. The message of humanity, kindness, and efforts to pursue dreams is conveyed gently, without dogma. After two concerts, the crew plans to perform 10 more shows in the summer to serve the children.

Ha Thu