Paris By Night 89: In Korea
With the rate Thuy Nga’s releasing, Paris By Night videos aren’t going away anytime soon despite how repetitive they get. So writing detailed review of each show is pointless. What I’ll do is I’ll treat each release like an upgrade of a software by highlighting what featured had been added or deprecated.
So what’s new in Paris By Night 89? It was filmed in Korea. Y Lan turned Pham Dinh Chuong’s “Nua Hon Thuong Dau” to “Mot Nua Hon Thuong Dau.” From her over-sentimental delivery to her over-dramatic presentation, she had tripled the tune’s spirit. Listening to Tran Thu Ha sings “Ao Anh” while watching the models walk the floor is brilliant. Whoever came up with that concept, I owe you a beer.
What should be deprecated? Ky Duyen’s same old jokes poking at Nguyen Ngoc Ngan has to go. After more than ten years of mocking his height, age and appearance, I think we got it: he’s short, old and ugly. Come up with some new shtick, will you?
After all the glamors on stage, we’re presented with the cruel reality: the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Korea via Van Son-style documentary. Witnessing workers with fingers chopped off and wives with battered bruises is heartrending. Like machines, Korean men must have no feelings.
Y Lan’s intro speech reeked of phoniness, as much as I admire her overall talents.
I’ve seen a lot of people complain that the documentaries were out of place in an entertainment dvd, but I thought they were crucial (and heartrending as you said).
On the other hand there is a balance, the segment about the Korean boat captian, Jeon Je Yong, who destroyed his own career and life basically to save 96 Vietnamese boat people.
I’m glad he’s finally getting his due after all these years.
On the other hand, Vietnamese variety shows revel in their repetitiveness. I wonder when the Viet variety show format will disintegrate. =/
It appears that only YL and KL sang really live, not karaoke or lip synch or re-dub. Noticeable diff in av quality, possibly considered inferior to those used to the old format. But very enjoyable diff to those who enjoy truthful performances and spontaneous creation. What’s appropriate for live, to project and “reach the last row in the house”, may appear extreme and overly dramatic when confined to TV ecran and subject to rewind and repeat etc.
I agree with Quan. I’m sure YL would have sound better if we were there to hear it life. It would be the same for BK, Thu Phuong and TTH in recent DVD. They definitely sing well live, and the recording did no justice. But the songs they covered lately are so well known and therefore sound over sentimental as they try to put too much emotions in their singing. Sometime that make it a bit ” sen”.
My friend who went to Korea to see PBN 89 said that Y Lan’s introduction captivated and moved the audience of 4,500 in the Olympic fencing arena. Stillness drawn into spontaneous applauses. It is unusual for Thuy Nga to have its performer speak before singing. But if someone should, Le Quynh’s daughter should be the one to break the pattern. After usual initial lightness and jovial barbs traded by NNN/KD, my friend said Y Lan’s words were appropriate greetings that established the underpinning spirit of overseas Vietnamese gathered.
How strange that what transpires on a stage can be perceived differently between those in the audience and those who see it filtered on the TV screen, as Quan remarked.
lol, you are so controversial donny.
To Al,
Most of the people in the audience are from Vietnam (they live in Vietnam). I agreed with Donny that Y Lan was over-dramatic. She puts too much emotion into it that it ruins the flow of the song.
Don’t you like ‘Hai Que’ introduced by QuangLe? He was really into that song. And I think he sang it live.
Quang Le is one of the better live performers, charismatic and witty on stage. My friend who attended PBN 89 said that he was very good, but nervous, and studio redubs would have been required later where he flubbed live. His eyes were open more than 88.
Quang Le is one of the best male singer with his live performances. Yes, his eyes are mostly closed during his songs but oh boy the guy can sing!
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