Review: Kennedy Center's THE ODYSSEY Celebrates the People and Music of Vietnam

The music stylings and influences of Vietnam were on full display with World Stage's The Odyssey: from Vietnam to America. While the musical execution was flawless, the context of the show's multimedia aspect was disorienting. Nevertheless, The Odyssey, which made its East Coast premiere at the Kennedy Center this weekend, did an outstanding job showcasing the interconnectedness between traditional Vietnamese folk music and western styles like jazz.

Act One told the story of the Boat People, two million Vietnamese refugees fleeing their war-torn homeland after the collapse of the pro-American, South Vietnamese government in 1975. Composer Vân-Ánh Võ performed five compositions capturing different aspects of their journey. Two pentagonal white canvases were featured with projections attempting to provide a background for each work.

Execution-wise, this was the least successful part of the evening. Ian Winters' media images failed to provide a broader context for the projections. One could make assumptions about what each image meant, but when telling the story of a human rights tragedy, ambiguity is not the best asset. Especially considering that four decades have passed since the Boat People made their treacherous journey and some in the audience may be unfamiliar with their story.

Additionally, the projections failed to bring alive the struggles facing those who spent weeks on the seas in search of freedom. In the program, Võ explains the meaning of each composition. The details she mentioned did not always materialize onstage. For example, one composition was meant to highlight the horrors of a ship's engine room. However, it failed to come off as menacing.

The second act featured a creative approach to blending the traditional sounds of Vietnam with other genres. This was where The Odyssey was triumphant in introducing Vietnamese music to the audience.

To incorporate these sounds, Võ played the instruments native to Vietnam including: dàn tranh, a Vietnamese plucked zither; dàn T'rung, a bamboo xylophone; and dàn bau, a one string zither. She was accompanied by percussionist Jimi Nakagawa who gave the evening it's beat with his taiko drums, Dan Cantrell on accordion and Alex Kelly on cello. This was where we could hear the European and Asian influences of Vietnam's history.

All four have great chemistry and seem to truly enjoy blending music together. Their song selection was an eclectic, but welcomed, mix of Vietnamese opera, music inspired by nature and standards. Prior to performing "Summertime", Võ explained the humidity in Vietnam was her inspiration for choosing the Porgy & Bess classic. It was fascinating to watch Gershwin performed on the dàn tranh and to hear the styles intersect.

The evening's only misstep was that Act One demanded more context, better execution and greater eloquence. The Boat People's story needs to be told so that history doesn't forget. Still, Võ and her trio did a solid job introducing the audience to the sounds, feel, stories and people of Vietnam.

Runtime: One hour and 40 minutes with one intermission.

The Odyssey: from Vietnam to America ran for two performances on March 11th and 12th at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Preforming Arts - 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566. For more information please click here.

Photo: Vân-Ánh Võ. Credit: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

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