Over the five years of organization, G'LAMS has had the opportunity to stand on such grand stages as the Grand Theater, the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Labor Culture Palace, the Youth Theater and the support of 1000 audiences a year. The reason for the special name of this year’s G'LAMS—G'LAMS 2122—is because the program had been through a disastrous epidemic that made G'LAMS 2021 unable to be held and had to be postponed for nearly a year. Thus, "Empty Skylights" is a combination of G'LAMS 2021 and G'LAMS 2022. Via this, we can see more clearly than ever the intense love and determination of youth passionately pursuing the art and the spotlights of the students.

G'LAMS always present the audience with eye-catching performances.

Following the success of previous seasons: "Emily," "DRAW", "Who Are You?", "Solar Eclipse" "White Noise" and "Day of the Moon Shadow," G'LAMS 2122 with the musical "Empty Skylights," continued to give viewers endless emotional expressions with the lyrics and choreography created by the G’LAMS organizing committee themselves. Alluring scenes as if they were in a fairy tale world, eye-catching choreographies, and lyrics that clearly express what the musical wanted to convey have left an unforgettable lingering feeling in each viewer's heart. Perhaps that's also why G'LAMS 2122 was sold out just five minutes after opening the ticket sale.

2 MCs introducing G'LAMS 2122: Empty Skylights.

The script of "Empty Skylights" was constructed in a very charismatic, unpredictable and complicated way, with many unexpected plot twists from the characters. Not only does the musical stop at thrilling events, but it also allow viewers a deep reflection on humanitarian issues, from friendship to family affection, from youth with aspirations and fantasies of "fame" to finding the light of justice in a dark society. It was Camillia’s childhood dream to be a cop to investigate hidden crimes, or her friend Lana’s dream to work at Charlie's research institute. The best friends nurture the thought of having the life they wanted when they grew up; however, life still had dark sides that no one knows.

Close friends with great ambitions Camilla and Lana

Charlie's research institute - where Lana is working, is flashy and full of glamour. Yet, consecutive deaths labeled "labor accidents" still leave people with doubt about what's going on at the institute. It was not until the city people witnessed the death of an employeewith their own eyes that the police began the investigation reluctantly. Charlie, being known for being tough and conservative, spent his life researching and inventing machines that went against nature, one of which was the rejuvenation machine. That machine must have been linked to mysterious deaths in the city for years, and yet, people hadn’t had, or deliberately concealed, evidence to convict Charlie.

Owner of Charlie Research Institution - the inventor of strange machines.

The death of the institution’s employee caused a stir among the townspeople

And thus began Camilla’s quest to find justice with the participation of other characters. They were her childhood best friend Lana - Charlie's secretary, Hendrick - the owner of the K Xi No Casino, Kim - the owner of the city's most famous Pho restaurant, Louis - Kim's innocent adopted son and also an employee of Charlie Research Institute. With his foolish remarks at the wrong time, Louis made himself the number one suspect in the case.

Hendrick - "To live is to live beautifully, to live prettily!"

Louis "was always present at the most irrational times along with even more irrational remarks."

The musical's plot is constantly on the rise: Hendrick's death, Charlie's fake death, the anonymous letter at the sky lantern festival, Kim's surprise appearance and advice whenever something happens. Those events were accompanied by the multi-faceted character psychology, which is also sharply exploited. No one could guess who the culprit behind everything is, and each character has a dark side to themself, a personal feeling buried deep inside.

Kim is a character of mysteries and always surprise people with her "knowledge" and wit

As the musical reached the end, the mystery began to uncover, putting the audience into a state of shock to find out that the culprit was not Charlie or Lana as Camilla thought, but Louis, who was thought to be a fool and had no communication manners. The complicated relationship between Louis and Kim was also revealed, and the sad story of Louis's heart-burning hatred of his sister who was sent as a guinea pig for Charlie's deadly rejuvenation machine ten years ago also unraveled every confusion in the musical. The question Louis posed to Camilla at the moment of revelation also made each of us fall into unrest: in the end, where does the justice that each of us seeks appear in this inherently unfair society?

Louis is the puppeteer behind everything.

Charlie's research institute and inventions that were counter to nature, such as the rejuvenating machine, are the embodiment of man's unrealistic fantasies about creation. Everyone's youth is filled with aspirations for success, but sometimes, when dreams become too unrealistic, and if one isn’t disillusioned, they will have to pay the price with their life. Standing on the border between sense and sensibility, it is sensible to choose what is right and what can lead to success. No one can give us the answer but ourselves.

Some other remarkable moments at G'LAMS 2122: Empty Skylights

The wonder of G'LAMS 2122 comes not only from the stage visuals, dancers' passionate choreographies, singers' powerful voices, and actors' natural acting, but also from the meticulously elaborate scripts, where each character represents a not-so-small part of society. It can be said that the brilliant success of the musical night is the most invaluable gift for students who have not been discouraged by the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, but instead turned it into their motivation to devote themselves to art, to passion, to G'LAMS 2122: “Empty Skylight” full of memories.

Writing JO: Hoang Huyen Anh - Literature 2124

Photos: Supplied by G’LAMS 2122 Organizing Committee 

Translator: Ngo Vu Ngan Ha - Russian 2124