Thanh Sang

Thanh Sang (1943-2017) was a famous actor of Southern Vietnamese folk opera known as "cai luong".  During the 1960s and 1970s, he was the leading man in many successful "cai luong" productions.  Together with lead actress Thanh Nga, the two were among the most popular acting couples of "cai luong" plays.

Born as Nguyen Van Thu in Vung Tau, South Vietnam, he grew up in a family of four children.  At the age of six, his father was killed while serving in the French Indochina War.  Being the only son out of four children, he felt obligated to find work as a fisherman at an early age to help provide for his family.  Due to his family's house being situated next to the Hai Lac Cai Luong Theater in Vung Tau, he developed an interest in Southern Vietnamese folk opera.  Without any formal training, he learned how to sing Southern Vietnamese folk opera through listening to and imitating such famous performers like Ut Tra On, Thanh Cong and Chin Som.

In 1960, he joined the Ngoc Kieu Theater Troupe when he was cast in the cai luong play, Chieu Dong Gio Lanh Ve.  It was then he was given his professional stage name as Thanh Sang by legendary "cai luong" theater promoter Hoang Kinh.  Two years later, Thanh Sang would be given his big break when promoter Hoang Kinh chose him to replace Hung Cuong in the lead role for the "cai luong" play, Tuyet Phu Chieu Dong.  In 1964, he was honored with a Thanh Tam Award, South Vietnam's equivalence to a Tony, for his portrayal of the lead character in the cai luong play, Co Gai Do Long.  

Thanh Nga and Thanh Sang
  in Tieng Trong Me Linh

Thanh Sang reached his career peak when he starred opposite Thanh Nga in the plays, Ben Cau Det Lua and Tieng Trong Me Linh.  The enormous successes of the two plays continued in production in the years following the Fall of Saigon up until Thanh Nga's untimely death in 1978.

Thanh Sang and Bach Tuyet

In 1985, Thanh Sang announced his retirement from live theater performances, but that he would continue with his career in cai luong through audio recordings and video productions only. However, three years later he would return to the stage in a successful tour in Paris, France.  In 2001, Thanh Sang once again went into retirement due to illness.

On March 4, 2007, a live show was held at the Saigon Opera Theater in Thanh Sang's honor to commemorate his 50th year in show business.  The show was a tremendous success with guest appearances from many of his fellow performers like Bach Tuyet, who was also the show's director, Mong Tuyen, Le Thuy, Thanh Tu and the late Kim Ngoc.

On April 21, 2017, Thanh Sang passed away at his home in Ho Chi Minh City.  In the mid 1970s, he was briefly married to Vietnamese pop singer Ngoc Bich.