Last year, Kiss the Stars, a multimedia spectacle in Phu Quoc’s Sunset Town, captured the world’s attention. Now, the show has been elevated to new levels of immersivity as a cast of talented live performers takes to the stage in a reimagined production, Kiss of the Sea, bringing the beautiful outdoor stage to life for a unique and timeless love story, enhanced by a harmonious blending of fire, water, light, lasers, and music, as well as the world’s largest water cascade screen.
Sun Group, a successful operator and developer of theme parks in Vietnam called on the services of ECA2, a leading creator and producer of spectacular experiences, to create a memorable experience for visitors to the Sunset Town development. We spoke to representatives of Sun Group and ECA2 to find out why there was a need for a new permanent entertainment offering in the resort and how they worked together to bring this vision to life.
New entertainment for Sunset Town
The setting is the picturesque Sunset Town on the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc. Here, the stunning coastline and the iconic Kiss Bridge make a perfect backdrop. Built by Sun Group, this Mediterranean-inspired town features details like cobbled streets, pavement cafes and fountain-filled piazzas, bringing a slice of Italy to Asia.
The developer wanted to add a world-class entertainment offering to further enhance the development, which is already home to a famous cable car ride linking it to Hon Thom Island and Sun Group’s Aquatopia Water Park.
“There have been a lot of developments here, but the town needed a new form of entertainment,” explains Sean Le, head of business development for Sun Group. “Our chairman was very impressed with many of the shows that he’s seen around the world, and it was his mission to bring something like that to Vietnam.”
Kiss of the Sea is a flagship entertainment project for the company, adds Gabrielle Chuyu Tan, head of creative direction for Sun Group. “Our chairman had a vision. He wanted to bring this international world-class level of show entertainment to Phu Quoc, to attract visitors not just from Vietnam but also from around the world.”
His ambition was to create a show like no one had ever seen before and to put Sunset Town on the map.
Creating Kiss of the Sea
ECA2 began work on the permanent multimedia show three years ago. It then celebrated the soft opening of Kiss the Stars in December 2022. However, the plan was always to incorporate a live cast into the production. So, the team returned in 2023 for a further three months to make this vision a reality ahead of the grand opening of Kiss of the Sea in January 2024.
“Sun Group identified the need to open an initial version of the show that would allow them to run things, to see how things work and how people reacted,” says Julie Cugurno, VP of operations at ECA2.
“That was a good opportunity to look at some of the content of the show and think about what we could do differently. And when we brought in this whole new artistic part, we already had an operating and maintenance team here that had a year of experience in running the show daily.”
Why choose ECA2?
Speaking about why ECA2 was the right choice, Le says:
“ECA2 has a lot of experience in creating purpose-built theatres and shows. Our team travelled around the world seeing many different shows. We saw that with their experience, they would be a good fit for what we were trying to achieve here.”
ECA2 has a strong reputation for creating memorable multimedia entertainment, adds Tan. The two companies collaborated closely throughout the process; she explains:
“Because this is a signature show and a flagship project for Sun Group, we’ve worked closely with them. The show is produced, designed, and directed by ECA2. But there has also been good dialogue with Sun Group in terms of creation, bringing together the culture of France and the culture of Vietnam to create something special.”
Jean-Christophe Canizarès, chairman & CEO of ECA2, says:
“They wanted something on a huge scale; this is the type of challenge that we are good at. We have experience with this kind of complex project, working with many different elements and creating something family-oriented that can speak to a broad audience.”
The creative process
There was already a master plan in place for Sunset Town. ECA2’s first task was to propose a stage design that would make the most of this space, with the iconic bridge in the background.
“We also needed it to be flexible so it could become an events space,” adds Cugurno. From an artistic point of view, the love story was important for the client. ECA2 works a lot around a client’s brief when it comes to the content, which I think makes us different. Of course, we bring our experience and vision to the table, but we work hand in hand with the client to tell the type of story they want to tell.”
Charline Munnier, artistic director at ECA2, says a love story was the ideal choice for such a romantic destination. “I wrote the beginning of the story. Then I was asked to consider the dog and the dugong for a local connection. I also had to tailor the story based on the architecture our designer made, integrating this huge stage. So, my idea was for that to be a black hole, and that’s where the space element came from.
“It’s a love story where the boy is local, and the girl comes from space. Our idea was to make a universal story that would touch everyone.”
What makes Kiss of the Sea unique?
Canizarès says that one of the most striking elements is the sheer scale of the project:
“We needed to create a statement. You can see it from afar; you see it when you come into the entrance of the city or from the cable car.”
He adds that the other thing that makes it special is the content:
“We have done shows with a live cast before and shows with multimedia, but this brings both of those together to create an engaging new format.”
He says the show is one of a kind, and the stats certainly back this up. The 50-strong cast performs daily in an auditorium that holds 5,000 spectators, on a stage that is home to the world’s largest-ever water cascade screen, at 1,000 square metres.
The largest of the three arches stands 30 meters high by 65 meters wide, and the effects range from 50 to 60 metres high and 120 metres wide. There are four different pools, enabling the operating team to perfectly control the water level and adapt it to the cast or various special events. In total, 5,000 cubic metres of water are pumped, filtered and discharged into the sea.
“The combination of an outdoor seawater-based multimedia show with a live cast doesn’t exist anywhere else,” says Cugurno. “It is quite special to have such a huge setup and still be able to be close to the performers and have a theatrical, intimate experience.”
The story
Kiss Bridge was designed by Italian architect Marco Casamonti. The bridge’s higher curve is incomplete, leaving a symbolic gap across which couples can kiss.
“With Kiss Bridge, we wanted something contemporary that would also fit in with the feel of this traditional Italian town,” says LE. “Then we have the element where the bridge meets in the middle but doesn’t touch. We thought it would be interesting for couples who want to come here and take pictures and have that experience.”
Set directly behind ECA2’s beautiful, curved stage, it also inspired the story behind Kiss of the Sea.
It’s a classic girl-meets-boy love story. “But this time, it’s a boy from the island and a girl from outer space,” explains Tan. They encounter challenges and dangers, and then, at the end of the journey, they come together at the Kiss Bridge. It is about connectivity and how true love can overcome any challenge. Love can unite us. That’s the key message.
“We hint that our main character, Mok, comes from this island. He has a conical hat when he first appears, but quickly it is blown away. Also, when the image zooms out to space, the land that we show is the shape of Phu Quoc – we pay homage to this island, but at the same time, we’ve created this universal story.”
Finding a technical balance
Given the scale and complexity of the show, it was quite a technical challenge to create. Also, each element needed to work in harmony, resulting in a balanced and multi-layered experience that could take guests on the journey without leaving them overwhelmed or overstimulated.
Talking about how the team worked to achieve this balance, Aurélien Bouvier, technical director at ECA2, says:
“We have decades of experience, so we know what works together. And now we have a very powerful tool to simulate the show: powerful 3D software that can simulate the water cascade with the lasers and the video effects.”
Then, when the team arrives on-site, they can test and integrate different elements and finetune the show.
“That period of trying new things is important. It means that every show is better and better in terms of technique and effects. We remember what we have done before and build on it each time.”
Bringing a live cast to Kiss of the Sea
The addition of a live cast added an extra challenge:
“It’s the first time we integrated cast into a show this huge. So, from my creative point of view, we had to find a balance between the architecture and the humans,” explains Munnier.
“We have a theme for each sequence. Then, we work out how to integrate the cast into that and test everything during the programming session. So, we review and record the choreography and work on how to arrange lasers or light effects and things like that around it. It was challenging to get that balance because, for example, if you put too much light on the cast, you no longer see the images; they’re blurry on the video screens.
“We spent a long time testing and perfecting to get it right.”
“We ran the show only as a technical setup for almost a year,” adds Canizarès. “So, we had a good understanding of how all those different elements worked together. Then, gradually, we added the cast and the choreography once we knew how the setup was behaving.
“It worked better than we imagined. We had an intensive two or three-month period where we finetuned the choreography and the timing, to ensure we had the right balance of all the different effects.”
The human connection
This extra effort is worth it, however, agrees the team. The live cast brings something special to the show, says Munnier:
“The performers are the human touch; they bring the emotional connection that makes it a deeper experience. It’s more touching, and you feel near them. I think that the audience will live the story more from the inside because of the presence of the performers on stage.”
Tan adds: “We can do a fantastic show with just multimedia. But live theatre gathers people together. You can speak different languages, you can have different political opinions, and you can come from various cultural backgrounds, but you make a choice to come and sit here to see the same story. During that time, you are all on the same journey together.
“The live performers bring emotion into the heart of the spectator and create a connection. We are human beings; we seek connection. I don’t think that the energy of live performers is replaceable by any technology. Supported by the amazing multimedia effects, the cast brings the show to another level.”
Creating Kiss of the Sea: rising to the challenge
Reflecting on the project, Cugurno explains that the main challenges were schedule-related:
“We had a design right before the start of Covid. Usually, we would come in and have workshops with a client every month. But instead, we would do these long Zoom calls, which are not the same. We need to sit down with the clients, their construction team, and their engineers. It slowed us down tremendously.
“Then, when it came to construction, the site is on an island so it’s quite isolated. All the materials needed to come from the mainland, which was a big logistical challenge.”
It was also something the team hadn’t done before, Bouvier adds:
“We have a lot of experience managing water cascades, but normally, we use fresh water. So, it was a different technical design. And then there were extra considerations with the cast; would they be okay getting wet with the salt water? Would the makeup be okay? Would the costumes be okay? Technically, seawater is easy to manage, but with the human element, that was the first time we brought the two together.”
In addition, it was a challenge to create a structure on the seabed because it is not stable; it can move with the tide:
“We had to create a piling that was almost 35 metres deep to get a solid base for the black holes and the pools. Also, we use seawater to empty and fill the pools. We have to have a pipe that brings the water in from 300 metres out to get clean water without silt.”
Sustainability
Yet the fact that it operates with seawater is an environmental opportunity as well as an operational challenge. The water effects for Kiss of the Sea are designed with sustainability in mind, with no soiling or wastage, and have been designed and manufactured especially for this show.
“With our designs, we always try to propose that the materials are as sustainable as they can be,” says Cugurno. “It might not always meet the client’s agreement, but it’s good to have that discussion. Our stage’s beautiful, curved arches have been handmade in a factory close to Hanoi. So, that has provided local employment.”
“When it comes to required multimedia equipment to fit the effects of the show, we use the latest technology, so the electrical consumption is less than before; things are evolving in this industry now, and fixtures are being adapted to consume less energy. Internally, the team is spending a lot of time looking at sustainability and how we can evolve to be more sustainable.”
“Sustainability is a challenge because, of course, the show uses a lot of electricity,” adds Bouvier. We work with LED as much as possible, and we choose video projectors and lights with laser sources because they consume less energy.”
A rewarding experience
It’s been a long project, reflects Cugurno: “But now our client is operating this beautiful show, every day, having the cast on stage, and it’s beautiful to see it come together and take on its own life. It’s a wonderful legacy.”
Bouvier adds: “We are happy because the project started during Covid, and it was hard not to be able to come on-site. We had to fix some things late in the design. But I am happy when I see the result, especially with the cast. When you have something in your head, and then you see it come to life, it’s a great feeling.”
Ultimately, the team succeeded because they got the balance right, says Canizarès:
“We have more than 30 years of experience, so we can predict what the show can be. But a show like this can’t be written 100% before. Many things have changed along the way, and some elements have been added, removed, or finetuned here on site. Then, at the end, we get to see it come together. We are happy, and we’re proud of this work.
ECA2 is not resting on its laurels following the success of Kiss of the Sea, and Canizarès also teases that there are many more exciting projects in the pipeline, including the Burj Khalifa show in Dubai and work for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, as well as an interesting new project in Saudi Arabia
Kiss of the Sea: a key project for Vietnam
This show is the first of its kind in Vietnam:
“It has everything that a world-class entertainment product should offer,” says Le. “This elevates Phu Quoc to an international standard tourist destination. People are beginning to look at Phu Quoc differently; it’s becoming a world-class tourist destination, and you can see that by the rise in the number of visitors every year.
“When we continued to develop towards the grand vision of the show at the beginning of last year, we never expected that adding performers would make such a huge difference. And I think everyone from leadership to the staff is extremely pleased with the result.”
Tan concludes:
“It has taken many years of hard work to reach this point, but we’re delighted with it; it’s very beautiful.
“This will put Sunset Town on the map for people from all over Asia and, further afield, from Russia and Europe. Both overseas and local visitors will hear about this great show and want to come to this town and know that they can have a fantastic day here. They can enjoy the cable car, the water park, the beautiful sunset, and Kiss Bridge before coming to see this show and its message of love.
“It’s not just a fun experience; it’s also meaningful and memorable.”
