MAMMA MIA! KOREA & EDINBURGH

Mamma Mia in Korea. New review from the Korea Herald:

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/01/29/200401290031.asp

'Mamma Mia!' lives up to hype After generating media buzz for more than a year, "Mamma Mia!" finally made its highly anticipated local debut at the Seoul Arts Center Sunday, four years after its rapturous premier in London that quickly developed into an international attraction. The lighthearted musical based around the songs of the legendary 1970s pop group ABBA - the band's former songwriters Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson created the show with British producer Judy Craymer - is currently the hottest ticket in the theatrical world, garnering over 10 million in audience and raking in $750 million through tours in Europe, North America, Japan and other countries.

With expectations based on such numbers, "Mamma Mia!" became Korea's most publicized theatrical import ever. `Mamma Mia` is among the most enjoyable foreign musicals of recent years.

And it seemed that there was no way the show could live up to the hype. Regardless of the past success in other countries, there were more reasons to doubt its success than hope with regards to dramatic quality. Despite being based on a synthetic storyline of a mother-and-daughter relationship that is as hokey as a teenage sitcom script, "Mamma Mia!" is a work that demands cleverness with an extremely small margin of error.

The text serves merely as a vehicle to string together the most popular tunes of ABBA, 22 songs that are each self-sufficient, unrelated and unaltered in lyrics. To make a convincing theatrical work with the weight of the libretto being secondary is a difficult task, and doing that with a foreign language is a totally different challenge altogether.

The opening night, however, clearly showed that the London-based creative team and the Korean cast have produced an impressive work that could silence the skeptics, if Sunday's performance was not just a spark in the pan.

Sophie is a 20-year-old who lives with her mother on a small Greek island. She is about to get married to Sky and wishes that her father, whom she has never seen before, could walk her down the isle. However, her mother, Donna, a retired singer who once led a rock trio called Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to give out who the father is. Sophie peeks into her mother's diary from the year of her birth and discovers the names of three men who could possibly be her father. Things get complicated when Sophie summons all three to her wedding, resulting in their awkward reunion with Donna after 21 years.

The greatest challenge of staging imported musicals is to minimize the language barrier through creative adaptation and translation, which has never been Korean theater's strength. It's not an easy process to adapt a melody built under a different phonological structure and the slightest mistakes could result in clownish vulgarity. The case that immediately comes to mind is last year's production of "Singing in the Rain," which lacked any sense of dramatic flow and sounded like a poorly dubbed soap opera.

The Seoul Arts Center's "Mamma Mia!" comes with a serviceable Korean script, an impressive feat considering the show's heavy dependence on existing songs. The storyline is clearly delivered and the dialogues blend with the songs without disrupting the continuity. This enables the actors to play their roles with creativeness and flexibility that covers the hard edges. It's not so weird somehow to hear a Korean version of "Dancing Queen" after a wacky confrontation scene between Donna and the three potential fathers.

The show develops a sense of youthful energy and natural humor based on the solid textual structure, holding the house under rapt attention despite the predictable ending.

It's not to suggest a corny romantic comedy as theatrical mastery, but "Mamma Mia!" certainly stands among the more enjoyable foreign musical works today with its cohesiveness among text, choreography and music. This is a rare show in town that might be worth paying the usual 100,000 won for the front row tickets.

Actress Park Hae-mi adequately delivered the lead role of Donna, although her voice seemed to lack the vibrancy of the original ABBA vocalists, at least when she sang the title number of "Mamma Mia," which comes in at one of the most critical moments of the play. Bae Hae-sun, in the role of Sophie, lighted up the house with her exuberant energy, while the performance of Jeon Soo-kyeong, as Donna's former band mate Tanya, was simply phenomenal. However, Lee Gun-myung, in the role of Sky, somehow managed to be irreverent and annoying at the same time.

By Kim Tong-hyung

(thkim@heraldm.com)

"Mamma Mia" has English subtitles and will run through April 18 at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul. Get off at the Nambu Terminal

Station on Subway Line No. 3. For more information, call (02) 3487-4666.

++++++++

And.....

From

http://news.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=105552004

Mamma Mia! In Edinburgh

Grease lightning

THEATRE REVIEW

CHRIS MOONEY

THEATRE lovers have smashed all box office records at Edinburgh’s Playhouse to snap up tickets for two of the world’s most popular musicals.

Theatre bosses raked in almost £230,000 in one day this week, the highest amount ever taken at the Playhouse box office in 24 hours.

The combined total for over-the-counter and telephone sales is the result of a mad rush to book seats for next week’s arrival of Grease, which has been selling strongly since tickets went on sale, as well as the first day of advance bookings for Mamma Mia! - the smash-hit musical based on the songs of Abba.

Mamma Mia!, coming to Edinburgh as part of a world tour, made £203,000 alone on the first day of sales on Monday. And Grease, which opens next Monday, is on course to be the first show to sell out since Showboat steamed into the city 12 years ago.

There are just 2000 tickets left for the musical, which features Ben Richards as Danny and Suzanne Carley of Pop Idol fame as Sandy, with more than 21,000 seats already taken for the week-long showing.

Playhouse spokeswoman Pam Blyth said both shows were touching a nerve with the public and had everyone at the UK’s biggest all-seater theatre "terribly excited".

She said: "The interest in Grease has been phenomenal and I think the fact it was recently voted as the most popular musical ever has had a big hand in that.

"The thing is that the show is the star and it doesn’t matter if it’s Joe Bloggs or Shane Ritchie starring, people just love the music and the love story.

"Mamma Mia! is also proving a big attraction and Edinburgh is the only place it is playing outside London. Whatever the reasons, both shows have broken all box office records for one day’s sales."

What makes the success of Grease even more incredible is that it will be the fourth time the show has been performed at the Playhouse in the past five years. The show, made into a hit movie with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John, takes a look at small-town Fifties America through the eyes of students in their last year at Rydell High and the unlikely love story between Danny, a member of the T-Birds gang, and "good girl" Sandy.

Mamma Mia! will premiere in Scotland and the Playhouse date is the first time it will have been seen anywhere in the UK outside London’s West End. Edinburgh will be the international tour’s only British date.

Mamma Mia! has more productions playing simultaneously around the world than any other musical with 11 global productions. The original London production opened in 1999 and has now taken more than £100 million at the box office.

James Howorth, general manager of the Playhouse, said: "This is an unbelievable figure to have achieved on one day of sales.

"It proves that the timeless popularity of Abba music together with the international success of the show is an irresistible pull for Scottish theatre-goers."

Producer Judy Craymer added: "This is incredible and has surpassed all of our expectations.

"We felt sure that Edinburgh would be the right UK city to debut Mamma Mia! outside London and this proves that our instincts were right."

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dominic 'Ice' Wallis London, UK

AGNETHA: PEOPLE ON LINE REPORT

ABBA's Faltskog Ready for a Comeback

STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN

Just when you thought ABBA was best seen on Broadway, one of its singers is preparing for a return to the spotlight. Reclusive onetime ABBA singer Agnetha Faltskog has signed a new record deal that will lead to her first album in 17 years, reports Reuters.

Warner Scandinavia said Wednesday that it would release the singer's CD "My Coloring Book" worldwide this spring. There's been talk of an album -- which is now described as having an acoustic sound and featuring an orchestra and band leader Anders Neglin -- since last year. Warner released Faltskog's last album, "I Stand Alone," in 1987.

Since then, the media-shy singer, 53, has lived quietly on a secluded island outside of Stockholm. Faltskog shot to international fame and fortune three decades ago with other members of the ABBA quartet -- Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Annifrid Lyngstad.

The group disbanded in 1982 after recording such hits as "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo," but their old tunes form the score for the hit London and Broadway musical "Mamma Mia." Together, the group sold more than 350 million albums around the world. Apart, they still sold many millions more.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Jon Axelrod, Miami Beach, USA

AGNETHA REPORT ON FORBES WEB SITE

Here is another Agnetha article which has a titbit of information regarding the album that I have not yet seen in other posts:

Warner clinches ex-ABBA star Fältskog's new album

STOCKHOLM, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Warner Music Scandinavia has signed a deal with Agnetha Fältskog of one-time Swedish pop sensation ABBA for her first album in 17 years, the company said on Wednesday.

Warner, the music division of Time Warner Inc (nyse: TWX - news - people) said in a statement it would release the 53-year-old blonde's "My Colouring Book" under a worldwide recording agreement this spring.

Last year Fältskog's company said the reclusive star would break her silence with a new record in March.

Fältskog shot to global fame in the 1970s with other members of the ABBA quartet -- Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Annifrid Lyngstad. The group broke up in 1982 after recording such hits as "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo".

Warner released Fältskog's last album, "I Stand Alone", in 1987. Since then the media-shy singer has lived in seclusion outside Stockholm.

Warner described the new album as an acoustic set featuring a complete orchestra, co-produced by artist, pianist and band leader Anders Neglin and drummer Dan Stromkvist.

The lead single "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" was composed by John Cameron.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Agatha Mills , Dallas, Texas, USA

EXPRESSEN: AGNETHA'S FEAR OF FLYING

The fear of flying might stop the comeback

Until now Agnetha Fältskog has recieved 150 offers, among them from USA's Grammy Awards.

- But there is a problem, her record company says. She's very scared of flying. As soon as it became well-known that Agnetha's releasing her first record for 17 years the offers started to pour in from all over the world.

Up to yesterday around 150 newspapers and TV-stations have been in touch. Among them were the prestigeous Grammy Awards in USA.

- Agnetha is to choose herself which offers she accepts. One problem is her fear of flying, says Helen Wigren at her record company.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson Stockholm Sweden

AGNETHA: OZ CABLE TV REPORT

Just saw a small item on Arena (an Australian cable TV channel) in the entertainment news about Agnetha's new CD.

They mentioned the 30th Anniversary of Eurovision and that the CD will include covers of Barbra, Cilla and Dusty. Of course, the main focus was the question of whether ABBA will reform.

Clips shown included Agnetha from The Winner Takes It All and The Day Before You Came and ABBA from the "Thank You For The Music" film clip.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Lynette Rawes Sydney Australia

ON SPEAKING TERMS FOR SCANDINAVIAN RELEASE?

It was mentioned on abba-list by fan Marnix ten Brinke that the authors of "ABBA - On Speaking Terms" are planning to release the book in Scandinavia this year, with some new interviews and photos. This version is then to be translated into English for an international release.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter London, UK

AGNETHA MAKES NY TIMES

From the New York Times - Arts Pages - it has a great pic "from 1976"

http://tinyurl.com/2zn8h

STOCKHOLM: BACK FROM ABBA Breaking 17 years of recording silence, the reclusive Agnetha Fältskog, 53, once a member of the Swedish pop sensation Abba, has signed with Warner Music Scandinavia for a new album, Reuters reported yesterday.

The company said it would release the recording, "My Colouring Book," in the spring. Ms. Fältskog achieved fame in the 1970's in Abba with Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Annifrid Lyngstad. After hits like "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo," the quartet disbanded in 1982. Ms. Faltskog's last album, "I Stand Alone," was released in 1987.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dominic 'Ice' Wallis London, UK

UK ITC AGNETHA REPORT

The following is from the UK's Independent Television Company (producer of a number of Cilla Black programs):

Abba singer to release Cilla Black song

Agnetha Fältskog - otherwise known as the blonde one from Abba - is releasing a cover version of an obscure Cilla Black song.

If I Ever Thought You'd Change Your Mind will be Agnetha's first single in seventeen years.

The song took Cilla to number 20 in the charts back in 1969.

But there is no truth in rumours that Agnetha has dyed her hair red and is adopting a scouse accent to sing it.

The song is from an album called My Colouring Book - due for release in March or April, 2004.

After negotiations with several record companies, Agnetha finally signed with Warner Music - the same label that issued her last album, I Stand Alone, in 1987.

"Naturally, I am very happy and pleased that Warner Music will collaborate with Agnetha on her upcoming album," a spokesman said.

"Just like my Warner colleagues the world over, I feel this is simply fantastic."

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dominic 'Ice' Wallis London, UK

BIZARRE AGNETHA REPORT IN UK'S "GUARDIAN"

Agnetha was the "Pass Notes" in The Guardian. It's a sidebar series, written as an imaginary conversation:

Pass notes No 2,425

Agnetha Faltskog

Friday January 30, 2004 The Guardian

This fourth pint of Harp, that spinning mirrorball, that pounding, jangling Europop - I think I love you. I'm nothing special. In fact, I'm a bit of a bore.

No, darling, you look fantastic in that skintight silver suit and those stackheeled boots. If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before.

Try me. Can you hear the drums, Fernando?

Nope, don't get it. Must be funny! In a rich man's world.

I know you. You're the dancing queen. Young and sweet, only 17? That's just the tribute. The real thing is about to take the stage.

What? Abba?! No.

Not Bjorn and Benny, the one with the beard and the funny-looking one who wrote the songs? No.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, the intense brunette chanteuse with the heavy eyeliner habit? Incredibly, wrong again.

The other one? Agnetha Faltskog, the flaxen-haired, rosy-cheeked fourth of the former Swedish quartet has indeed signed with Warner Scandinavia to make her first album in 17 years.

Hmm. The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself. It was Agnetha's ability to sing lines like that with sincerity that endeared her to the buyers of 350m Abba albums. Lines like that, and ...

But is she remaining true to her Eurovision pop roots? Wait. And lines like "a-bang, a boom-a-boomerang. Oh bang, a boom-a-boomerang. Love is a tune you hum-de-hum-hum".

Nul points. Precisely.

What's she been up to all these years? She's been living a reclusive life on a secluded island in a lonely archipelago in the isolated seas off the remote city of Stockholm.

What was the last album called? I Stand Alone.

Do say: Thank you for the music.

Don't say: You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 53.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Sarah Marchant Kent, England

HOOTENANNY SINGERS TO REUNITE

It was more than 10 years ago the boys in Hootenanny Singers played together at a private occasion, but for Visfestivalens 40 years celebration 2005 they weill reunite again.

Many (sic) newspapers have reported that the revival will take place at Visfestivalen already 2004, but that's not the case. Hansi Schwarz, responsible for the festival and one of the members of Hootenanny Singers, is very happy over the reunion, but he also says he has bigger things in work.

- Kingston Trio, he says lyrically. Schwarz tells that he has always dreamt of making something special for the 40 years celebration. Kingston Trio and Hootenanny Singers on the same stage would be the optimal thing. - I wish people could understand how big it is. Without musical inspiration from Kingston Trio there would never have been something like Hootenanny Singers. Without Hootenanny Singers no ABBA, without ABBA no Mamma Mia!, he says.

The dream for Schwarz is to first present the reunion of the Hootenanny Singers and directly afterwards let Kingston Trio come in on stage.

- It's a wonderful thought and I think that this will probably become real, Schwarz says. He also says that if there is a question of money - to pay Kingston Trio - Björn Ulvaeus will go into the project as a private sponsor.

- Kingston Trio has meant so extremely much, so this just has to become reality. What songs Hootenanny Singers will play at the festival isn't decided yet.

- We will probably play something swingy and easy so that people recognize it. Perhaps we play one or two songs and then Kingston Trio will take over.

Which of the Vistfestivalen's days the group will perform Hansi Schwarz doesn't want to reveal.

- No, that will be a surprise. We have a tradition of having secret guests during the festival's days and I'm not going going to reveal what day it will be. Because it's over a year before the Visfestival 2005 will take place, the three remaining members of Hootenanny Singers have much time to rehearse.

- Of course many songs you already know, but everybody has to rehearse. But it's a long way to walkt until that. I'm happy we will reunion at all, and that we get to have our big idols here. The circle is ended.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

LINDA'S WEBSITE MARKER

It must be a mother and daughter thing as Linda Ulvaeus has also gotten herself a website the same as Agnetha's!

Do you think they got discount? ;-)

Christian hasn't got one though.

http://www.lindaulvaeus.com/

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Helen Middlemas, Bill Quay, UK

AGNETHA RECORDS AT ATLANTIS

According to a post on www.abbasite.com, the new Agnetha record has been recorded at Atlantis Grammofon situated in Karlbergsvägen in Stockholm. Also, according to this post, Agnetha has been spotted around these quarters.

Here is a picture of where the studio is located: http://www.atlantisgramm.se/karta.gif

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

AGNETHA IN EXPRESSEN: FULL TRANSLATION

ABBA-Agnetha makes new record

The shyest of all abbas is back in the spotlight.

But Agnetha Fältskog's comeback after 17 years in exile from the pop world will surprise the fans.

The secret making is huge around the release but we can reveal that "My colouring book" is a real adult record with old earrings from the old days in mature orchestra arrangements.

The title melody was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb who wrote "New York! New York" and musicals like "Cabaret", "Chicago" and "Zorba". And the first single is Cilla Black's "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" that will be premiered on radio somewhere in the middle of March. Later this spring the full-length CD will arrive.

Almost ready

- The record is almost ready and just some polishing is all what is left, says a person at the record company.

- It will be released all over the world and has already got great attention in USA. Now this week we will discuss in what ways Agnetha herself will be participating in the release.

Big band playing

All material on the CD is, according to Expressen's sources, material from abroad and is performed in English by a big band under the conductor Anders Neglin's leading. The music is to be seen as a reaction to the disco pop on the latest record "I Stand Alone" from 1987.

- It's about Agnetha Fältskog's own favourites.

Yesterday they had discussions for hours at Warner Music in Stockholm to determine the song order.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

AGNETHA MAKES MAIN BBC NEWS PAGE

Abba singer signs new record deal
Abba singer Agnetha Faeltskog has signed a new record deal that will lead to her first album in 17 years.
Warner Scandinavia said it would be releasing the 53-year-old singer's album My Colouring Book around the world in the spring.

It described the album as an acoustic record featuring an orchestra and band leader Anders Neglin.

Faeltskog was one of the founder members of Swedish group Abba, who sold millions of albums in 70s and 80s.

Faeltskog has led a reclusive life since releasing the 1987 album I Stand Alone. She lives on a secluded island outside of Stockholm.

Eurovision winners

Work on the new album began three years ago, but work came to a halt when sound engineer Michael Tretow suffered a stroke.

The first single from the album will be the song If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind, which was composed by John Cameron.

Abba - Faeltskog, Annifrid Lyngstad, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson - sprang to fame in 1974 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with their first hit single Waterloo.

They had nine UK number ones between 1974 and 1982.

The group sold more than 350 million albums around the world, including many millions after they split in the early 1980s.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/entertainment/music/3438077.stm

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cliff Docherty, London, UK

Elva Kvinnor on CD

I have been informed by a reliable source that Sony Music Sweden have found the master tapes for Agnetha's 1975 "Elva kvinnor i ett hus" album and are considering it for release by the end of this year. This is fantastic news and long overdue. Let's hope we can also get "Som jag är" and "När en vacker tänke blir en sång" on CD.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham from Sydney, Australia.

SVT IN SECRET DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AGNETHA PERFORMING DURING MELODIFESTIVALEN

An article from Aftonbladet:

SVT IN SECRET DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A PERFORMANCE DURING THE MELODIFESTIVAL

Agnetha Fältskog, 53, is discussing a comeback in Melodifestivalen - 30 years after ABBA's victory with "Waterloo".

The sensitive discussions are extremely secret and SVT are being absolutely quiet.

- Can we skip that question, says project leader Thomas Hall.

Already four years ago, Aftonbladet revealed that Agnetha Fältskog was planning a comeback as a recording artist. The news spread like wild fire all over the world and one of the world's biggest - and shyest - superstars was in the spotlight once again..

Yesterday the record company Warner Music informed the press that they've signed a record contract with Agnetha Fältskog. The album is to be released this year, but the date isn't yet confirmed.

- We hope to be able to release the 'release date' over the coming days.

Her schedule of performances is supposed to be finalised over the coming weeks, says Helen Wigren at Warner.

Might become a guest artist

The offers are flooding in from all world - and also from SVT. For a while now, there have been discussions about the ABBA-star performing as a guest artist in Melodifestivalen's final part of the competition - 'The second chance' on the 14th of March where the thirds and fourth placegetters from the first four semifinals will be competing for the final places
in the final.

The thought is that Agnetha Fältskog will perform a song that won't compete - 30 years after the ABBA-victory in Brighton in 1974.

No reunion

The final part of the competition already has an ABBA-connection as it will take place at the Hotel Rival in Stockholm that among others is owned by Benny Andersson.

An ABBA reunion is denied by SVT however.

Don't want to answer

But Thomas Hall, the project leader for Melodifestivalen, doesn't want to deny or confirm whether discussions have been made with Agnetha Fältskog.

- Can we skip that question? he asks.

The discussions are very secret. Not even Agnetha's advisor Staffan Lindé knows anything about it.

- I don't know about that, he says.

The secrecy around the comeback is important. All involved fear that publicity would make the world star pull out - and no one would like that.

Might be pre-recorded

SVT is said to be willing if Agnetha says yes. A likely scenario would be that her performance is recorded in advance and broadcast during the live broadcast.

Special thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson from Stockholm, Sweden for the translation.

AGNETHA FOR MELODIFESTIVALEN!

I am so rusty but basically Aftonbladet is saying that secret negotiations are underway for a guest performance on the final Melodifestivalen show on 14 March. Not as a contestant but probably the intermission entertainment.

There is a lot of padding in the article repeating stuff we already know about the album.

It looks like they did contact Warner and a spokesperson said that a release date for the album should be known over the next few days.

Staffan Lindé has said that he knows nothing of any plans to appear on Melodifestivalen.

Aftonbladet speculate that it will be a pre-recorded performance.

I don't have time to do a full translation but I believe the above to be the important points. Bear in mind that Aftonbladet is a tabloid newspaper but it could be true. Obviously Agnetha will make some TV appearances to promote her album so why not Melodifestivalen.

The most exciting news is that a release date is imminent (if that bit is true).

Thanks to ABBAMAILerS Grant Whittingham from Sydney, Australia and Mary Lee from Philadelphia, USA.

AGNETHA PRESS RELEASE FROM WARNERMUSIC.SE

Press release

Warner Music Scandinavia Signs Agnetha Fältskog Former ABBA member to Release My Colouring BookAlbum in Spring 2004

Jonas Siljemark, President of Warner Music Scandinavia, announced today that the company has signed a worldwide recording agreement with Agnetha Fältskog for the release of her first recorded material in 17 years.

Warner Music is overjoyed to work with an artist of the stature of Agnetha," Siljemark said. Thanks to Warner Musics Bo Frölander we have a successful history with Agnetha and look forward to tremendous success with this much-anticipated comeback project.

It is the Swedish superstars first album since the 1987 Warner Music release I Stand Alone.That album was produced by former Chicago front man Peter Cetera.

The album an acoustic set featuring a complete orchestra is co-produced by Agnetha with pianist and bandleader Anders Neglin and drummer/producer Dan Strömkvist.

The lead single from the album is If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind, a song composed by John Cameron.

Agnetha Fältskogs new album comes at a time when the Mamma Mia!musical continues to expand its phenomenal march around the world and the 30th anniversary of ABBA's Eurovision Song Contest victory with Waterloo.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

LINK TO BJÖRN PIC IN KOREA

Click the website link to see a pic of Björn meeting some Korean ABBA fans.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter, London, UK

MORE BJÖRN IN KOREA / MAMMA MIA! IN KOREA

From The Chosen Ilbo:

http://tinyurl.com/3c5co

'No Musical Can Surpass Mamma Mia!'

Bjorn Ulvaeus, 58, formerly of the now-disbanded Swedish disco group, “ABBA,” visited Korea for the first time for the Korean production of the musical “Mamma Mia!” Ulvaeus, who together with fellow ABBA member Benny Andersson wrote the music and lyrics for all of the group’s songs, was directly involved in the song selection for “Mamma Mia!”

Starting Sunday, the musical will be performed on the stage of the Seoul Arts Centre’s Opera House. The hit show uses 22 ABBA songs; since its opening in April 1999 in London’s Prince Edward Theater, the show has grossed over US$500 million in profits.

The musical tells the story of a young girl who was raised by her unwed mother. Soon to be married, the daughter learns through her mother’s old diary of three men who could be her father and invites them to her wedding, causing quite a commotion.

We asked Ulvaeus some questions.

How did you get involved in the making of “Mamma Mia!?”

Co-producer Judy Craymer said she wanted to make a musical using our music, and I thought I had some good ideas for the show. Actually, ever since ABBA, I’ve liked doing show-like performances. From that perspective, it seems natural that I became interested in musicals.

All the musical’s songs are by ABBA. Is there a special reason why ABBA’s songs are suitable for musicals?

Our songs were, at first, only simple love songs, but as time went on, they progressed into songs about mature, complicated human relationships and emotions. In the end, it seemed as if the music was telling a story, and I think dramatist Catherine Johnson did a fine job discovering hidden aspects within all our songs and arranging those songs in a proper way that matches the story. So in the beginning of the musical, there are a lot of songs for Sophie [the daughter character] from the group’s earlier period, but as the story progresses, it uses more of our later work.

So in the case of “Mamma Mia!” it seems that the songs were there first, and the script came later. Are you satisfied with the way in which your songs are used?

We’re extremely satisfied. This is precisely why I think “Mamma Mia!” is so exciting. When I first gave Catherine Johnson 95 ABBA songs to work with, I didn’t expect results of this kind. This musical, when you look at it as a challenge and being experimental, is quite different from other works. Actually, when I wrote the music for “Knowing Me Knowing You” twenty-five years ago, I couldn’t even imagine that it could be used in a way to explain to my own daughter about divorce.

When you look at the way in which the song is used, however, I think that no other song could possibly describe the situation as perfectly. To that extent, the script and songs match harmoniously.

In what way were you involved in producing the musical?

I was mostly involved in maintaining the quality of the music and sound. I also discussed the story with the dramatist, so that we didn’t have to change the words of the songs or the quality of the music. Because of this, with the exception of changing female keys to male keys, we were able to complete the musical without changing the music or the words of the songs. In addition, since we never wrote the music down as a score during our ABBA years, I also had to work on the orchestral score.

During this production, the English lyrics have been translated into a foreign language. What are your feelings about this?

This first foreign language production of this was a German one, and it was very successful. Since then, I’ve had no problems with translating the show into a foreign language. At first, since the words and the music were one, I thought that only if they are kept together is the emotion conveyed, by I was awaked to the fact that you could perform this show in Spanish, Russian, or Korean and it would convey the same feelings.

Since “Mamma Mia!” there has been a popular trend of making musicals using existing hit songs. What’s your view on this?

I know that it’s a recent trend to make musicals with songs from singers like Rod Stewart, Boy George, and others. But these are nothing but poor seconds. Among these, it seems none will be able to surpass “Mamma Mia!”


What do you think is the attraction that only “Mamma Mia!” possesses?

More than anything, this is a musical for the whole family. In particular, it’s a musical for women.

From production to acting and the story, the role of women has been huge. I think this point has greatly appealed to female theater-goers. In Scandinavia, especially, the idea of gender equality is universally-held traditionally. I think that “Mamma Mia!” expresses the theme [of gender equality] very well.

(Yonhap, translation by Digital Chosun Ilbo)

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dominic 'Ice' Wallis London, UK

MORE ON BJÖRN / MAMMA MIA! IN KOREA

Two articles on Björn and Korean Mamma Mia!

From the Korea Herald (with a different picture of the hairy growth!)

http://tinyurl.com/2awxc

ABBA front-man 'amazed' at 'Mamma Mia!' success Composer Bjorn Ulvaeus, former songwriter and guitarist for the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA, arrived in Seoul Saturday in time for the local opening of the musical "Mamma Mia!," which started its three-month run yesterday at the Seoul Arts Center, apparently thrilled by the rapturous public attention surrounding the show's domestic staging.

"I am looking so much forward to Sunday's opening," said the 58-year-old musician, who created the show with former ABBA band-mate Benny Andersson and British producer Judy Craymer, at an interview held Saturday at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Seoul.

"It's so amazing what's happening now and I never imagined any of this thirty years ago when ABBA debuted with 'Waterloo.' Why does this music penetrate to the world after all these years? You tell me."

Since its premiere in London in 1999, 'Mamma Mia!' - a lighthearted mother-and-daughter relationship story built around 22 past songs from ABBA - eventually became one of the major attractions in the theatrical world, garnering over 10 million in audience and $750 million in earnings through performances in Europe, North America, Japan and other countries. Korea is the ninth country to stage the musical.

The domestic version is an 8 billion won ($6 million) joint project of the Seoul Arts Centre and showbiz investors A-Com International and the Musical Company Seensee, with the London-based creative team and the Korean cast, led by actresses Park Hae-mi and Bae Hae-sun, facing the pressure of extending the show's international success to Seoul.

"Mamma Mia!" is not the first theatrical work the Swedish songwriters have worked on. Ulvaeus and Andersson had been toying with the idea of writing musicals since the later days of ABBA, making their theatrical debut in 1986 with "Chess" in London, which garnered worldwide acclaim. Their second work "Kristina Fran Duvelma" (1995) played for over three years in Sweden.

"Towards our ending years with ABBA, Benny and I eventually came to a point of saying 'Oh, god. Not again.' The energy was running out and the creativity was on a downfall. We left recording and completely devoted ourselves to theater," said Ulvaeus.

"Writing musicals is a fascinating experience. To compose music with a story to build around and to enhance its dramatic effects is certainly more of a challenge to me than recording pop songs."

According to Ulvaeus, the idea to create a theatrical production featuring ABBA's music came from Craymer - first working with the Ulvaeus-Andersson duo as the executive director of "Chess" - who originally suggested making a television series loosely based on the band's songs. Materializing the concept was a daunting task, with finding and dramatizing a convincing enough storyline to carry off the self-sufficient lyrics a considerable challenge that Ulvaeus had never faced before.

"Dramatizing our own songs were both an experiment and challenge, with the pressure for success being enormous. I was prepared to call it off anytime," recalls Ulvaeus.

"I had no idea how the audience would react at the London premiere. It was a relief to see the people leaving the theater with smiles on their faces."

Ulvaeus seems completely devoted to promoting "Mamma Mia" at least for the moment, although he passively hinted at his intentions of making the musical into a movie sometime in the future. He has no significant plans to work on another musical for the time being.

"Benny and I have been writing musicals for some years and we need a story that could excite us. If not, we don't bother," he says.

Ulvaeus fails to completely hide the slight sense of disgust on his face after being asked the question he seemingly hears every time. Is there a chance of a possible ABBA reunion, with its presence continuing to inspire music lovers around the world two decades after their last gig?

"No, No, No... I would never go down that route. It could be a pathetic move," said Ulvaeus, although he admitted to have been offered a multi-million dollar deal for a possible reunion of the band.

"ABBA is so much better off with the integrity that they currently have."

By Kim Tong-hyung



And from Hanooki.com

http://tinyurl.com/3ymbj

ABBA Member Visits Seoul for Musical Premier By Han Eun-jung

Bjorn Ulvaeus of the legendary Swedish pop group ABBA is in Seoul for the local premier of the ABBA inspired musical ``Mamma Mia.''

``Surprise does not even start to describe how I feel about Mamma Mia getting the attention it is getting. Amazed would be the word,'' an excited Ulvaeus gushed in an interview with The Korea Times last Saturday.

``Musicals were something that I knew I needed at a time when I felt energy was running short and simply didn't have the creativity I possessed when writing, singing, and producing ABBA songs,'' Ulvaeus said. The challenge of dramatizing ABBA's music, the music responsible for ``ABBA fever'' in the `70s, worried Ulvaeus so much that he was tempted to call off the entire project from time to time but it was an experiment and challenge that he was willing to take on.

If it were not for the good story there would not have been ``Mamma Mia.'' Ulvaeus explained that women was a subject that he had been writing about and fascinated him for so long, so when writer suggested Catherine Johnson suggested the theme of mother and daughter and maturing, it seemed just right. ``The drama well expresses ABBA so I have to say I am pleased, very pleased with the outcome,'' Ulvaeus said.

```Mamma Mia’ is a happy, positive, and uplifting musical that I feel ranks up with `Grease.’ It has a strong story and when the time is right I definitely hope to see it move onto the big screen,'' he added.

Ulvaeus was clearly looking forward to the Sunday night premier. The thought of how South Korean audiences would accept it and listening to ABBA's songs in Korean excited him. Ulvaeus felt that there was little to worry about the translations of songs for he trusted those in charge and stressed that the dramatic elements were strong enough to prevail over the language and cultural barriers.

Having arrived last Friday, a day later than scheduled, and watched the curtains go up for the Seoul run on Sunday night, Ulvaeus said he would be leaving Monday hopefully having seen ``a little more of this incredible city than from my hotel room window.''

Thanks ABBAMAILer Dominic 'Ice' Wallis London, UK

BJÖRN TO SING AGAIN?

Björn Ulvaeus who today watches the première of "Mamma Mia!" in south Korea. "Mamma Mia!" is now the world's most played muscial.

-How do you explain the success?

- I don't get it! I wrote the music 20-30 years ago and whereever you go in the world the people recognises one and you get to write autographs. Even in customs as soon as you've landed. It's still Ikea and ABBA whereever you go. Isn't that strange?

- Just in London Mamma Mia! has been played 2000 times and made 1.3 million. You do get a percentage of that?

- Of course, do you think I'm stupid?

- How many times have you seen Mamma Mia!?

- First 50 times in London before the première, plus another hundred I guess.

- Why, it's the same thing everywhere?

- Yes, but I'm still curious. And then I get to go up on the stage and bow afterwards wherever I see it.

- Rumour has it that your old group "Hootenanny Singers" is going to perform at Västerviksfestivalen this summer.
Will you participate?

- Of course! It would be fun, becuase I've not sung in public since 1968 (sic!).

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden (and Paul Carter in London)

MAMMA MIA! IN STUTTGART

Tthis was mentioned on fan site Intermezzo's news page:

The second German Mamma Mia! Premiere in Stuttgart will be on July 18 at 5:00 PM. It will be for special guests only. A pre-premiere for the press takes place on July 17 at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the public are on sale for shows starting with July 27.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter London, UK

BJÖRN IN KOREA

The article about Korea is interesting not for the text, but because it features a photograph of Bjorn with a considerable amount of grey in his beard.

MEET the Memorable ABBA through a Musical

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=130000&biid=2004012586788

There is an international boom to create a musical with songs that have been already published. But nothing can be comparable to ‘Mamma Mia!' ”

Bjorn Ulvaeus, age 59 and former member of ABBA, the legendary group of international fame from the early 1970s until the early 1980s, came to Korea on January 23. He is visiting Seoul to help the musical “Mama Mia” appear on stage starting January 25. His confidence in the musical’s success was evident in a press conference on January 24.

“I felt interested when a producer suggested to make a story out of ABBA songs and create a musical because it was totally opposite to the typical way that songs were created, according to a storyline for the musical.”

ABBA, a four-member group from Sweden, produced its first hit “Waterloo” in 1974 and many other hits including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Chiquitita.” When the group broke up in 1982, it also broke many of their fans’ hearts. Ulvaeus, who had composed and written most of the ABBA songs with Benny Andersson, has worked on the music portion of the musical since its first performance in London in April 1999.

The musical Mamma Mia! picks its theme from 22 of the 95 ABBA songs and portrays a woman who invites her three possible fathers to her wedding. The musical has appeared on stage internationally in England, the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Australia and received with great popularity.

“I first saw Mamma Mia! in another language other than English in Germany, and it was really good.” He added with expectation for the Korean version, “I’m confident that the ABBA songs can be popular even when it is in a foreign language.”

Thanks to ABBAMAILer James O'Brien, Sydney, Australia

THE PETER AND PERNILLA SHOW

On 25 March 2004, Peter Jöback will be appearing in concert with Pernilla Wahlgren, singing schlager songs from over the years including songs from Jules Sylvain, Kaj Gullmar, Tore Ehrling and (our favourite) ABBA. The concert will be held in Sandviken and appears to be a one-off.

Not sure what ABBA songs would be sung but given the schlager and (presumably) Melodifestivalen focus, probably Ring Ring and/or Waterloo - Swedish versions naturally. At a stretch, Bang-A-Boomerang since that is linked to Melodifestivalen/Eurovision in Sweden.

http://www.symfoniorkester.com/ has ticket information but you will need to be able to read Swedish. It doesn't appear that you can book online.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham Sydney, Australia
http://www.joback.nu

AGNETHA MAKES INTERNET MOVIE DATA BASE!

From the Internet Movie Database news

ABBA Recluse Returns After 17 Years

Reclusive former ABBA star Agnetha Faltskog has fueled rumors the 70s supergroup are on the verge of reforming after signing up to record her first album in 17 years. The Swedish singer has signed a worldwide deal with Warner Music Scandinavia and has returned to the studio to record an album of cover songs. Tracks on the album include Cilla Black's "If I Thought You'd Change Your Mind" and songs recorded by Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield. The album, My Colouring Book, will be released later this year, but the new activity has prompted Abba fans to hope that she'll consider teaming up with her ex- bandmates and former husband Bjorn Ulvaeus for a string of concerts to mark the 30th anniversary of the pop group's Eurovision Song Contest success in 1976.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Tretn Nickson, Sydney, Australia

MAMMA MIA! THIRD YEAR ON BROADWAY

This review was recently in the New York Times and was also posted at www.mamma-mia.com

New York Times 15 January

The splendid "Mamma Mia!" still has them dancing in the aisles in its third year on Broadway!

That's not the half of it: Virtually the whole resplendent cast of this marvellously effervescent musical is new, and yet it continues to champagne-pop. What's all the more surprising is that, first in London's West End and then on Broadway, "Mamma Mia!" was a totally unexpected hit.

Few would have guessed this wander down memory lane through a hit parade of 22 oldies from the Swedish pop group, ABBA, could possess this kind of punch. It became a show that many of the more high-minded critics hated to love - but love it most of them did.

Admittedly, much of the charm of "Mamma Mia!" depends on nostalgia, a ticket back to the '70s provided by music that audiences go into the theater humming. Yet it is not the score alone that is the show's ticket to ride. The songs are wondrously and seamlessly enfolded into a book musical by playwright Catherine Johnson. The story Johnson hung upon these cheerful ABBA pegs is similar to the 1968 Sophia Loren movie "Buena Sera, Mrs. Campbell," in which a single mother, having had a hectic month of romance nearly two decades earlier, now finds herself with a 20-year-old daughter who has not one but three possible fathers.

As the daughter prepares to wed on the Greek island where her mother runs the local taverna, the bride (having learned of the putative fathers from her mother's ill-guarded diary) invites all three to the wedding.

The show is still in pristine shape, in some ways better than the Broadway original. The biggest improvements are the arrival of Dee Hoty, a Broadway veteran, and Jenny Fellner, a newcomer, in the lead roles of mother and daughter. Hoty's resilient tough love and Fellner's ingenuous brightness make a fine foil for one another. The rest of the cast lives up to Phyllida Lloyd's brilliant staging.

This is happily still one of the great feel-good musicals on Broadway.

By Clive Barnes

Thanks to Fan of the Year, ABBAMAILer Paul Carter in London, UK

Agnetha in Se&Hör / Mamma Mia in Metro

From Raffem.com:

Mamma Mia is looking for stars

Looking for: one mother, one daughter and three possible fathers. It starts now: hunting for artists to the Swedish version of Mamma Mia!

More than one year is remaining to the premiere of Swedish Mamma Mia at Cirkus in Stockholm but it's still unclear which artists are going to perform in Benny and Björn's musical. No stars have received contracts so far.

- All characters will be chosen from auditions, says Görel Hanser, ABBA's "right hand" and boss for Briggen Teaterproduktion.

The auditions will be held in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm in March.

Mamma Mia is a musical based on well-known hits of ABBA. It's about Sophie who decides to find out who her father is before she get married. She invites three of her mother's old boyfriends to her wedding. Sophie's mother owns a little hotel on a Greek island. But the story line will be probably re-written and all will be moved to Sweden in the translation of Peter Dalle. Niklas Strömstedt is working with translation of the lyrics.

Premiere 2005

An English and a Swedish team are standing behind the Stockholm project which will be performed in Swedish. Marianne Mörck who directed among others the musical "Allt eller inget" (All or nothing) in Stockholm and Malmö is going to assist the English director Paul Garrington. The premiere of Mamma Mia took place in London in 1999 and now the musical is being played on ten spots all over the world - London, New York, Las Vegas, two touring versions in USA, Toronto, Australia, Japan, Germany and Holland. The Swedish premiere is planned for February 2005.

---

There's some Agnetha-stuff in Swedish gossip magazine Se&Hör. Nothing new, just about the new album and about Gert. Some pictures, and old facts.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

AGNETHA SONGWRITER HAPPY

There's been some confusion on some websites/mailing lists (not ABBAMAIL) about the composer of "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind". The composer is John Cameron, while "My Colouring Book" was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb.

I've been in contact with John Cameron who wrote the lead single from Agnetha's album, and he had hitherto been unaware that Agnetha has recorded the song. This was his response to the news:

'Thanks for letting me know about Agnetha Fältskog's new single. I've been buried in Film & Theatre music for some time now, with the odd "cross-over" recording for artists such as Jose Carreras, so this came totally out of left field. I'm absolutely delighted, I'm sure she'll record an amazing version of the song, and I can't wait to hear it!'

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Paul Carter London, UK

AGNETHA STORY IN DANISH NEWSPAPER

Agnetha article brought in yesterdays Danish newspaper "BT":

AGNETHA WITH NEW ALBUM

Now there's great news for all ABBA fans - Agnetha finally releases her long awaited album.

The Garbo of pop she has been called - the ABBA girl Agnetha Fältskog.

The shy Agnetha has lived a withdrawn life in a wealthy suburb of Stockholm and has hated the press and media ever since ABBA broke up at the beginning of the 80's.

Her latest album was released 17 years ago, in 1987, and was called "I Stand Alone".

According to Billboard, Agnetha's new album "My Colouring Book" will be released in second quarter this year - which means between 1 April and 1 July on the Warner label. First single, "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind", was originally recorded by Cilla Black. The title song, "My Colouring Book", has previously been recorded by such prominent artists like Barbra Streisand, Brenda Lee and Dusty Springfield.

A FEW NEW SONGS

It is reported the album mainly consist of cover versions, which through the years have inspired the youngest member of ABBA. But Agnetha has always been glad and pleased to both produce and write songs, so she is co-producer and has written some new songs for "My Colouring Book".

Also Frida makes herself felt. She should have recorded a record with three new songs, which are being sold through ABBA's German Fan Club.

ABBA can this year celebrate it is 30 years ago they won the Eurovision Song Contest with "Waterloo". At the same time the musical "Mamma Mia!" is going from strength to strength around the world. 10 productions present this musical and this year 3 more will see the light of day.

Written by Frodi Holm Knudsen Translated into English by Jan Bach

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Jan Bach, Copenhagen, Denmark

Agnetha on Ananova.com

Abba's Agnetha announces new single

Former Abba singer Agnetha Fältskog is to release a version of minor Cilla Black hit If I Ever Thought You'd Change Your Mind as her first new single in nearly two decades.

She recorded the song, which Cilla took to No. 20 in the UK chart in 1969, for her first album in 17 years, reports Billboard.

The album of covers will be released by Warner Music Scandinavia in the Spring.

There are no other details of any of the other tracks on the album which is called My Colouring Book, according to Warner's webpage.

Fältskog recorded 22 songs for the album although the final CD will contain only 14 or 15, according to reports in Sweden.

Agnetha released her last album, I Stand Alone, in 1987. This April marks the 30th anniversary of Abba's win with Waterloo in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Story filed: 09:55 Thursday 22nd January 2004 http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_858232.html

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Sarah Marchant, Kent, UK

MORE DETAILS ON SONG FOR NEW AGNETHA SINGLE

Agnetha's new single will be "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind". A beautiful song and it should be interesting to hear how Agnetha handles it.

"If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind" was a single for Cilla Black. It was released in November 1969 and reached number 20 on the UK charts. Not Cilla's biggest hit but still respectable. Good to see that Agnetha is not just picking obvious songs. She must be picking songs that really mean something to her.

If you want to hear a 35 second clip of Cilla's version, you will need Real Player: http://www.cillablack.com/iityecym.ram

Here are the lyrics:

IF I THOUGHT YOU'D EVER CHANGE YOUR MIND (John Cameron)

I will bring you flowers in the morning Wild roses as the sun begins to shine Sweet perfume in tiny jewelled caskets If I thought you'd ever change your mind

I would take you where the music's sweetest Feed you winter fruits and summer wines Show you things you've only read in story books If I thought you'd ever change your mind

I will bring you happiness Wrapped up in a box and tied with a yellow bow I will bring you summer rain And rainbow skies to make your garden grow And in the winter snow My songs will keep you from the cold

But what use of flowers in the morning When the garden they should grow in is not mine And what use is sunshine if I'm crying And my falling tears are mingled with the wine

I will bring you happiness Wrapped up in a box and tied with a yellow bow I will bring you rainbow skies And summer rain to make your garden grow And in the winter snow My songs will keep you from the cold

I will bring you flowers in the morning Wild roses when the sun begins to shine Winter fruits and summer wine Sweet perfume and columbine If I thought you'd ever change your mind If I thought you'd ever change your mind

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham Sydney, Australia

NEW AGNETHA SINGLE TITLE!!!

From Billboard:

ABBA's Agnetha Fältskog Inks Record Deal

With the "Mamma Mia!" musical going strong in 10 worldwide productions (three more will premiere this year) and the impending 30th anniversary of ABBA's Eurovision Song Contest victory, group member Agnetha Fältskog has signed a worldwide deal with Warner Music Scandinavia for her first album in 17 years.

The news that Fältskog had returned to the studio to record an album of cover songs sparked intense courting by several interested record companies. WMS president Jonas Siljemark says the album, titled "My Colouring Book," will be released in the second quarter of 2004, preceded by a single. WMS has distributed Fältskog's recordings since she left the ABBA camp.

"It is a thrill that we at Warner Music will work with an artist as fantastic as Agnetha," Siljemark said. "We are pleased that she will continue her relationship with Warner as Bo Frolander, our Scandinavian marketing director who was instrumental in securing the deal, was involved in her last album, [1987's] 'I Stand Alone'."

Fältskog has co-produced the upcoming set with Anders Neglin and Dan Stromkvist. The first single, "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind," was originally recorded by Cilla Black. The title cut was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb and has been recorded by artists such as Brenda Lee, Sandy Stewart, Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield.

Written by Jeffrey de Hart

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cathy Olds, Newcastle, Australia

AGNETHA IN MUSIKINDUSTRIN

Article in MI. Thanks to Carl Magnus Palm for pointing it out.

http://www.musikindustrin.nu/mi/smpage.fwx?page=198&NYHETER=3991

After many and lengthy negotiations with a string of interested record companies, Warner Music has finally won the battle to release Agnetha Fältskog's new album. Last autumn, the news broke that the former ABBA member was in the studio and recording new material together with Anders Neglin and Dan Strömkvist. Since then the tug of war has been going on and Warner Music will now release the album this spring.

- I am of course very happy and overjoyed that we at Warner Music will get to work with Agnetha and her forthcoming album. The company has had a long relationship with Agnetha, not least through Bo Frölander. Just like my Warner colleagues from around the world, I think this is fantastic news, says Warner Music Scandinavia's CEO Jonas Siljemark, who is now confirming the collaboration.

Right now the finishing touches are being made in the studio and the planning for the release is underway at Warner Music.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting point that the record company guy is saying that Warner Music bods around the world are excited about the news. Maybe it will be released internationally after all.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Grant Whittingham Sydney, Australia

B & B DON'T OWN "CHESS" NAME

This according to an article in Norrländska Socialdemokraten.

There are lots of companies who use the name 'Chess', and as far as PRV (the authority department that holds the rights for names and innovations) can see, Björn and Benny have never registered the name - so it's very doubtful that this would be enough in a trial.

Another article on the company that Björn and Benny are in dispute with over the name (Mobil.se) says that Chess will put the company on ice until they've had discussions with the 'ABBA-people'. It's mainly the logotype Björn and Benny have reacted to. A person at the company says:

- We've had this name since 1999, and we haven't received any complaints about it until now.

For those of you who are intrested in what the mobile company's logo-type looks like, here is the address: http://www.chess.se

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

AGNETHA TO HAVE OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Agnetha will have her own official website and the address will be http://www.agnetha.se

According to the domain records the name is registered to Agnetha Fältskog Produktion AB and Staffan Lindé (Agnetha's representative).

Interestingly, the former Agnetha site that called itself "official" (which was run by an American fan) has now dropped the word "official" from its site and is now to be known as agnetha.net

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden (and ABBAMAIL's Ian Cole in Sydney, Australia)

YOU OWE ME ONE COVER?

RUMOUR DEPARTMENT:

The British pop group "Girls Aloud" is rumoured to be releasing ABBA's "You Owe Me One" during the UK/European summer as a single.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Chris Williams, UK

CHARTS 2004 - WEEK 2

USA: ABBA GOLD is at #22 on the pop catalogue chart.
Germany: ABBA GOLD re-enters at #65, week 102.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Dean Scapolo Newlands, Wellington, New Zealand

NY POST ON-LINE SAYS: 'MAMMA' BEARS UP WELL WITH NEW CAST

'MAMMA' BEARS UP WELL WITH NEW CAST

By CLIVE BARNES

Broadway veteran Dee Hoty stars in "Mamma Mia!"

January 16, 2004 -- THE splendid "Mamma Mia!" still has them dancing in the aisles in its third year on Broadway, even with a new Mamma. That's not the half of it: Virtually the whole resplendent cast of this marvellously effervescent musical is new, and yet it continues to champagne-pop.

What's all the more surprising is that, first in London's West End and then on Broadway, "Mamma Mia!" was a totally unexpected hit.

Few would have guessed this wander down memory lane through a hit parade of 22 oldies from the alphabetically challenged Swedish pop group, ABBA, could possess this kind of punch.

It became a show that many of the more high-minded critics hated to love - but love it most of them did.

Admittedly, much of the pungent charm of "Mamma Mia!" depends on nostalgia, a ticket back to the '70s provided by music that audiences go into the theater humming.

Yet it is not the score alone that is the show's ticket to ride. The songs - some well-loved, others only half-remembered - are wondrously and seamlessly enfolded into a book musical by playwright Catherine Johnson.

The story Johnson hung upon these cheerful ABBA pegs is similar to the 1968 Sophia Loren movie "Buena Sera, Mrs. Campbell," in which a single mother, having had a hectic month of romance nearly two decades earlier, now finds herself with an 18-year-old daughter who has not one but three possible fathers.

As the daughter prepares to wed on the Greek island where her mother runs the local taverna, the bride (having learned of the putative fathers from her mother's ill-guarded diary) invites all three to the wedding. Ah, the days before DNA testing.

The show is still in pristine shape, in some ways better, in one or two instances worse, than the Broadway original.

The biggest improvements are the arrival of Dee Hoty, a Broadway veteran, and Jenny Fellner, a newcomer, in the lead roles of mother and daughter.

Hoty's resilient tough love and Fellner's ingenuous brightness make a fine foil for one another. The rest of the cast lives up to Phyllida Lloyd's brilliant staging - although I do miss Judy Kaye as one of Mamma's best friends.

This is happily still one of the great feel-good musicals on Broadway, especially if you're subject to an unexpected nostalgia for those old ABBA songs.

MAMMA MIA

At the Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway; (212) 239-6200.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Monique Hoevens Tilburg, The Netherlands

FRIDA TRACKS ON DAN'S ALBUM

Dan Daniell has released a new album 'Liebe ist', which includes the two songs with Frida. It also features the same cover style as the 'Lieber gott' single and can be seen at www.dandaniell.ch

Here is the track listing:

Un Amie... I Have a Dream Benedictus Männertreu Geblendet vom Licht Babylon Vater Unser Meine Seele brennt Lieber Gott Bye Bye Matterhorn

Thanks to ABBAMAIL Fan of the Year Paul Carter London, UK

AGNETHA MENTIONED IN WASHINGTON GAY MAG

THE FIRST ‘A’ IN ABBA... There are still queens out there who play ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits at every gathering at their house, or who unabashedly blast “Dancing Queen” from their car stereo. But even those with a more temperate interest in the sunny Euro-candy music of ABBA may be in for a treat next year. Agnetha Fältskog, the blonde of the quartet, is putting the finishing touches on her first album in sixteen years. Due in March -- at least in Europe, since an American label deal has yet to be confirmed -- with a first single planned for release in January, the album will be comprised of English-language covers of pop standards that inspired Fältskog. Obviously, the jury’s out as to how much it will sound like ABBA of yore, especially since it's reported to be a collection of fifteen acoustic tracks recorded with a full orchestra. No other ABBA member is involved in the album...

From Washington Gay Magazine Metro Weekly (on line edition)

Thanks to ABBAMAILer s Claes Davidsson and Jason Swan, USA

SWEDISH MAMMA MIA! AUDITIONS ANNOUNCED

Briggen Teaterproduktion/Cirkus has an ad in today's DN.

It says that auditions for the Swedish version of Mamma Mia! will be held in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm in March 2004. The last day to apply is 9th of February 2004, and information and to apply you go the the website at http://audition.briggenteater.se

The première for Mamma Mia! in Swedish at Cirkus in Stockholm is 12th of February 2005. The tickets will be released sometime in August 2004. And the rehearsals will start in December 2004.

The auditions take place in Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm 6 - 12 March 2004 with call back in Stockholm 19 - 20 april.

There is a press release on the page, but it says nothing interesting - it's just a text about the success of the other versions of Mamma Mia! and a short summary of the story.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

ABBA GOLD TV ADVERT ON LINE

Just looking at Universal Music Canada's site...

They have the very groovy ABBA GOLD TV advertisement that some British fans saw on TV when the DVD was released a few months ago.

Go to http://umusic.ca/dvd/poprock/index.php, click on Watch the trailer in the ABBA GOLD panel.

Unfortunately, it can be viewed on line but can't be saved.

Thanks to ABBAMAIL's Ian Cole, Sydney, Australia

AGNETHA IN PEOPLE ON-LINE

ABBA'S AGNETHA IS ON WAY BACK

ABBA legend Agnetha Fältskog is to bounce back in March with her first album for 17 years, The People can reveal.

"My Colouring Book" will feature 15 tracks recorded in English.

Agnetha, 53, who founded ABBA in the 1970s (pictured right) with fellow-Swedes Annifrid, Benny and Bjorn, had massive hits with Waterloo, Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen.

She withdrew from the limelight in 1987 but has been tempted back by record giant Warner Music.

A spokesman said: "We're thrilled to release this."

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Cliff Horrocks, UK

BJÖRN & BENNY vs "CHESS"

From Aftonbladet:

Not everything is black or white

Björn and Benny can soon start fighting for the rights for Chess.

A mobile operator with the same name as the musical is now being released on the Swedish market.

But the Norweigian mobile operator Chess is going to expand. This March the company is introduced on the Swedish market - but there might be a problem.

The name "Chess".

That's also the name of Björn Ulvaeus' and Benny Andersson's musical.

According to Telekom Online the composer's record company Mono Music is going to fight for the name.

- It's irritating that they can't come up with a name and logo of their own, says Carina Enberg at the record comapny to Telekom Online.

Björn and Benny will today decide if they'll go further legally.

Norweigian Chess MD Idar Vollvik is surprised by all the stir.

- I've heard rumours, but I hope it's just a joke, he says.

- The only thing we want is to deliver mobile services and we actually thought about meeting Björn and Benny to arrange a cooperation instead, says Idar Vollvik.

Sure there is a connection. When the mobile operator arranged a press meeting in Sweden they had music in the background.

"One Night In Bangkok". From the musical "Chess".

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

TITLE TRACK FOR AGNETHA'S NEW ALBUM

From Metro:

Agnetha honours with colour

"My Colouring Book", the title track of Agnetha's new album, is written by John Cander and Fred Ebb. The same people who wrote the musicals 'Chicago' and 'Cabaret.

The song has been recorded by Sandy Stewart, Brenda Lee, Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield. What version the ABBA-star liked most is yet a secret.

Thanks to ABBAMAILer Robin Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

CHESS views by influential Broadway critic Ken Mandelbaum

Just found this from the 8th of January - a critic's view of a Broadway revival of CHESS.

Q: Now that the amazing Actors Fund benefit concert of CHESS has come and gone, is there any word on a possible Broadway revival?---Doug McLaughlin

A: The Shubert Organization, which co-produced the show's '80s productions in London (where it ran three years) and New York (where it was a fast flop), has expressed considerable interest in bringing CHESS back to Broadway. And there continue to be revised stagings of CHESS around the world, recent new productions including a Danish tour and a Swedish premiere. A new Broadway version of CHESS seems to me a long shot for success, though, particularly now that serious European pop musicals have become even less welcome to local critics. It would require an extremely inventive staging to give CHESS a new