During the 1970s, the Swedish pop group ABBA became one of the most popular musical groups in the world. With phenomenal songs like “Waterloo,” “Dancing Queen,” and, of course, “MammaMia,” ABBA’s sound swept the world with its optimism, joyful lyrics and infectious beat. I first took notice of ABBA in 1975 when I was nine years old, sitting in my bedroom listening to the 7 inch 45 RPM of S.O.S. over and over! This was during a time when we had to sit by the radio and hope that the DJ mentioned the title of the song so that we could go to the store and buy the record for 50 cents! If you told me that there was going to be an ABBA musical and I would be collaborating with such a talented cast and crew, I would have thought you were absolutely out of your mind!
How did Abba come to be? It all started the year that I was born. In 1966, two Swedish pop stars, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, met, and later began to record together. On their second single, the backing vocals were sung by their fiancées, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, which was the first time the group sang together. In April, 1974, the group, now renamed ABBA (an acronym of the members’ names), entered the Eurovision Song Contest, a yearly variety presentation showcasing acts from all over Europe. The catchy lyrics and infectious sound of their song “Waterloo” charmed the judges and they won first prize. With this recognition, ABBA became the most popular and successful musical group of the 1970s. “Waterloo” rose to the top of the charts in Europe, and eventually hit the No. 6 spot on the Billboard Charts in the United States. Soon the entire world was listening to ABBA. Hit singles, sold-out concerts and platinum albums followed. Although ABBA stopped recording together in 1982, their songs are still popular. To date, ABBA has sold over 350 million recordings worldwide. ABBA's greatest hits album ’Gold' has overtaken The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' to become the UK's second biggest selling album of all time. (Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits album remains the UK’s biggest selling album of all-time.)
ABBA entered the world of musical theater when Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, along with lyricist Tim Rice (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Lion King) wrote their first musical, Chess. Chess proved to be a cult hit around the world, producing the hit singles,“One Night In Bangkok” and “I Know Him So Well.” It was Judy Craymer, the executive producer of Chess, who first recognized the inherent theatricality of ABBA’s pop songs. “The Winner Takes It All” suggested to her “the roller coaster of love and loss,” she said, “It was extraordinarily theatrical.” She slowly began to work on her idea, sitting on the floor of her apartment, she remembers, “listening to ABBA’s records late into the night.” MAMMA MIA! has gone on to become one of the most popular theater productions in history, having been seen by over 30 million people around the world. There are currently more productions
of MAMMA MIA! playing than any other musical. Each and every night, 17,000 people around the world see ABBA’s breathtaking music come to vivid life right in front of them, live on stage.
The cast and crew of the Norwood Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia is excited to bring ABBA’s music to life for you. I am personally excited to share my enjoyment of all things ABBA with a new generation and the members of the audience who remember hearing them for the very first time. ABBA sounds even better than ever with the many advances that have come along since Cassette tapes, 8 Tracks and record albums and even better with a live band in a theatrical setting under the direction of Matt Cunningham. Enjoy the show! Enjoy Cailin Dyke's choreography, which I believe to be some of the best work I have ever seen on stage! Thank you for allowing us to fulfill our innate need to perform for you and hopefully entertain you beyond your wildest imagination! Mamma Mia! Here we go again…
-Michael Hammond-
