ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus is opening a Mamma Mia! themed restaurant at the O2

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus is opening a Mamma Mia! themed restaurant at the O2
Dinner and a show: Mamma Mia! The Party in Stockholm, near the ABBA museum (Dewynters)
JONATHAN PRYNN


photo May 2018  - Chess


ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus has said “here we go again” to plans for a Mamma Mia! themed restaurant in London, after he ditched a failed bid to open it in Waterloo.

The Swedish songwriter and singer today revealed he intends to launch an immersive attraction — called Mamma Mia! The Party — at the O2 complex in Greenwich.

When it opens in “late spring” next year, up to 500 guests a night will dine on Mediterranean food in a mock Greek taverna while singers blast out ABBA songs around them and perform a “spin-off” story from the hit musical and movie Mamma Mia! At the end of the evening, tables will be cleared away to make way for a vast Seventies-style disco dance floor.

The announcement comes less than four months after the 73-year-old was forced to abandon his original plans to create the venue in Coin Street, close to the station that shares a name with one of ABBA’s biggest hits.

Residents had launched a spirited “No Thank You For The Music” campaign in opposition, claiming their lives would be blighted by rowdy ABBA fans emerging from the restaurant in the early hours.


Ulvaeus said today: “We have long admired the O2 and the huge entertainment success it has become under the ownership and management of AEG.

“We believe bringing Mamma Mia! The Party to the O2 will add to this already vibrant cultural destination and provide the perfect location for our exciting new show.”


John Langford, vice president and general manager of the O2, said: “To be hosting Mamma Mia! The Party at the O2 is a real honour. It perfectly complements the outstanding live performances, events and entertainment all available under our world-famous roof.”

The plan marks the latest commercial venture involving the music of ABBA, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. A sequel to the movie Mamma Mia! — Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again — opened last month and has taken roughly $350 million (£270 million) at the box office.

https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/restaurants/abba-restaurant-london-waterloo-the-o2-mamma-mia-a3923411.html

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Mamma Mia! the Party the immersive dining experience to open at the O2
The immersive theatrical dining experience is wending its way to London
AuthorDaisy Bowie-SellLocationsLondon30 August 2018

ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus has announced that his immersive version of Mamma Mia! is to open in London.

The 'theatrical and dining experience' originally launched in Stockholm and offers participants the chance to feel as though they are in a Greek taverna while Nikos and his family perform around them.

A specially-adapted venue within the O2 will host the event, with architects Steve Tompkins from Haworth Tompkins transforming the venue, complete with a fountain, olive trees and bougainvillea.

Ulvaeus originally decided to create the party when he saw so many people enjoying the musical. The Stockholm version opened in 2016 and is in its third year.

Ulvaeus is producing the party with Ingrid Sutej and tickets will go on sale this autumn. Mamma Mia! the Party is set to open in late spring 2019.

There were originally plans to open the immersive version on a space at the South Bank.

https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/mamma-mia-party-open-o2-immersive_47482.html
© Dewynters

Björn Ulvaeus takes you on a journey in his book You are who you meet.

Björn Ulvaeus takes you on a journey in his book You are who you meet.



https://www.instagram.com/p/BnCM2okHOlZ

Frida about holograms

Abba-Frida about the project
Abba has today recorded two new songs and worked hard on the project of four digitally produced "abbatar" in front of the group's hits. But the project has not really gone as planned according to the singer and the Abba member Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

"We are continuing our project so we'll see where it's carrying us somewhere. So far, maybe it has not become as we thought, we're working on it all, says Abba-Frida.

The star star also tells her what she likes about the new Abba songs that the band has recorded together.

Abba-Fridas mystiska ord om comebacken
Publicerad 19 aug 2018 kl 15.01


I våras offentliggjordes Abbas återförening – gruppen har spelat in två nya låtar och är aktuella med en avatar-turné.

Nu berättar Abba-medlemmen Anni-Frid Lyngstad att arbetet inte riktigt har gått som planerat.

– Det är ju spännande för att vi redan hunnit spela in två låtar som är väldigt bra, säger hon.


För 35 år sedan splittrades Abba. Men i våras berättade Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad och Agnetha Fältskog att Abba skulle återförenas i ett nytt projekt.

Det är en turné där Abbas musik kommer framföras av ett liveband, och där digitala kopior av bandmedlemmarna syns på scen – och till det skrevs det två helt nya Abba-låtar.

”Beslutet att sjösätta det spännande Abba-avatar-projektet fick en oväntad konsekvens. Vi fyra kände att det efter 35 år kunde vara roligt att jobba ihop igen och gå in i studion. Så gjorde vi det. Och det var som att tiden hade stått stilla och att vi bara hade varit borta på en kort semester. En extremt glädjande upplevelse!”, skrev medlemmarna i ett pressmeddelande.

Abba-Frida om projektet
Abba har i dag spelat in två nya låtar och arbetat hårt med det projekt där fyra digitalt framställda ”abbatarer” framför gruppens hits. Men projektet har inte riktigt gått som planerat enligt sångerskan och Abba-medlemmen Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

– Vi håller ju på med vårt projekt så vi får se var det bär oss någonstans. Än så länge så har det väl kanske inte blivit så som vi tänkte, vi jobbar på det allihopa, säger Abba-Frida.

Världsstjärnan berättar också vad hon tycker om de nya Abba-låtarna som bandet har spelat in tillsammans.

– Det är ju spännande för att vi redan hunnit spela in två låtar som är väldigt bra, tycker jag själv, säger hon.

Benny Andersson har tidigare berättat att gruppen har mycket arbete framför sig tillsammans då Abbas avatar-projekt ska ut på världsturné 2019, och därför ses med jämna mellanrum.

– Vi ses ju då och då. Framför allt nu när vi har det här avatar-projektet framför oss. Vi har många möten framför oss. Det är kul att det är i sån teknisk framkant. Det ska bli intressant, säger Benny Andersson.

Björn Ulvaeus berättade om glädjen att gå in i studion tillsammans.

– Det har varit jättegod stämning i studion. Vi var tillbaka där vi en gång slutade, egentligen på nolltid, säger Björn Ulvaeus.



Abba-Frida dök upp på Ledins bröllop
Under lördagen var Abba-Frida på plats, bland flera välkända personer, då John Ledin gifte sig med grevinnan Alexandra Hamilton i Heliga Trefaldighets kyrka i Kristianstad.

– Bröllopet var så förtjusande, och avspänt tycker jag med alla de här små söta brudnäbbarna som dansade. Och lyckligt, det är alltid lyckligt med bröllop, man blir glad. Atmosfären gör en glad. Jag hoppas att det blir ett lyckligt liv för dem, sade hon.


updated

Chess - Stockholm on september 8, 2018

Chess - Stockholm on september 8, 2018 ...




Svenska Teatern är på slutsträckan med repetitionerna för musikalen Chess som har premiär om en månad. I måndags sjöng hela ensemblen igenom pjäsen på svenska för första gången med orkester – och ingen mindre än kompositören och Abba-profilen Benny Andersson var på plats

The Swedish Theater is at the end of the rehearsals of the chess musical, which is premiere in a month. On Monday, the entire ensemble sang through the Swedish play for the first time with orchestra - and no less than the composer and Abba profile Benny Andersson were in place



https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/abba-benny-berommer-svenska-teaterns-musikal-chess-det-later-fantastiskt-bra/

https://www.facebook.com/abbaregistro/posts/686884468326707

Men of Abba trust each other 100%

Men of Abba trust each other 100%



Benny Andersson (left) and Bjorn Ulvaeus.PHOTO: REUTERS
Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, who worked on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, still meet every week to collaborate
Meher Tatna
Entertainment Columnist
Reporting from Stockholm
Aug 06, 2018 06:00 am

If you are of a certain age, you must have boogied to Dancing Queen, SOS, Voulez-Vous and Waterloo from the mega successful Swedish pop group Abba.

Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sold more than 370 million singles and albums worldwide before they split up in 1982. The men later collaborated on stage musicals - Chess in the 80s and Mamma Mia! in the 90s.

Ten years ago, a huge resurgence in the popularity of Abba songs was brought about by the hit musical film Mamma Mia!, based on the musical.

With the sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again opening here on Aug 9, tons of journalists made the trek to Abba's home country to interview creative forces Andersson, 71, and Ulvaeus, 73.

The duo could be mistaken for two grandfatherly gentlemen, a far cry from the 70s pop stars in their outrageous costumes.

Their involvement in both movies includes choosing and rearranging the songs for the new voices in the films and writing a couple of original ones for the sequel, as well as cameo appearances.

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But Andersson said at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm that they were both initially hesitant about working on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which sees Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) learning about her mother Donna's (Meryl Streep, with Lily James playing the younger version) past through flashbacks while pregnant.

"(Film studio) Universal Pictures, immediately after the first one, was keen on doing another one. It did not give up, did it? And when (English writer-director) Ol Parker came with the script, we said, 'Yeah, well, maybe it will be fun. It has been 10 years, why not?' So we finally threw in the towel," he said.

On why the female half of Abba - also their ex-wives - were not part of the publicity tour for the movie, Andersson said: "It is based on the music and lyrics and not on them as artists, so that is the reason why they are not here. They were the faces in Abba, definitely."

Ulvaeus added with a laugh: "They still are. And this is what you get when you can't get them."

There are no plans to get back together as Abba, even though there were rumours of a billion-dollar offer to reunite.

But according to Ulvaeus, "it is not out of the question that we would write a couple of new songs to record with Agnetha and Anni-Frid".

After 35 years, the foursome are collaborating on an international hologram tour where digital avatars of each will perform, and a TV version is set to air next year.

Said Andersson: "We spent two days with the girls in the studio. We meet occasionally, but we have not worked together for such a long time and we all felt good about it. And they can still sing."

Ulvaeus added: "It was a great experience. You could feel that in that room, the four of us, that there are special bonds, having gone through what we have."

The conversation turns to Abba's legacy and Ulvaeus turned thoughtful.

"Almost every day, someone comes up saying, 'Oh, you cannot imagine what your music has meant in some way or other.'

"Intellectually, of course you can look at numbers of sold records and stuff like that, but to emotionally understand what that means is difficult, but it is humbling as well. And I am grateful every time," he said.

In terms of their personal relationship, the men meet every week due to their string of projects.

Andersson said: "It feels good actually to have someone who is exactly on the same track, who knows the history that we have shared for 50 years.

"It is like having a brother, you know? It is good to have someone you can trust 100 per cent."

Ulvaeus agreed: "There are no doubts about that."


https://www.tnp.sg/entertainment/movies/men-abba-trust-each-other-100