Bjorn: Expect less extravagant shows in post-coronavirus world

 

 # News - Bjorn

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AUGUST 19, 2020

Expect less extravagant shows in post-coronavirus world, ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus says

Hanna Rantala

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Extravagant musical productions such as “Mamma Mia!” will need to be scaled down when they go again after the coronavirus lockdowns end, ABBA star and Swedish pop impresario Bjorn Ulvaeus says.

The 75-year old, who co-penned hits like “Waterloo” and “Dancing Queen” for ABBA with fellow member Benny Andersson and the band’s manager Stig Anderson, has spent a lot of his time watching movies and listening to books during the pandemic, which has shut theatres and cinemas across the world. He has also found a new love in kayaking.

But Ulvaeus is also working on ways to improve social distancing at theatres so that “Mamma Mia!” and “Mamma Mia! The Party” can open again soon.

“We’ve kept the cast staff and everyone on furlough,” he told Reuters in a Zoom interview from his island retreat in the Baltic off Stockholm.

“And we look forward to maybe opening in January, February, if we’re lucky. And meanwhile, we’re trying to create a social distancing environment in those places as much as we can.”

The pandemic lockdown has been a tough time for musicians and artists globally, and Ulvaeus said productions would look different when theatres finally open up again.

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“The big, big, luxurious musical productions are so expensive to run, so expensive to create and to produce that you need at least 80, 85 percent capacity,” he said.

“So if you’re down to, say, 60 or 50, that means that the productions have to be smaller.”

Ulvaeus is involved in all the “Mamma Mia!” productions in London, which include the original musical and “Mamma Mia! The Party”, and is trying to get a “Party” to open in Gothenburg, Sweden before the end of the year.

He also has a hand in the Super Trouper exhibition in London and the ABBA Museum in Stockholm.

Ulvaeus said his own schedule would also look different in future, with less travel and with more meetings that have to be held face-to-face taking place in Stockholm.

“Since I’m at the age when corona is especially dangerous, I will have people fly to me in Stockholm instead of vice-versa,” he said.

Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Angus MacSwan

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://uk.reuters.com

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Espectáculos serán menos extravagantes en mundo post-coronavirus; Bjorn Ulvaeus de ABBA

Por Hanna Rantala

19 de Agosto de 2020

ESTOCOLMO, 19 ago (Reuters) - Producciones musicales extravagantes como "Mamma Mia!" deberán ser simplificados cuando vuelvan a a los escenarios tras el levantamiento de los cierres por coronavirus, dijo la estrella de ABBA y empresario del pop Bjorn Ulvaeus.

El cantante sueco de 75 años, que coescribió éxitos como "Waterloo" y "Dancing Queen" para ABBA con su compañero de banda Benny Andersson y el manager Stig Anderson, ha pasado mucho tiempo viendo películas y escuchando libros durante la pandemia, que provocó el cierre de cines y teatros en todo el mundo. También encontró un nuevo amor en el kayak.

Pero Ulvaeus además está trabajando en formas de mejorar el distanciamiento social en los teatros para que "Mamma Mia!"y "Mamma Mia! The Party" puedan volver pronto.

"Hemos mantenido al elenco y al personal en licencia", contó a Reuters en una entrevista por Zoom desde su retiro en una isla del Báltico frente a Estocolmo.

"Esperamos volver tal vez en enero, febrero, si tenemos suerte. Y, mientras tanto, estamos tratando de crear un ambiente con distanciamiento social en esos lugares tanto como podamos", agregó.

La cuarentena por la pandemia ha sido dura para los músicos y artistas en todo el mundo y Ulvaeus afirma que las producciones se verán diferentes cuando los teatros finalmente puedan abrir.

"Las producciones musicales grandes son tan caras de ejecutar, tan caras de crear y de producir que necesitas al menos un 80, 85% de capacidad", explicó. "Así que si tienes menos de, digamos, 60 o 50, eso significa que las producciones deben ser más pequeñas".

Ulvaeus está involucrado en todas las producciones de "Mamma Mia!" en Londres, que incluyen el musical original y "Mamma Mia! The Party", y está tratando de estrenar una función de "Party" en Gotemburgo, Suecia, antes de fin de año.

También participa en la exhibición Super Trouper en Londres y en el Museo ABBA en Estocolmo.

(Reporte de Hanna Rantala; Editado en español por Lucila Sigal)

Faces of Europe

 

These faces, these stories, what a day! ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, TV news presenter Anna Lindmarker, 96-year-old Walter Frankenstein, who survived the Holocaust in Berlin - These and many other fascinating people with the most varied of life stories appeared in front of the camera of photo artist Carsten Sander for the art project “Faces of Europe”. On his trip through the 27 EU member states, Carsten Sander visited us in Stockholm on Sunday and stopped his mobile photo studio in front of the Nordic Museum on Djurgården. On the occasion of the German EU Council Presidency, “Faces of Europe”, by means of 1000 portraits, aims to document European diversity and support integration and humanity. We are looking forward to seeing the result. Many thanks to everyone involved and the many Swedish faces of Europe

https://www.facebook.com/tyskaambassadenstockholm

Björn Ulvaeus opens the 2020 PRSAGM

►PRS member and President of cisacnews
Björn Ulvaeus opens the 2020 PRSAGM.
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· 18 de agosto

# News
The PRS AGM was opened by legendary songwriter, PRS for Music member and recently appointed President of CISAC, Björn Ulvaeus, with a special keynote speech.

"The timing is perfect for PRS to take the decision to become more efficient, flexible and quicker on its feet, which I'm certain the new governance plan will achieve. Congratulations Andrea and the people you've worked with for doing a great job".

Björn Ulvaeus, songwriter and PRS for Music member

video: https://www.facebook.com/abbaregistro/videos/668247587115867
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Historic governance changes approved at PRS AGM 2020
First proposed major governance changes for PRS in 20 years approved by members at the virtual PRS Annual General Meeting

PRS logo on marque page
In a landmark moment for the Performing Right Society (PRS), the most significant governance changes for the organisation in 20 years were approved by members at the PRS 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 18 August.

With over 1,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members engaged either on the day, or through the voting process, this year’s AGM set a record for the highest participation in PRS AGM history. Held virtually due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, it was also the first AGM to be led by Andrea C. Martin since joining the organisation as CEO in 2019, a year that saw record results achieved.

The product of an extensive review by independent experts based on best practice in company governance, the newly approved governance changes include:

PRS Board becoming a smaller ‘Members' Council’ with fewer Directors and focused on member engagement
Appointment of a new Writer President
A new electoral college system for Director appointments
Maximum terms of service for Board Directors
Streamlined decision-making through refocused committee reporting structures to give greater time to focus on strategic issues
The PRS for Music Executive Board, will become simply, the Board, with a renewed focus on strategic delivery and commercial operation, empowering PRS’ Executive Leadership Team to manage the business with full accountability to the Board.

Early on, I recognised that to create a new PRS, a new governance structure would be required. Change is never an easy thing to embrace but standing still in a world of now 19 trillion performances, and growing, across multi-territories and with fragmented rights is not an option. The new governance will make PRS more flexible, more fleet-of-foot in our decision-making process and more cost-effective. On behalf of everyone at PRS, we are excited by the challenges ahead and motivated by change.

Andrea C. Martin, CEO, PRS for Music
I am incredibly pleased to see that our proposed governance changes have been approved. These historic changes will allow us to deliver more engagement, efficiency and transparency for our members. Furthermore, we anticipate the approved changes will lead to more opportunities for members to join the Board and by association we hope for greater diversity on the Board in the future.

Nigel Elderton, Chairman, PRS for Music
It is hoped that a key outcome of the new governance structure is better engagement for candidacy which will lead to improved diversity on the Board.

Any reflection on the year to date must include Black Lives Matter, and the long overdue global debate about social inequality and injustice.

I am completely committed to positive change within PRS and the whole music industry, but first and foremost we must educate ourselves. Personally, I know I have learned a lot in the last few weeks in my discussions with employees. We will accelerate measures to ensure diversity of our membership is reflected in the make-up of the management and Board. We have already started to take action.

Andrea C. Martin, CEO, PRS for Music


In her first keynote speech as PRS for Music CEO, Andrea C. Martin spoke of company-wide initiatives created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic including the PRS Emergency Relief Fund and PRS Presents LCKDWN, a re-invigorated corporate culture and greater focus around key strategic goals, the positive progress of joint ventures PPL PRS and ICE, PRS for Music’s place within the UK music landscape and the crucial need of the new governance structure, and continued evolution to better support its members.

Further speeches were delivered by Chairman Nigel Elderton, who set out the importance of new governance, the difficulties of the last six months and how the wider music industry can recover. Chief Financial Officer, Steve Powell, provided a financial overview of PRS for Music’s record 2019, in revenues and distributions, alongside the estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PRS AGM was opened by legendary songwriter, PRS for Music member and recently appointed President of CISAC, Björn Ulvaeus, with a special keynote speech.

The timing is perfect for PRS to take the decision to become more efficient, flexible and quicker on its feet, which I'm certain the new governance plan will achieve. Congratulations Andrea and the people you've worked with for doing a great job.

Björn Ulvaeus, songwriter and PRS for Music member
About PRS for Music
PRS for Music represents the rights of songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK and around the world. As a membership organisation it works to ensure that creators are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. In 2019, 18.8 trillion performances of music were reported to PRS for Music with £810.8m collected on behalf of its members, making it one of the world’s leading music collective management organisations.

PRS for Music’s public performance licensing is carried out on PRS for Music’s behalf by PPL PRS Ltd, the joint venture between PPL and PRS for Music.
prsformusic.com