ABBA lives on in tribute show

MANILA, Philippines - Although the four ABBA stars have gone on their separate ways, the magical songs that made the singing group one of the world’s best-selling recording artists ever with over 370 million albums and singles sold since 1972 continue to reverberate through a variety of tribute shows.

There are over 10 ABBA tribute shows touring all over the world to huge audiences eager to relive the golden era of Benny Andersson, Agnetha Faltskog, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Bjorn Ulvaeus. The first ABBA tribute show emerged in 1988 and the popularity of the group’s songs spawned the musical Mamma Mia! in 1999, later made into a movie in 2008. The tribute acts include Hungary’s ABBA Feeling, Holland’s ABBASupertroupers, Sweden’s ABBA Teens, the US’ Abacadabra, Australia’s BABBA, Bjorn Again, GABBA, Ireland’s Abbaesque and the UK’s Abbamania.

Nearly 20 years after ABBA disbanded in 1982, the group was offered a $1B fee to do a tour of 100 shows but no amount of money could bring the four together again. The situation was complicated as Ulvaeus and Flatskog were divorced in 1978 and Andersson and Lyngstad split up in 1981. The two married couples were a perfect foursome in ABBA’s heyday but when both marriages ended in divorce, ABBA eventually suffered a similar fate.

Despite ABBA’s permanent state of dissolution, nobody can dispute the continued widespread popularity of the group’s hits. So that today, ABBA tribute shows are in extremely high demand. That’s why Rajan Gidwani’s Redstone Productions and Vic del Rosario’s Viva Live are teaming up to bring over Abbamania for eight shows in the country starting April 20 in Cebu then April 21 in Tacloban, April 24 in Bacolod, April 25 in Manila, April 26 in Cagayan de Oro, April 27 in Davao, April 28 in Puerto Princesa and finally, April 29 in a repeat performance in Manila.

Both Manila shows will be at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World. Gidwani said only one Manila show was in the original itinerary but because of ticket demand, a second will be held. Tickets for the Manila shows are now available at Resorts World (tel. nos. 836-6333, 908-8833) or TicketWorld (tel. no. 891-9999 or buy online at www.ticketworld.com.ph).

Abbamania was formed in 1998 and is recognized as one of the most authentic ABBA tribute shows in the world. In 2002, the act played for 18 weeks at the Strand Theatre in London, reliving the ABBA phenomenon to sold-out audiences. That same year, it went on stage at the Deutsches Theatre in Munich for 21 sell-outs. Other tour highlights were a 24-show gig at the Schiller Theatre in Berlin, a crowd of 10,000 at the Cologne Arena and an appearance in a TV special viewed by over 11 million people throughout Europe. Abbamania has brought music lovers to their feet in Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Switzerland, Tahiti, Austria, Sweden, Russia, France, Luxembourg and Venezuela.

The Philippine tour will feature Ross Taberner as Bjorn, Nyree Burt as Anni-Frid or Frida, Steven Henry Scott as Benny and Ewa Scott as Agnetha. They will be backed up by vocalists Maireed Susan McBride and Elaine Gray, bass guitarist Scott Robertson Clark and drummer Scott (Reverend of Rhythm) Burrell.

Ewa Scott is a Polish-born, classically-trained vocalist who was mentored by coach Wanda Kaluzna. A vocal tutor herself, Scott has studied piano and violin. She joined the Warsaw Big Band conducted by Stanislaw Fijalkowski before doing extensive singing engagements in Europe and the Middle East. Scott is often contracted for session work in the UK and Poland.

Burt began performing with Abbamania in 2004 and has sung in a Celine Dion tribute show. Taberner doubles as Abbamania’s lead guitarist and is a music degree-holder. When not performing, he teaches guitar and drums and writes music reviews for Scottish magazines.

Gray has appeared in several musicals as Julie in Carousel, Princess Tai Lu in Aladdin and the mistress in Evita. Burrell has 20 years of drumming experience from marching snare training. A session musician, he has performed in sold-out concerts with Abbamania in Europe.

Abbamania’s set list is split into two halves of 12 songs each. The complete repertoire, in sequence, is as follows Voulez Vouz; Chiquitita; I Have A Dream; Honey Honey; I Do, I Do; Name of the Game; Does Your Mother Know; Gimme, Gimme; One of Us; Knowing Me, Knowing You; Mamma Mia!; Thank You for the Music; Fernando; Dancing Queen; Ring Ring; Take A Chance; SOS; Saturday; Money Money; Lay All Your Love; Super Trouper; The Winner Takes It All; Waterloo and a medley of hits. 

Abbamania has received rave reviews from its outstanding act. Sky News said, “Close your eyes and it could have been ABBA — even better than the originals in the live arena.” BBC-Nottingham said, “Completely infectious! For a good night out, even if you are not a die-hard fan, this was good innocent fun for all the family.” Whatonstage.com said, “Brilliant! Anyone who can sit through this without participating needs an undertaker.” Torquay Herald wrote, “I was impressed with the quality of the singing which was about as sound-alike as you could get and with the carefully-copied dance routines and costumes. I was amazed at the number of 20-somethings, mostly women, clapping along and even dancing in the aisles.” 

From the tenor of the reviews, it looks like Abbamania is a can’t-miss proposition. Redstone and Viva Live will revive ABBA in a series of live shows that should be fun for young and old alike. The Abbamania brigade is flying in directly from Glasgow to engage Filipino fans in eight unforgettable shows of immortal music.