Abbamania back for shows

MANILA, Philippines - Abbamania, the acclaimed ABBA tribute group from Europe that provides the closest thing to a true ABBA experience in concert, will be coming to the country this month for a series of shows. This is in response to the demand from ABBA-loving Pinoys to bring Abbamania back to the country after its successful concert series a year ago.  

A production of Viva Live, Inc. and Redstone Media Productions, Abbamania will be held at the Solaire Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resorts & Casinos on March 21 and at the Plenary Hall of the PICC on March 22. The shows will be followed by other performances at the Baguio Country Club in Baguio City on March 25; the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, March 27; the L.L. Macias Sports & Cultural Center in Dumaguete City, March 28; and the Lagao Gym in General Santos City, March 30.

AbbaMania was formed in 1998. The group has performed in sold-out concerts in Denmark, England, Portugal, Scotland, Belgium, France, Ireland, Germany and other parts of the world. Playing the singers and the band are Ewa Scott, a classically-trained vocalist from Poland; Sharon Fehlberg, an actress, singer and songwriter from the UK; Steven Galert, the multi-instrumentalist musical director of Abbamania; Adam Robertson, another multi-instrumentalist from the UK; Bryan Smith, a guitarist from Scotland; guitarist Gareth Whitehead; and drummer Lee Brady.

Watching Abbamania in concert is an opportunity for fans of the legendary group from Sweden to approximate a real ABBA performance. The group was formed by Agnetha Faltskog, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad in the early ’70s and broke into big-time after winning the Grand Prix at the Eurovision Song Festival with the song Waterloo. More hits followed until the group broke up during the late ’80s. The songs have remained popular and ABBA music was further immortalized in the stage musical and later motion picture Mamma Mia! 

Abbamania will have audiences dancing in the aisles with their live show featuring nearly two hours of pure ABBA nostalgia with songs like Waterloo, Money Money, Take A Chance On Me, One Last Summer, The Winner Takes It All, Knowing Me Knowing You, Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Lay All Your Love On Me, Super Trouper, I Have A Dream, S.O.S., Chiquitita, Fernando, Voulez Vous, Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight), Does Your Mother Know, The Name Of The Game, Dance (While The Music Still Goes On), Honey Honey, I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do, Our Last Summer, Thank You For The Music and many others.

The official TV partners of Abbamania are PBO, Viva Channel, 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, My Movie Channel and RTL-CBS Entertainment. The official media partners are The Philippine STAR, Manila Bulletin, Business World, People’s Journal, People’s Tonight, 105.1 Crossover and iFM 93.9 with PEP.ph, Manila Concert Scene, Philippine Concerts, ClickTheCity.com, Juice.ph and Rappler. Special thanks goes out to Bus TV, the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP), Graphitek and Mobeline Car Charter Services. The official Abbamania residence while in Manila is the Solaire Resort & Casino.

Tickets to the PICC show are available at Ticketnet with tel. no. 911-5555; SM Tickets 470-2222; Ticketworld 891-9999; PICC 789-4734; and Viva Concerts 687-7236. Ticket prices are Flat Center P4,500; Flat Left/Right P3,750; Level 2 Center, Left/Right P3,750; Level 2 Side Left/Right P2,500; Level 3 Center Left/Right P2,500; Level 3 Side Left/Right P2,000; Balcony P1,000; and Gallery P600.

Cebu ticket prices are Platinum P3,500; Gold P2,500; Silver P1,500; and Bronze P600.