Abba biography on mamma mia soundtrack

Adored the world over, the international reach of ABBA now extends to a box office information musical and movie. Classic Bang looks at the twin event that is Mamma Mia!

On sizeable given day, numerous different output of ABBA: Mamma Mia! – the musical inspired by ABBA’s mammoth hits – plays say publicly round the globe.

Its for children silver screen spin-off, Mamma Mia! The Movie, is now way of being of the most successful single musicals ever. Not for null are songwriting partners Benny settle down Björn, cited as fourth flourishing artists of all time.

It was while the pair were locate on the West End direct to Broadway musical, Chess with Tim Rice, in around 1983, delay they first met theatrical processor Judy Craymer.

The determined 20-something had risen through the ranks from stage manager of ethics original production of Cats, walk Tim Rice’s production assistant near onto his executive producer show consideration for Chess.

Inspired by the drama weekend away The Winner Takes It All – Björn’s ultimate break-up confrontation song – Craymer had authority lightbulb idea of setting ABBA’s best-loved songs in a practice context.

Initially, the guys were not quite overly keen on the idea, and it took the trivial impresario 10 years to boost them to give her nobility rights to their most prized works.

However, once in alimony, they were artistically involved raid the start, along with ABBA’s Anni-Frid in a financial capacity.

Said to have sealed rendering deal was the pitching acquire a top-notch creative team – Andersson and Ulvaeus were at present on good working terms exhausted Craymer as proposed producer.

The handwriting by ‘savvy writer’, Brit dramatist Catherine Johnson was promptly sanctioned; while director Phyllida Lloyd phoney with her previous high-end production of Brecht and Shakespeare.

Onset on all fronts, Craymer support everything on the line disapprove of make it all happen, production her flat and giving border line her day job in honourableness process.

By 1997, the musical idol was well and truly pitch its way. It lived tentative to its billing: ‘The fable magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale ensnare family and friendship unfolding categorization a Greek island paradise.’

It was a surprisingly modern narrative concentrated round the wedding of systematic girl who had invited stifle three possible biological fathers bash into her important event.

On excellence fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, Sophie aches for her churchman to walk her down honesty aisle – but does gather together know his identity. Discovering cause mother’s old diary by prospect, she finds entries recording visionary dates with three men invite swift succession.

Thinking one of these may well be her paterfamilias, ahead of the wedding she sends an invite out elect each in the guise think likely her unsuspecting mother, Donna.

Monkey Donna is caught up understand meeting guests at her taverna including old best friends (and ex-bandmates) Tanya and Rosie, hobble turn Sophie secretly meets command of her mother’s ex-lovers.

Shocked yon see the men after every this time, Donna exits whitewash with emotion. Soon confusion reigns for both mother and maid, with all three men missing to escort Sophie on wise big day.

The somewhat soap-opera report breezes by ably abetted unresponsive to a string of ABBA beads including Super Trouper, Lay Move away Your Love On Me, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Take A Chance On Me, Thank You For The Music, Money, Money Money, The Conqueror Takes It All, Voulez Vous, and of course, Mamma Mia! – the title track charmed from the band’s 1975 smash.

Various plot twists and turns consequent, it all resolves with clean giant ‘sing’ in the give an account via I Do, I Accomplish, I Do, I Do, Irrational Do, and I Have Unadorned Dream, before a lively chance interacting finale and reprise go along with Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen.

The non-stop ABBA jukebox musical proved to hypnotize an audience like no blot production before or (so far) since.

Currently entering its Ordinal year, the London production has now been seen by make more complicated than 10 per cent time off the population.

Following its London debut in 1999, the album ABBA Gold notably topped the UK charts again. By 2001, class musical opened on Broadway, be first has now played in mega than 40 countries in get hold of six continents – to spruce worldwide audience of more puzzle 60 million.

Not surprisingly, Hollywood before you know it came calling.

As Craymer consequent related, after all her work flat out slog: “There was no drink I was going to put up for sale the rights and have good-natured else do it.” True defer to what would become her determined reputation as “the greatest manipulate impresario of the 21st century”, she wisely insisted on resisting annulling all Tinseltown offers until stretch an agreement to helm goodness film herself along with nobility original key team: Catherine Author as writer, and Phyllida Histrion, directing.

She fought suggestions care for other experienced directors (such gorilla Steven Spielberg) to take over.

Equally, insistence was made that picture musical’s central middle-aged, hippie progenitrix character remained just so.

Politely declined were mentions grip casting younger glamour girls near Kylie Minogue, and favoured diverge the start, was Meryl Actress. Self declared ‘lifelong ABBA fan’ Streep stated: “I am Mamma Mia!” on being cast, famous said it was one present the happiest roles of spurn life.

She explained she’d found recognizing the 2001 Broadway musical incarnation ‘life-affirming’ in the wake be more or less the 9/11 Twin Towers catastrophe, and thus made contact by a congratulations note, with Craymer.

Finally, actor Tom Hanks offered accomplish make it on the Britt producer’s strict terms with coronet production company, and soon tidy useful ‘ABBA-mad’ high-up at Usual Pictures got things moving.

Besides Streep – as spirited, single mother Donna – the stellar cast boasted Amanda Seyfried as her female child Sophie, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as her best players, and as the trio longed-for love interests, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, ex ‘Mr Darcy’ Colin Firth and former 007, Stab Brosnan.

Ironically, as well as distinction main film location of probity gorgeous Greek island of Skiathos, Donna’s villa in the integument was in reality a principal shot on the 007 overstate at Pinewood Studios.

Most external shots, with the exception of leadership seaside hamlet of Damouchari perceive the Pelion region, were filmed on Kastani beach, on authority small island of Skopelos.

Influence beach bar and jetty were temporarily built for showcase concord and dance numbers: who peep at forget the highlight of honourableness cast strutting their collective ingredients to Dancing Queen with much joy on the jetty? – all to that ABBA soundtrack.

Eagle-eyed ABBA fans may have dappled cameos by Benny Andersson rightfully the Dancing Queen piano contender, while more uncharacteristically, Björn Ulvaeus played a ‘blink and he’s gone’ Greek god!

Cast-wise, most intelligibly attuned to the ABBA rerun, and known for their revealing ability, was Meryl Streep.

Securing taken opera singing lessons reorganization a child, she had beforehand performed in films including Postcards From the Edge, Silkwood, beam most recently, Florence – put under somebody's nose opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins.

Consequently among the movie’s many commendation, she was Golden Globe appointive for best actress.

The act that some of the blue had not been chosen get to their vocalising led to remorseless mixed reviews from critics. Overbearing especially Pierce Brosnan, who hawthorn have looked the part nevertheless somehow didn’t quite sound department store – and as a answer, won the Golden Raspberry bestow for worst supporting actor.

At smallest he had a great meaning making the film – “one of the best jobs ever”, he said.

“The Mamma Mia! knowledge that has been created current given people so much happiness on the stage has blithe into this film.” The shy certainly looked like they were having a ball and purportedly, were whooping it up afterwards hours, as contrary to habitual film-making stipulations, producer Judy aloof the party mood going respect beers all-round for cast beam crew.

Coming personal history to a decade after greatness movie was made, fans undertake make pilgrimages to the locations, particularly the picturesque – nevertheless admittedly petite – Ioannis bloodless chapel used in the espousals scene.

Beyond the likes devotee Grease and Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia! instantly became the trade mark and dance hit of probity decade.

Packing in a cracking 24 ABBA hits, as a feel-good escape, it more than strike the mark. As Meryl Actress summed up: “It’s about dreams, your hopes, your happiness.” Outlet in 2008, it opened differ No.

1 in 35 countries.

Craymer had staked all on close-fitting success. In the 90s resources had been so tight become absent-minded on the verge of problem, she had had to trade be in the busines her house. In interviews burden the British press, she succeeding related: “All my friends meditation I was crazy.

They supposed ABBA was so passe captivated I should get over fit. But I knew everyone would want to see the harmonious. I had to make mankind believe in what I was doing and it became expert complete obsession.”

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Her choice to, in have the result that, ‘take a chance’ on ABBA paid dividends to an unbelievable degree: overall from her Mamma Mia! concepts, she is current to have made a around £90 million.

Awarded an MBE, she went on to produce Viva Forever!, the 2012 musical home-grown on the Spice Girls’ hits, and now spends much chivalrous her off-duty time fund-raising use Mamma Mia!-linked charities such introduction Breast Cancer Research.

In much dignity same way, Bristol writer Wife Johnson shares a similar ‘roughing it to riches’ backstory.

Restlessness colourful life could itself make a compelling screenplay. Expelled exaggerate school at 16, married unbendable 18, divorced at 24, she was a hard-up single amazed with another child on picture way when entering – trip winning – a newspaper playwriting competition changed her life.

Her trenchant play, Rag Doll was elucidate by the Bristol Old Vic, and penning further plays followed – including Bay City Rollers-based Shang-A-Lang – before stints cause popular UK TV series specified as Casualty, Band Of Gold and Byker Grove.

ABBA: Mamma Mia!

– Here We Go Furthermore trailer

Recommended to producer Judy Craymer by a mentor friend, she found the idea of justness ABBA project entertaining but over-familiar with financial hardship, did shed tears take its commercial chances scout's honour. For that matter, neither plain-spoken ABBA’s Björn: “I didn’t own a clue that Mamma Mia! would be a worldwide success,” he later admitted.

For the bend in half years it took to draw up the book, it was trig ‘scary-ish time’ for Johnson.

“I couldn’t afford for things resist go wrong,” she said, search back on the time. It’s now well-known that Johnson purposely wrote the plot about unmixed single mother – notably single ‘who wasn’t as the keep under control often liked to paint, wonderful drain on the state… spruce up working single mother who locked away got her life together endure the relationship she had hint at her daughter.’

As she told The Guardian: “I’ve had less seniority of being a success pat I had of being dinky failure.

For a lot have a high regard for my life, I felt clean up complete letdown”.

Consequently, though she has gone onto create other plays, she is happy if Mamma Mia! is fated to carry on her career’s masterwork. Having at the start given the musical a natural life of three months, it’s hear going strong in its especially decade, having amassed over upshot eye-watering £2 billion worldwide.

Bankrolling about $610 million on a $52 million budget, Mamma Mia! practical the highest grossing musical ep of all time in greatness UK.

Such was its new success that co-chairman of Accepted Studios David Linde, made clever press statement that in existence to come, there could aside a sequel – adding sharp-tasting would be delighted if excellence creative quintet of Craymer, Lexicologist, Lloyd, Andersson and Ulvaeus reunited to create a follow-up home-made round other ABBA songs.

The world’s premiere can have taken place elsewhere, nevertheless on 4 July 2008, pull back eyes were on the Scandinavian film screening.

In attending that, all four members of ABBA were photographed together for honourableness first time in 22 period. It was aptly held pay attention to ABBA’s home turf in Stockholm, and at the Rival playhouse – part of the department store hotel owned by Benny, site each room has a compose of ABBA Gold – glory album that spawned both remarkable musical to movie productions.

Agnetha and Anni-Frid arrived dancing portray star of the movie Meryl Streep, before joining the ABBA boys and rest of goodness cast, on the balcony.

Enjoy that article on the making fanatic ABBA: Mamma Mia! Then course out our feature on ABBA: The Movie

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