Hi dear friends
It’s the festive season, and a perfect opportunity for me to say hello and pass on my greetings to you all.
2010 has been an extraordinary year in the life of my book. I’m happy to say that it has now not only been recognised by the members of ABBA, but it is also the only publication about the group currently authorised to be sold in the international touring exhibition, ABBAWORLD!
This makes me immensely proud, and vindicates my steadfast belief – shared by my editor, Matthew Tesch, and my media advisor, Stephen Cook – that this was a book worth writing.
The book sold out at Federation Square in Melbourne earlier this year, and is now occupying centre stage at the Powerhouse Museum Shop as part of the Sydney ABBAWORLD exhibition, which opened to the public last Friday. I flew to Sydney for the opening night celebrations on Thursday 16 December, which featured Australian singing stars Katie Noonan (of George and Elixir fame), Andy Bull and Iota performing their own musical tributes to the group. Celebrity host Julia Zimero from SBS-TV’s Rock Wiz and Eurovision did a great job, and the Powerhouse Museum laid on a magnificent evening resplendent with mirror balls, floor-to-ceiling gold streamers and authentic Swedish meatballs, served with a miniature Swedish flag!
This amazing ABBA experience has now visited London, Melbourne, Sydney and Hungary, with many more destinations ahead before it takes up permanent residence in the capital of ABBA’s native Sweden. I caught up with curator Ingmarie Halling (wardrobe mistress for the group’s international tours) at the opening night party. She is the loveliest person you could hope to meet, and she is so genuinely supportive of my book. It was Ingmarie who first wrote to me to say how much Frida had enjoyed the book, and everything started to happen from there. While we were chatting, she sent an SMS to Benny to wish him a happy birthday!
Benny’s birthday also holds a special place in my heart … coincidentally, 16 December was the date of my book’s official launch in Brisbane two years ago … happy memories.
The Sydney exhibition is a little different from the one in Melbourne; as fellow ABBA aficionado Ian Cole writes on the internet forum ABBA Village, it is more a thematic experience than a chronological voyage through the eight studio albums. On display are the costumes, backstage dressing room, displays of local videos (including one behind-the-scenes reel that has never been seen before) and memorabilia exclusive to Australia, the ABBA members’ stories and interviews, the ABBA studio, island songwriting cottage, sound production, gold records and sing-a-long and interactive booths. The thriving and vibrant ABBA legacy is well represented too (the group members’ careers since, the ABBA revival, Mamma Mia! and the tribute bands).
Here are some details of the exhibition in case any of you are passing through Sydney before 6 March 2011 and might like to have a peek! Also, some ABBA coming up on Pay TV and the big screen:
ABBAWORLD The Official Interactive Museum is now open at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. Venue is at Harris St, Ultimo until 6 March 2011. See http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/abbaworld/ for details and tickets.
ABBA Biography, a documentary made by the US A&E network in 2006, is being rescreened on pay TV channel Bio on 24 December at 8.30 pm, also 27 December at 8.30 am. http://www.biographychannel.com.au/
ABBA – The Movie is screening at acmi – Australian Centre for Moving Image at Federation Square, Melbourne on 1 and 8 January at 4 pm. See http://www.acmi.net.au/oz_abba_movie.aspx for details and tickets.
I’ll be spending a quiet Christmas with my family on Tamborine Mountain (south of Brisbane in the Gold Coast hinterland), enjoying some R & R before rehearsals begin for the annual Queensland Pops Orchestra’s New Year’s Eve concert. This year’s concert is entitled European Holiday, and we’ll be playing some fabulous classical standards by Rossini, Mozart, Strauss, Verdi, Puccini, Bizet and Grieg. For details, see www.popsorchestra.com.au.
Wishing you all a safe and joyous Christmas with family and friends, and my very warmest wishes for a happy new year.
Chris x
