– The Guardian, London
Oh mama ! Here we go again, except this time it’s a little different. Friday [27 mai]the Swedish band will be on stage to promote their reunion album, Voyage. The opportunity for a new tour that will nevertheless spare them the most hackneyed jokes about rock fossils, since the group has used the latest technologies [la motion capture] to bring their songs back to life and get back to looking like they did in their heyday, back in the 1970s. Which means they won’t actually be around at all.
It only took five weeks of filming to capture “blade” of ABBA, raves the production team. The mixed reception of their latest album will not deter the most loyal fans, who will flock to the arena specially built for this show, in east London. This is where the avatars of the group will perform, accompanied by very real musicians. Since winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with the song Waterloo, ABBA seems to resist all criticism. “No thanks for the music”, headlined the Guardian upon the release of their latest album. Still, everyone knows their greatest hits. Musical comedy Oh mama ! ranks sixth among longest-lasting West End productions [qui regroupe la majorité des théâtres londoniens]and the movie she inspired remains at the 20e UK box office position in terms of earnings.
A brilliant idea?
All those who think that the concerts of Voyage will constitute a new precedent should however look at previous attempts. In 1986, the musical Time by Dave Clark had the absurd idea of bringing Sir Laurence Olivier back on stage in the form of a hologram more than 4 meters high. For the New York Times, this work offered “the most striking contrast between a show reaching the heights and a molehill content” – at least until someone tries to piece together the Alps for a rock musical around Heidi.
But times have changed and ABBA, who has always known how to capture the spirit of the times, may have had a brilliant idea. The last two years