By Lubna Abdel-Aziz At your favourite theatre, a rare treat awaits you this summer -- that is if you like musical comedy, and ABBA, If you're not in your teens, then surely you remember that highly popular rock group of the 70s and 80s, who gave the world some of the most infectious tunes of the decade. The group ABBA burst onto the pop chart scene in 1970, virtually out of nowhere, or to be exact, out of Sweden of all places. Familiar as we are with a smorgasbord of Swedish products, pop music is surely not one of them - furniture maybe as in IKEA, crystal as in ORREFORS, among other industrial products. In the arts we have admired the plays of Strindberg, the talents of the two Bergmans, director Ingmar and actress Ingrid, and the magic of the incomparable Garbo. As for music, particularly pop music, that was created elsewhere. Swinging London, lyrical Paris, romantic Rome, bustling New York, hustling Chicago, rustling Los Angeles, are more likely the capitals of creativity for pop tunes -- but Stockholm, Sweden? ABBA gold topped the charts again and again in Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and every other spot that swayed to the strings of pop rock. Even the name does not sound very Swedish. ABBA is an acronym of the group's first names, 4 people, two married couples. Benny Anderson was married to Annie-Frid (known as Frida) Lyngstad, and Bjorn Ulvaeus was married to Agnetha Faltskog. They became the most beloved international swinging group since the Beatles of Liverpool. Ulvaeus and Anderson wrote the songs and joined in the vocals. Professional success however, robbed the couples of their marital bliss; Bjorn and Agnetha divorced in 1979, Benny and Frida in 1981. The foursome came to international attention when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, with their song Waterloo. Like a flowing river the songs kept coming, and the fans kept growing. Soon everyone worldwide was humming an ABBA tune like: The Winner Takes All, Dancing Queen, Fernando and Mamma Mia -- which became the London West End Musical Comedy hit a decade ago. Now it graces thousands of movie screens on all continents. It is still hard to comprehend how a string of hit songs can be conceived as a musical comedy, thirty years later. That was the brainchild of one of their biggest fans, creative producer Judy Craymer. In 1996 she approached songwriters Benny and Bjorn who were lukewarm about the idea at first, but did not oppose it. Craymer then commissioned Catherine Johnson to write the book for the musical. A year later Phyllida Lloyd was selected to direct, and the three women together proceeded to make history. Never before had three women alone formed a collaborative force behind what became a huge commercial success in musical theatre. It is therefore not surprising that the story of the musical revolves around three strong women. Mamma Mia is the story of 20 year-old Sophie who is about to marry her sweetheart Sky, and wants her father to walk her down the aisle. The problem is, she does not know who her father is. She lives with her mother Donna (), who owns a small hotel on an isolated Greek island. Accidentally Sophie discovers her mother's old diary, and comes across entries describing intimate encounters with three men, Sam, Bill and Harry, in as many nights. She concludes that one of these men must be her father. Forging her mother's signature, she invites all three to her wedding. Donna's two closest friends Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) arrive a day before the wedding and the three women, who used to be a singing group "The Dynamos" reminisce on how life has treated them. That afternoon, unknown to her, Donna's three paramours arrive, responding to her invitation - Sam (Pierce Brosnan) from the US, Harry (Colin Firth) from the UK, and Bill ( Stellan Skaarskaard) from Australia. Confusion reigns leaving Sophie tearful and regretful. She renounces the idea of a father and now wants her mother to walk her down the aisle. During the wedding ceremony, the secret is unravelled and the three potential fathers publically make a claim to be Sophie's father and happily settle their rivalry by agreeing to take each "a third." Sophie and Sky however postpone their wedding and Donna and Sam marry in their stead. The closing scene of the movie shows Sophie and Sky sailing into the horizon to begin their life together, while Donna and Sam stay behind to live their lives happily ever after on the idyllic island in the sun. If the plot seems vaguely familiar that is because it is based on a 1968 Universal film Buona Sera Mrs Campbell, starring Gina Lollobrigida. Both composers Benny and Bjorn, who were involved in the project from its inception in 1999, appear in brief shots in the movie. Since its London premier, the musical Mamma Mia, has been seen by 30 million people and is estimated to have grossed $2 billion. Despite the film version's mixed reviews, it had the largest opening weekend of any musical film in US history (July 18). Those who were unfamiliar with ABBA's music thrilled to its unique sounds; those who were familiar with the tunes enjoyed singing along with the cast, and even those who were indifferent about the whole production were ready to go back to hear again those fabulous goldies that personified the upbeat mood of the era. For those of us who lived along with ABBA during their glory days, who collected their gold records, who admired their famous silvery jumpsuits and sizzling hot pants, the movie provides a happy, nostalgic 'remembrance of things past.' Some critics have dismissed ABBA's songs, as "frothy," "light as air," or "juke- boxy." Call them what you will, they formed an important part of our youth and are still appealing three decades later to the hip-hop generation. In my humble opinion, nothing Swedish can be dismissed as frothy. Despite their seemingly youthful energy and exuberance, there is a note of dark melancholy in ABBA's songs, so typically Swedish. Their long and lightless winters, with clouded skies of misty gloom, have left an imprint on their psyche of the Swedes, that is hard to erase. Bergman's movies confirms that, and so do ABBA's songs. They deal with the pain and despair, with the dysfunction and confusion of life, love, separation and death. The price of creativity for any artist is the acuteness of his or her feelings throughout life's journey. Yet even in Sweden the sun does shine. With the wrenching cries of pain, the heart is still capable of soaring joyously and crying Mamma Mia -- what a life! Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others Cannot keep it from themselves Sir James Mathew Barrie (1860 -- 1937)
