Following unprecedented public demand after an initial two week sell-out run of Absolutely Abba, Centrestage will stage three additional performances of the popular Abba tribute show at the MMM Loubser Auditorium on 6, 8 and 9 May.
“The response to the show has been terrific”, says Centrestage owner Gary Hemmings.
“6500 people saw the show in Port Elizabeth, with no tickets available for the second half of the run – and in East London, the entire Guild Theatre run was sold out days before we even opened, as were additional matinee shows we staged there”
Asked to what he attributed the phenomenal success of the show, Hemmings replied:
“I think it has to do with the enduring inter-generational popularity of the Abba music itself, highlighted by the success of the recent Mamma Mia movie – in many instances, it was the children who were taking their parents to the show, which is a very encouraging change”, he said.
“It is a testament to the popularity of Abba that the very first run of our Abba show, which we staged some 4 years ago, was also extended and turned out to be one of our biggest selling shows – and this been repeated this time around.”
“It has been interesting for us to compare the two shows. The Centrestage All-Star band have matured significantly as individual performers over the years, which enabled them to really come to grips with emulating the original Abba sound. In addition, the staging elements – including the sound and lighting production values, have grown in leaps and bounds over the years as we have all gained experience along the way.”
“The sheer scale of the show, from the visual onstage aspects to the ridiculously talented 11 piece band and the vocal complexity which is reproduced by overlaying up to 9 voices at times, does play a part in the enjoyment of the show, but for me it is the infectious, recognizable, feel-good, family nature of the music which brings the crowds in.”
“A far greater percentage of youngsters saw the Abba show than any of our previous productions – in particular, we found that junior school children were quite mesmerized by the show – and they knew the majority of the songs already! These are our audiences of the future”
The Centrestage All-Star Band is fronted by dynamic diva Donna Africa and the gorgeous blonde bomb-shell Tara-Jane Metzler as Agnetha and Anna-Frid respectively, with Andre Strydom and Wayne Kallis playing their male counterparts Bennie and Bjorn.
The performances at the MMM Loubser Auditorum in 2nd avenue, Summerstrand, start at 19h30.
The additional performances offer a reduced ticket price for children under 18, students and pensioners to enjoy the show.
Absolutely Abba! is fronted by Tara-Jane Metzler and Donna Africa as Agnetha and Anni-Frid and features a new-look Centrestage-All Star band, with “newcomer” musical veteran Ulagh Goosen taking on the main keyboard role, supported by multi-instrumentalist Andre Strydom who moves from bass to second keyboard for this production.
The complex and beautiful blended harmonized vocals are recreated by overlaying 8 voices live on stage, as arranged by musical director Donovan Hattingh.
Thus Tara and Donna are joined by backing vocalists Chireen Ferriera, Lani Botha and Caron Strydom, augmented by Wayne Kallis, Hattingh and Strydom, to accurately replicate the Abba sound live on stage with a surprising degree of authenticity.
Derick Badenhorst is on drums and Mike Mike McAuley completes the lineup on bass.
Absolutely Abba was first staged at the Opera House some 4 years ago, where it won the box office hit of the year award in what turned out to be the first of a string of Centrestage hit shows.
The show has been re-envisaged since its first staging to take advantage of the experience that the performers and the successful production company have gained over the years.
Additional songs have been added to the 30 song repertoire which includes a spell-bounding string of hits, with new selections such as The Name of the Game, Lay All Your Love on Me and When I Kissed the Teacher added to ever popular sing-along ballads and dance-floor hits such as The Winner Takes It All, Dancing Queen, Voulez Voux, SOS, Fernando, Mamma Mia, Super Trouper, Chiquita, Gimme Gimme, Does Your Mother Know and Waterloo, to name a few.
It doesn’t matter if you caught Abba-mania in the 70’s, became a fan through Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Muriels Wedding or if you are a member of the new global generation of Mamma Mia Abba fans, its time to dust off your flares, don your platforms, get down, get funky and get ready for a musical journey which will have you on your feet with the sexy swinging Swedes from Stockholm in two and a half hours of ecstatic Abba nostalgia!
Absolutely Abba!
The show has been re-envisaged since its first staging to take advantage of the experience that the performers and the successful production company have gained over the years.
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