Benny appeared at a press conference prior to the B&B Concert in Shanghai, China.

Archive data:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: ABBA IN CHINA
Story No.: 113530
Duration:00:04:15:23
Source: APTN , UNKNOWN
Date: 25/03/1999 04:00 AM
Date: 8 & 10 March '99
Location: Shanghai, China

Storyline
If any proof were needed that the songs of seventies supergroup ABBA have stood the test of time, it was confirmed earlier this month when a Chinese audience went wild at a concert staged in Shanghai by an ABBA tribute group.
The Swedish sensations who stormed the charts in the '70's and '80's with memorable hits such as 'Waterloo,' 'Dancing Queen' and 'The Winner Takes It All' split up 15 years ago after selling over 300 million albums worldwide. But like the Beatles, they're gone but not forgotten - even in China.
The concert had Chinese fans rocking in the aisles as they sang along, word for word, to a string of classic ABBA standards.
The concert was part of a tour by the Swedish National Orchestra - known as the Goteborg Symphony Orchestra who backed a quartet of Swedish singers. TOMMY KORBERG, HELEN SJOHOLM, and KARIN and ANDERS GLENMARK are among Sweden's most celebrated singing artists and reinterpreted ABBA's back catalogue.
Koberg is a well-known opera and musical star and appeared in London's West End in the hit musical 'Chess.' Best known as Kristina in the musical 'Kristina From Divemala,' Sjoholm has held a leading role since the opening night in Malmo in 1995 and has won a Grammy for the recording of the work. Karin Glenmark has been considered one of Sweden's great singers for may decades while her brother has made a name for himself as both a producer and an artist.
Just before they took to the stage, Chinese fans got to see a real member of ABBA when BENNY ANDERSSEN made an appearance playing the accordeon with the folk music group Orsa Spelman. He then went on to introduce the tribute band.
One of the many songs they sang was 'Mama Mia' which is the title of a $7.5 million musical set to Take London's West End Theatreland by storm when it premiers on April 6th. With music by Benny Andersson and BJORN ULVAEUS, the show is sure to spark a massive ABBA revival and coincides with the 25th anniversary of when they first won the Eurovsion Song Contest with 'Waterloo.'
Rather than just a medley of old ABBA songs the musical has a definite storyline. Through the music of ABBA, the audience will meet Donna, a fiesty forty something single mum who recalls distant memories of carefree days and careless night whilst her daughter Sophie dreams of tradition, romance and a big, white wedding.
Of the revival Ulvaeus says: 'This idea has been talked about for several years but it was only when I was with my wife and kids at the West End production of 'Grease' that It struck me we could do it.' He added; 'those lyrics of ours were always about relationships and they w ere little stories within themsleves.'
Asked whether the musical could lead to a ABBA reunion, Bjorn said: There has never been any question of ABBA getting back together and it is not going to happen now.' This musical is using the songs of ABBA which everyone knows, in a completely different context.'
The group broke up in 1983 after the two couples in the band - Bjorn and Agnetha and Benny and Frida - divorced. Blonde Agnetha now lives as a recluse on a fortress-style island 30 miles from Stockholm. She says of her former singer partner Frida. 'We have nothing in common.' Frida is now heavily involved in environmental campaigns.

Thanks to Dean Morrison and Jozsef.