JAPANESE ENGLISH

25 January 2004, Seoul, Korea Opening

At The Opera Theatre, THE OPERA HOUSE in Seoul Arts Center. It was cold in Seoul, just as I'd heard it would be. If you go out after dark your earlobes, finger tips and nose get so cold that you don't feel they are part of your body any more. (It was -12 degrees that night.)


But the warmth of the ABBA fans in Korea made up for the freezing weather, they were so friendly and would talk to anybody. Many people thought I was Korean and asked me in Korean-"Where have you come from? I hope that we can see Bjorn!". --"Sorry, but I'm Japanese." They said,"Oh, we envy you! ABBA visited Japan so often. They like Japan, you know". Luckily we could understand each other because most young Koreans speak English. There were also many boys who were studying Japanese at school. Boys? That's right. I don't know why, but there are so many young ABBA fans in Korea. Most of the ABBA fans I saw in Korea were in their twenties. I should have asked them who are young fans how they had got to like ABBA(Later I thought the reason why is that 'Dancing Queen' was used in Korean TV dorama 'Winter Sonata'). Anyway, Koreans I met were so gentle, kind and considerate. Only those fans who turned up early enough were allowed to welcome Bjorn at the entrance of the hall, they really appreciated their luck. Thanks to the hospitality of the chairperson of the ABBA fan club in Korea, I could join them and welcome Bjorn.
 
Me? oh, I hadn't even known that Bjorn was coming until just half an hour beforehand. On the stairs, by chance, I happened to meet an English staff that sat beside at the premiere of Mamma Mia! in Japan. He said "Wow, you're lucky! Bjorn's coming this time. Why don't you come to party later on?".

"Oh, my Goshhhh!! I can't believe it!!!
Nobody told me Bjorn is coming!!!"


I saw Bjorn amongst a few Westerners getting out of a black car. My 24 year old dream had now come true. I could at last actually see one of the four ABBA members. Bjorn was shaking hands and giving autographs in the storm of voices of the fans shouting "We love ABBA!". I can't remember much of this moment.
So deeply moved I started crying then.


It took Bjorn only a few minutes to pass through the fans. I was so frustrated because I really wanted to talk to him. But I knew the show would start soon. Still, I felt lucky because my seat was in the sixth row. My ticket number was A-32 but I didn't know which row I'd be in until I saw it. Bjorn and his group sat about five rows behind me. I couldn't concentrate on the musical because I knew Bjorn was sitting so close to me. But I tried to keep focused to write a report.
  

A screen above the stage displayed the lines of the musical and the words of the songs in English. It seemed to be the same as the British version of the original CD of Mamma Mia!. There are more lines in the musical than in the Japanese version. The audience were in a superb mood. They laughed so happily at the funny scenes and applauded really loudly after exciting songs. I thought the Japanese actors and actresses performed better (maybe this was because it was only the first day of the musical), but I'm sure the singing in the Korean Mamma Mia! beats the Japanese singing. The dancing in this Korean version was very different than in the Japanese one. The Korean Mamma Mia! had less English in the songs. The line of "Money Money Money" was sang in English in both the Korean and the Japanese versions, just as I was hoping. Everybody stood up for the curtain call although it was only the first day. In Japan the audience were a bit slow about standing for the curtain call on the first day, but the Korean audience stood up straightaway. It seems that Koreans don't know they should wave their arms from right to left, then left to right, to 'Dancing Queen', but they danced to the music excitingly. While we were waiting for the musical to begin, I saw that many people were asked for their autographs, and so I suppose that many Korean celebrities were there on the first day, just like in Japan. The difference was that in Korea even the famous stood up for the curtain call. I realized how expensive the tickets for the musical were in Korea. When I bought a ticket in Japan for the Mamma Mia! performance in Korea I didn't think it was so expensive. In Japan, it's 10,500 yen for an "S" seat for The Shiki's Mamma Mia! (for The Shiki Club members). In Korea, it's about the same price of 100,000 won (about 10,000 yen) for a similar seat. The prices are exactly the same, but things are cheaper in Korea, for instance, four or five people can eat their fill of Korean barbecue in a restaurant for only about 30,000 won (about 3,000 yen), a leather coat costs 150,000 won (about 15,000 yen), and a 30-minute taxi ride is 16,000 won (about 1,600 yen). A musical ticket price of 100,000 won seems too expensive to them Korean. Is it different sense of values?.
 

Bjorn and some of his group ran out of the door while 'Waterloo' was performed on the stage for the curtain call. "Oh! What's happening? Where are they going? Can't I see them again?" I wondered. My worry soon ended. When the actresses and actors were silently bowing to the audience who were clapping their hands, Bjorn and his group appeared at the very end. I realized that this was the scene that a German ABBA fan described on her website. I remember just one year ago, the first performance of Mamma Mia! in Japan ended without a scene like this and the audience were reluctant to leave.


At the party I couldn't talk to Bjorn for a long time because he was busy chatting with celebrities and was interviewed by famous people. I was interrupted many times. But, it was like a dream!-Not only was I near Bjorn but also his wife and daughter.
 

At last I got my chance. I talked a lot with Bjorn. At first I tried very hard not to talk about what was on my mind. I explained to him that so many fans are desperate to see him. I was so excited that I sometimes talked to Bjorn(who of course doesn't speak Japanese)in Japanese without realizing it. I tried so hard to convey the thoughts of Japanese ABBA fans. I also asked Bjorn a forbidden question.

Why you didn't come to Manma Mia! in Tokyo?

As time passed, and I felt I could express my personal feelings, so I told him how tormented I had been waiting to see him for the last 24 years. Bjorn said "Oh, that was a long time", and allowed me to be taken in a photo with his arm around my shoulder. I was so happy. I was so excited to see him and even get to talk to him that I completely forgot I had a digital camera with me. This is the long story of the day I'll never forget.


No, I'm not sleeping.
I'm explaining that ABBA is a big fad in Japan again.



There was one thing I regret that day which stopped me from sleeping all night.

I forgot to ask Bjorn to give me his autograph...

By the way, I've always used the pronunciation Manma Mia!. In Japan, The Japanese theatre Shiki company changed the pronunciation for Mamma to Manma. But when you go abroad, it's Mamma Mia!, right? Although I know this, I tend to forget. I said to Bjorn "Manma Mia! in Tokyo". What a shame.


To my regret, Mamma Mia! in Soul was over. Final show was on April 24. I really wanted to visit again.

Another event I almost forgot to mention!. During my body check at the airport to leave Korea, an airport employee saw I was carrying a placard presented by members of Korean fan club with "WE LOVE ABBA" written on it. He told me that he also went to see the first performance of Mamma Mia!. (See, I didn't forget to mention it!)

Many thanks to Korean FC




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