27-30 November 2002, Tokyo, Japan Pre Opening Paformance
Finally we can see the musical "Mamma Mia!", which the ABBA members Bjorn and Benny produced, here in our country. I finally got the tickets of premiere show a few months ago and now I am here. But suddenly the news about pre-opening shows are held, and of course I got them. I am really looking forward to the appearance of ABBA members on stage.
When the music began I felt tears coming to my eyes. Yes, that are the songs of ABBA indeed. But it was a little bit funny and I was dumbfounded because of the Japanese lyrics. "Holding the bag"...?...a porter or something?. Oh it comes from "School bag in hand"!. Some are strange but very interesting. And about the title "Mamma Mia!", we ABBA fan usually call it {mama mia} and we are used to hearing that, but this musical in Japan is now called {manma mia} like as Italian. We don't know why. Anyway, we are really happy that we can see this ABBA's musical in Japan.
Oh, Woterloo is written on the boat. Oh, the name of a grandaunt of Sophie is "Sofia"!. Does that come from Michael B. Tretow's daughter?. Oh, Harry in "Our last summer"?. Bill is Australian, yes ABBA were very well received in Australia at that time. Is that why they have chosen an Australian for the role?. I think ABBA fans will enjoy this musical because they can find many of these things through the story.
But I found that Bjorn and Benny did not come. Tomorrow, on the day of the premiere, will they be coming???.
1 December 2002, Tokyo, Japan Opening
It was a hard job for me to get today's tickets. In fact, it was my first trial to get tickets for the premiere of the musical. I really want to see the members of ABBA. Of course I have brought my family from my hometown with me to this musical. I also wanted my parents and my brother to see the members of ABBA besides the musical. Yes, I was sure that they would come!. Because it is the premiere!. There were many selebrities we knew from television but no-one looking western / european/ occidental was in sight. Some seats next to us were vacant. Suddenly, a group of western-looking people came and quickly sat on those seats.
I thought they were some kind of Swedish embassy staff. But I heard them speaking in English with each other. I wanted to know who they were and asked the person some things. I was so surprised that they knew well about ABBA, about the appearance on the stage on Mamma Mia! in Germany and also knew that neither Bjorn nor Benny were there. I didn't know why they recognized all things about the show before I saw them in SHIKI group's periodical and on the television. Oh, they were staff of Mamma Mia!.
I am sure this is the premiere show. This is ABBA's musical. I know well about the appearance of ex-ABBA members on the stages of Mamma Mia! overseas. Why can't see them?. When the ABBA concerts in Japan were held, I was only 11 years old. So I have never seen them before. I really wanted to see ABBA on this precious day!.
