Kristina Lands in America

You’ve no doubt heard of ABBA, and perhaps you know that the two guys who wrote the songs for ABBA, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, went on to write Mamma Mia! and make huge bucks. But did you know they have another musical that opened 14 years ago in Sweden and has been running ever since? And did you know that musical, called Kristina, premiered two nights ago in English at Carnegie Hall for an exclusive concert series presentation? Now you do, and you should be glad of it, cuz this musical is something you will want to see.

Kristina is the story of a young woman who moves with her husband from Sweden to Minnesota, via NYC. It’s a basic tale, but it’s full of passion for life and yearning for home. And if the cast once it makes it to Broadway (not a huge if) is anything like what appeared at Carnegie Hall recently, it’s going to soar. Led by the young woman who’s been playing Kristina in Sweden, Helen Sjöholm, along with England’s top selling classic performer, Russell Watson, and featuring a stellar supporting cast, symphony, and chorus, both Kristina’s performances resulted in sold out houses, standing ovations, and tons of tears.

You can also hear the music before it gets to Broadway (at least in Swedish). The three CD box set is available at various online retailers ($250 here on Amazon) and you can listen to an English-language Kristina medley here. If you love big, hearty musicals with catchy, emotional tunes, you'll totally love Kristina.

Photo via RussellWatsonuk.com.