Mamma Mia 5th Anniversary on Broadway: ABBAGus Reports!

I arrived on Tuesday to New York City and ABBAMAILer Laura Hitchens was waiting for us at the Hotel in order to take us to dinner as well as to look for the ABBA releases supposed to be out that very day.

We found the Mamma Mia! combo (CD+DVD) at Virgin Records, but no information whatsoever about Arrival 30^th Anniversary or the Mamma Mia! Book. We thought we would be looking for it the next very day just to be ready for Björn to sign it should he appear. But according to the ABBF club “no person from Sweden would attend the event” and they kept on waiting an answer from Littlestar regarding someone else’s presence, such as  Judy Cramer or Catherine Johnson. 

On Wednesday 18^th (the very day of the event) we started the whole morning by visiting Bookstores such as some Barnes & Noble and so forth.

They told us, they ordered some Mamma Mia! books, but the were sold out, and there was only a copy left at some distant branch, so we were upset because we weren’t able to get it on time.

We decided to go the Winter Garden Theatre to see if at the shop we could find it. What lucky we were as there was some staff of a radio station called 95.5 WPLJ, which transmit music from the 80’s, 90’s & today. They were giving away tickets for a lotto, a trip free to Las Vegas to attend Mamma Mia!

 Bu then we could see they had the book!! So as one of the guys was from Australia, I started talking to him and he presented us “The Book, a Mamma Mia! CD, a cap and a T-shirt”, That was good because it was like a US$100 value! But most important we had the Book.

 We were supposed to pick up the tickets between 6 and 6:45 PM at the Theatre, so we met the New York City fans at one Applebee’s restaurant before that, some ABBAMAILers were there - Ron , Laura and Pepe as well as some other fans including Lars George L., Walter, Vinnie and Bogart.

We went to the theatre, there were few photographers but no Red Carpet. There were some balloons - blue and white - but that was all. There was no sign of Björn, but then we realized that the lady who’s always present when Björn is present was actually there. Björn had apparently told the security guys from the theatre that the would allow fans to take some pictures at points of the opening and at the end of it. So the possibility grew on my mind.

The show began differently by lifting the curtains, and some person talked about the fact that the proceeds of this performance were being donated to the actor’s fund and that the cast was happy to act for free. The curtains went down and the show began.

The performance was okay but about the new Donna (Carolee Carmelo) was better actor than she was a singer. Of all the productions I've seen, I would have to say that the Swedish Donna -  Gunilla - is the best.

 At the end of the play, people were uplifted and happy, there was lots of applause, almost as if the show was attended only by ABBA fans.

When the show was over, after Waterloo, then they said “we wanna ask someone very important for Mamma Mia! to come on stage, he’s one of the ABBA members, please welcome Björn Ulvaeus”.

The moment was huge, you may have already seen videos of that moment.  

Björn was evidently happy, maybe because he saw all people really enjoying and yelling at the end of the show even not knowing he was there.

Björn said some words to the public about the importance of a success in Broadway and even bigger if it was for 5 years.

He said he had just attended to the successful premiere of Mamma Mia! in Moscow. Then he introduced the person who developed the book and therefore an important person for the global success of Mamma Mia! and invited Catherine Johnson to come on stage.

After the show, we waited for Björn at the stage door. One by one all actors came out and then suddenly Björn appeared.

I don't think he was expecting people to be waiting there, but he signed autographs, I handed him my Lycka CD, the famous book, the Mamma Mia! combo CD+DVD and they were all signed. We we chatted for a few seconds.

Bogart had a photo of Björn when he was a baby, and Björn said “is it me?” “Really?” I don’t remember this photo!! 

Which I personally didn’t believe he didn’t remember but still he was happy. He went inside again maybe to leave using the front door as we waited for him in the same spot we were and he didn’t show up again.

We then went to the “After Show Party.” There were no police or people requesting the entrance ticket, so anyone could have walked in!

There was all kind of food, delicious by the way, and any drink you would like. Björn was there talking to the women of Mamma Mia!, all of them the whole night.

We had the chance to ask the famous lady that led us to the hunch that maybe Björn would be there, who are you? She replied “I’m nobody” she didn’t want us to take her a picture in the end and she said she works for Mamma Mia! Inc.

Then we saw Catherine Johnson, she was such a nice and happy person and seemed very grounded and humble.

I managed to tell her that she was a genious because due to the success of Mamma Mia!, ABBA is more respected in the States. Never before had I seen ABBA’s popularity so this huge in this country. Catherine joked and laughed, she was really, really nice.

There were gifts for those who attended the "After Show Party"

Little backpacks which had a ladies’ Mamma Mia! T-shirt regarding the cancer fund and stuff. Lots of them. Many of us took more than one!

I went to Björn’s table and I asked him for a photo which he gladly did, he was happy and I was informed he had asked just 70’s music for the event. No ABBA song was played, but still good music from our era.

He was interviewed the by Channel 1 from New York City, and this little interview was shown again and again on TV the following day. I kept seeing it at the restaurant, the hotel and even at the airport. It was great to see how Mamma Mia! is doing in the US.

 Thanks to ABBAGus for this report and these fabulous photos