Mamma Mia! RPO ABBA Tribute Concert Follows Iconic Group’s Hall of Fame Induction

Rochester, NY—Just days after one of the most notable pop groups of the 1970s—ABBA—is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the RPO will perform the tribute concert ABBA: The Music, and will be joined by two original ABBA band members Ulf Andersson (saxophone and flute), and Roger Palm (drums).  Performances will be held on Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20, both at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, bringing some of the most memorable ABBA hits from the past to audiences of the present. Dressed in replicas of ABBA’s brilliantly colored costumes, Swedish “look- and sound-alike” singers Camilla Dahlin Hedren and Ann Gyllner will be joined by vocalists portraying Björn and Benny, plus a back-up band and the forces of the RPO, all under the baton of Conductor Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair).

ABBA: The Music revives the look and the sound of ABBA with performances barely distinguishable from the original. The official International ABBA Fan Club has called this concert “absolutely the best ABBA since ABBA!”  Singer Camilla Dahim Hedren was an original member of the vocal duo Waterloo, taking its name from ABBA’s first major single in 1972. The duo capitalized on its natural resemblance to the original ABBA front women, and replicated the famous costumes used by the original singers. Musicians, including some of the original ABBA band members, were added to the group and enhanced the overall sound. Since 2001, when Waterloo collaborated with a Danish production company to produce a concert tour, ABBA: The Music has been touring internationally to captivated audiences.  The popularity of ABBA’s music is indisputable; its records still sell nearly two million copies per year worldwide. 

The RPO program includes many of ABBA’s international hits such as Mamma Mia; Knowing Me, Knowing You; Summer Night City; SOS; Take a Chance on Me; Waterloo; The Winner Takes it All; Suzy Hang Around; and more.

Tickets for these performances are $30-$80, with $85 box seats available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org; by phone (454-2100); in-person from the RPO Box Office, 108 East Avenue, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Saturday (non-concert Saturdays, 10:00 am-3:00 pm); and seven days a week at area Wegmans.  A convenience fee may apply.  The Pops Series is sponsored by Wegmans; this concert is sponsored by Corning, Inc. and Nixon Peabody, LLP.

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