Photo & © Mats Bäcker
Hallands Nyheter 2023-02-21
By: MARTIN ERLANDSSON
After the success of Så som i himmelen (As it is in heaven), parts of the same team will make a musical of Änglagård (House of Angels) – with Helen Sjöholm in one of the roles.
– It will be fun and exciting, says the singer who also sings in Falkenberg in March.
Five years after As it is i heaven, another famous Swedish film will become a musical at the Oscar Theater from September 10, with new music by Fredrik Kempe, screenplay by Edward af Sillén and Norwegian Tuva B Larsen in the lead role.
This time, the producers Johan and Vicky von der Lancken have chosen to remake the three-time Golden Horn award-winning House of Angels, with Tommy Körberg and Helen Sjöholm in two of the story’s most memorable supporting roles.
– It´s admirable that they are taking such a step in these uncertain times. We hope that we can offer a really great experience, with laughter and tears, that resonates with the audience for a very long time, Helen Sjöholm says.
Viveka Seldahl’s character
Helen will play the deeply religious Rut, who, among other things, is appalled at how immorality spreads in the small village in Västergötland when the show artists Fanny and Zac arrive from Berlin with their free-spirited friends.
No one can forget how Viveka Seldahl (1944–2001) played the role and scolded the main characters.
– It´s a classic scene that exists in many people’s memories and that is included in a new way. Viveka Seldahl’s fantastic acting performance has left a strong impression on my image of House of Angels, but I hope to find something of my own, Helen Sjöholm says and continues:
– In Kristina from Duvemåla there was both a literary model and Liv Ullman’s role in the film, but I try to shake it off when you create something new together in a new form, musical theatre.
How was it to watch As it is in heaven, where your role as Gabriella in the film was interpreted by Malena Ernman?
– It had been 15 years since the film and I felt that you are quickly drawn into another story and that it becomes a new experience, answers Helen.
Were you asked to be in the musical?
– There were such thoughts, but for me it was not on the map, because I had already done my Gabriella.
Singing together in På spåret (On the Track)
Helen Sjöholm already knows several people in the ensemble. She has shared the stage with Tommy Körberg many times before, for example in Chess in Swedish 2002–2004, My fair lady 2008–2009 and with Benny Andersson Band – most recently in the finale of On the Track, which was broadcast last Friday.
– Tommy will be fantastic fun to work with again and Fredrik Lycke, with whom I will play a couple (he plays Sven Wollter’s role as Axel), I have done many concerts with and longed to play with. I know exactly how it feels to sing with Fredrik and he is also a very fine actor, says Helen.
In the film House of Angels, Fanny was played by a 27-year-old Helena Bergström and now the role will be played by 31-year-old Tuva B Larsen. Rikard Wolff played Zac as a 33-year-old (and was 59 when he died in 2017) and now the role is taken over by 48-year-old Lindy Larsson, who made a breakthrough as the pastor lecturer Kristoffer in House of Angels – the third time in 2011.
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Körberg in the role of Günther
House of Angels by Colin Nutley premiered in theaters on February 21, 1992 and was seen by 1.14 million people. It was nominated for five golden rams and won for best film and best director, while Ernst Günther (1933–1999) received a special ram for “creative efforts” as Gottfrid.
That particular role, as one of the village’s two elderly, single brothers, is played in the musical by Tommy Körberg – the legend who has performed at Fridas in Kärradal north of Varberg almost every summer since 2002.
So it will be 74-year-old Körberg who gets to utter Gottfrid’s classic lines about “bananas in the ears”.
– It’s quite common for movies to be made for the musical with other actors. Right now, for example, Bodyguard is playing at Chinateatern and there Nadja Kasanesh Holm plays the role that Whitney Houston had, says co-producer Bosse Andersson from Falkenberg and 2entertain.
Collaborated for 20 years
Bosse thinks it’s interesting that competitors such as Stockholm’s City Theater and the Gothenburg Opera are simultaneously investing in proven cards such as A Chorus Line and Cabaret.
– Yes, it should be the other way around considering that they only receive 25 percent of the revenue from tickets and 75 percent from contributions, but for us it’s an honor to be involved when Vicky and Johan make a brand new musical on commercial terms. The idea came up a few years ago and the fact that As it is in heaven went so well gave a boost, he says, reminding us that this year marks exactly 20 years since 2entertain started collaborating with Vicky von der Lancken.
Edward af Sillén, who writes the script with Daniel Réhn and directs, has, in addition to many pub shows, plays, TV galas and musicals, also written the script for two feature movies that have been directed by the House of Angels couple Colin Nutley (The Medicine) and Helena Bergström (A freaking Christmas). .
Edward af Sillén thinks that the musical genre is about maximizing all emotions.
– In a movie you can lean on the photo, but here everything has to be done concretely on a stage and I’m so impressed by Fredrik Kempe who writes the music, he contributes pure gold, says af Sillén to Göteborgs-Posten and continues:
– I’ve worked on so many different projects together with Fredrik and here he really fits perfectly. And I can already promise that there will be real parade numbers. When I heard a song that Helen Sjöholm sings in the first act, I literally fell off my chair.
Concert in Falkenberg
As early as March 29, those who have bought a ticket can hear Helen Sjöholm live in a full up Falkenberg City Theater.
The 52-year-old from Sundsvall will, among other things, perform well-known hits at Svenstoppen, such as Du måste finnas (You have to be there) from Kristina from Duvemåla (1995), Du är min man (You are my man) med Benny Andersson Band (2004) and Gabriella’s song from As it is in heaven (2004).
– The concert will represent my entire career and I have, for example, something from the collaboration with Anders Widmark (on the album Through every breath, 2003), something from So much better (2020) and a personal show about my grandmother, who is from such a village like in House of Angels; Näsåker in Ångermanland, where I have a lot of roots.
Helen Sjöholm is accompanied by pianist Rikard Nilsson. It’s Lions in Falkenberg who arrange the concert and the financial surplus goes to charitable projects.
– Me and Rikard got to know each other about two years ago, when we toured with a bigger band. Then we started working together with just the voice and an instrument, and that’s a foundation that you come from and like to land in. You need to have a completely new entry in every single song to find the core of it, Helen explains.
Likes Vallarna’s ham acting
For the past two summers, Helen Sjöholm has been in Falkenberg with her family and, among other things, saw 2entertain’s ham acting at Vallarna.
– It started when we were driving home from Skåne and felt it was too far, and since my husband (David Granditsky) is good friends with Annika Andersson (Korenado), we slept over in Falkenberg. Now Vallarna has become a bit of a fun tradition, which the kids ask for, so we’ll probably go there again this year. We also discovered the beaches and how nice it is in Falkenberg in the summer, Helen Sjöholm says.
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The musical House of Angels
- Screenplay based on the film by Colin Nutley: Edward af Sillén (also director) and Daniel Réhn
- Composer: Fredrik Kempe. Music arranger: Karl-Johan Ankarblom. Conductor: Johan Siberg. Scenography: Lars Östbergh. Costume design: Annsofi Östbergh Nyberg.
- Cast: Tuva B Larsen as Fanny (in the movie: Helena Bergström), Lindy Larsson as Zac (Rikard Wolff), Helen Sjöholm as Rut (Viveka Seldahl), Tommy Körberg as Gottfrid (Ernst Günther), Gustav Levin as Ivar (Tord Peterson ), Fredrik Lycke as Axel (Sven Wollter), Martin Stokke Mathiesen as Mårten (Jakob Eklund), Sofia Pekkari as Eva (Ing-Marie Carlsson), Per Svensson as the pastor (Reine Brynolfsson) and Denny Lekström as the lawyer (Peter Andersson).
- Ensemble: Caroline Gustafsson (stand in for the role of Fanny), Hjalmar Freij (Mårten), Jonas Schlyter (Axel), Joakim Jennefors (Gottfrid), Cecilia Wrangel (Eva) and others.
- Premiere on September 10, 2023, at the Oscar Theater in Stockholm, produced by Vicky Entertainment Production (Vicky & Johan von der Lancken) and 2entertain (Bosse Andersson).
(The entire article is not reproduced for copyright reasons)