Helen Sjöholm outside Carnegie Hall in New York where she made an acclaimed
appearance in ”Kristina från Duvemåla”.
Aftonbladet 091011
By: YLVA NIKLASSON
Photo: PONTUS HÖÖK
”I really got a taste for New York” Helen Sjöholm’s smash hit in the USA whetted her appetite. Now she hopes that it will provide new offers.
– Wouldn’t it be fantastic to move to New York for a while, she says.
Helen Sjöholm, 39, is a pessimist.
Why, one may really wonder.
– I really have no reason – everything is going my way – but I’m like that, raised not to take anything for granted, she says. We sit at the Oscar Theatre where she currently plays the third season of “My Fair Lady” to sold out houses. Her song “Du är min man” is on the Swedish charts for the fifth consecutive year, and last week she received a standing ovation for “Kristina” concerts in the historic Carnegie Hall in New York.
– It was a great moment. I was so incredibly nervous before, such a crazy feeling came over me before I was about to enter the stage, “this is insane, what am I really doing?”. It wasn’t time to screw things up then when they had brought me over there all the way from Sweden, she says.
“A huge warm welcome”
But the 3000-crowd loved it, Nöjesbladet were there and witnessed the smash hit. Helen smiles at the memory.
– Yes, it went well. The nerves calmed down when I got on stage and got such a huge warm welcome. During the rehearsals I forgot the lyrics when I became too emotional, for example during “You have to be there”, but luckily I nailed it at the concerts.
How did it otherwise go to sing in English?
– The translation was incredibly nice and it didn’t feel artificial, but how the pronunciation sounded, someone else can be the judge of. I have toiled incredibly hard over the summer and it never felt really good at first – but that came off when I got there.
Haven’t been nagging
Why haven’t you pursued a career abroad before?
– Had someone phoned me with an offer I would certainly have cheered, but I haven’t exactly been fighting for it. I’ve never been so keen on it that I have been pressing and nagging – it’s enough for me the things I get to do here at home.
Enjoys it at Oscars
But would you want to join in on a staging of “Kristina” in the USA?
– I doubt it, because it’s such a great enterprice. They work so terribly hard and I find it really hard to imagine to play eight, nine performances a week and see my family so little. I thoroughly enjoy myself now at Oscars with “My Fair Lady“, we play three or four days a week.
But can you imagine to move to the USA for a period and do more concerts?
– Absolutely, that would be fantastic, I really got my appetite whetted. I thoroughly like New York and I have no problem imagining myself to move there. But it’s about everyday life, the family will have to come and we’d need time to see each other. That will be a difficult combination.
Lucky to meet Björn and Benny
Do you wonder what would have happened if you had not been discovered by Björn and Benny?
– Yes, sometimes. I’ve been very lucky. I had five years of education and learned a lot about myself as an artist and about being on stage – that had never happened without the part as Kristina. Without Björn and Benny I don’t know what had become of my singing career.
Have you earned a fortune over the years?
– I’m really well off, but am in no way financially independent. We have invested in good living and it costs. I still need to work and I take nothing for granted. Things are going well now, but can change like this. Helen snaps her fingers. Then she realises what she’s said and laughs.
– Like I said, I’m a pessimist. But that’s probably good too, since I become pleasantly surprised every time it goes well.
HELEN ABOUT…
40-year-old crisis:
– I’m not so stressed about it work-wise, you can be hot stuff when you’re a 60-year-old woman. But on other levels it’s worse – I feel in my body that I get older.
Son Ruben, two years:
– I’ve never been away from him as long as the three weeks in the USA, it was terribly hard. I longed for him all the time.
Melodifestivalen:
– I have been asked several times, but never liked the songs. And a three minute circus performance is too short for me – I get a half panic just thinking about it.
Spring 2010:
– I don’t really know. I want to work with a new album and do some concerts, but no major things are booked. It feels quite nice actually.
”My Fair Lady”:
– I’m so glad I jumped on the project. I’ve never worked with such a strong ensemble and it’s a breeze to go to work. Eliza is a great role.
”Du är min man”:
– It’s totally crazy. The song was kind of roughly made. It was just a fun song, and I never ever thought that it would become a symbol of me.