Aftonbladet 170618
By: JENS PETERSON
GÖTEBORG. Nearly 27,000 in the audience. Sweden’s most skilled musical artists on stage.
Treasures from the best shows. This love statement made almost everything right.
Wonderful samples from “Hair” and “Cabaret” with Helen Sjöholm.
FACTS
I love musicals
++++
Ullevi Gothenburg, with Peter Jöback, Helen Sjöholm, Tommy Körberg et al. Stockholm Sinfonietta, conductor Julian Bigg.
Audience: 26 742.
Best: “Du måste finnas”
Worst: Could be shorter.
Peter Jöback’s tribute project “I love musicals” has made a long journey, and the performance at Ullevi is generous. As the clock reaches midnight there is a grandiose final for “Les Miserables” with fireworks and golden confetti.
After that “Guldet blev till sand” as an encore, followed by “You’ll never walk alone”, which turns into “Climb every mountain” from “Sound of Music” with Helen Sjöholm as a leader.
The night is gentle and tender and both Jöback and the audience are tearful.
The evening was divided into two acts with a break. The first half was almost perfect. Fun presentations of the genre, and quick versions of musicals such as “My Fair Lady” and “Hair”. Each song and musical effectively depicted in the scene, a powerful scenography. Dancers and choir, a big orchestra with a harp at one end and timpani in the other.
Standing ovation
Not always the biggest hits from the musicals, more of an educational show that highlights some odd numbers. But in the Swedish classics it’s the showstoppers, like “Anthem” from “Chess” and “Du måste finnas” from “Kristina från Duvemåla”.
Helen Sjöholm gets the evening’s first standing ovation.
After the break there’s highlights like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cabaret”. Helen Sjöholm impresses in “Don’t cry for me Argentina” and “Bortom sol och måne” by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus.
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But the final becomes a triumph.
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Plenty of people. You can always hum “You’ll never walk alone”. The song from the musical “Carousel” has become a team song for the Liverpool football club and was twice suitable as encore at Ullevi. Musical friends walked abreast and filled the stadium. An evening that showed how many different expressions musicals can have. A night to remember.
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