Helen Sjöholm, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anders Ekborg during the premiere in Malmö. Photo and © Anders Deros
Helen Sjöholm about the Kristina from Duvemåla premiere in 1995: “Something you can only experience once in a lifetime”
Aftonbladet 201007
By: FRIDA CARLQVIST
“Success” and “among the best Björn and Benny ever done” – that’s how Aftonbladet described the premiere of Kristina from Duvemåla in October 1995. Today it´s 25 years since the grand premiere.
– It was almost impossible to take how many eyes and ears were turned towards Malmö at the time, Helen Sjöholm says to Aftonbladet.
On October 7, 1995, expectations were high at Malmö Musikteater, now Malmö Opera. The giants Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson’s musical version of Wilhelm Moberg’s Utvandrarna (The Emigrants) had its world premiere. Kristina from Duvemåla is the story of the loving spouses Kristina and Karl-Oskar and a small group of people who leave Småland for a new life in America.
When Aftonbladet now, 25 years later, contacts the protagonists, they all tell of a hard work with the musical – but above all of a very important period.
– The period with Kristina was extremely important to me, it has meant a lot, says Helen Sjöholm who played the title role Kristina.
– Everything but Kristina ended up far down the list. But magic lifted us. It was dizzying on all levels and something you can only experience once in a lifetime, says Helen Sjöholm.
Anders Ekborg, who played Kristina’s husband Karl-Oskar, says that the musical meant a lot to him.
– It´s almost difficult to put into words. It changed my whole career and my life.
The musical was the breakthrough for current musical veterans Helen Sjöholm and Peter Jöback, who played Karl-Oskar’s brother Robert and whose Guldet blev till sand (Gold Can Turn To Sand ) is one of the most famous songs from the musical.
– It was tough and frustrating sometimes – but if you love the creation and the nerve that appears in those contexts, it was like a dream, Peter Jöback says to Aftonbladet.
Marianne Mörck: “People cried outside”
One of those who stood on the premiere stage was Marianne Mörck.
– It was an exciting premiere, people stood up and they never stopped applauding. It was a man who just got up and screamed, she says when Aftonbladet meets her in Malmö Opera’s foyer.
Marianne Mörck played the role of Fina-Kajsa, who is emigrating to her son in America, and was also assistant director and child manager. She says that everyone in the ensemble went hard for their roles.
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The musical received a huge reception and the premiere received four plus in rating by Aftonbladet’s reviewer.
– It was a brilliant success. People cried outside when there were no tickets, says Marianne Mörck.
“The same fate – different eras”
Harriet Cronström was also on stage during the premiere. In total, she participated in 550 performances in Malmö and in Stockholm.
– It was sold out all the time, it was like a fever in the house. It was amazing.
Harriet Cronström played the character Inga-Lena who seeks happiness through emigration, but who dies on the ship to America. She believes that the musical’s content is highly topical even today.
– It’s about emigrating because it was so poor, and it’s the same fate as people who now immigrate here. It was the same fate, albeit in different eras. It felt very important, says Harriet Cronström.
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“Everyone was completely still and listened”
Christel Rönn was one of those who worked as a dresser behind the scenes during the original set. Today she is head of costume technology at the opera. During the playing periods in Malmö, she worked as a dressmaker alongside a full-time job.
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Both Harriet and Christel especially remember the scene when Helen Sjöholm sings Du måste finnas (You Have To Be There), extra strong.
– When Helen Sjöholm sang it, you stood behind the scenes, everyone was completely still behind and listening. Even though you heard it as many times as you like, it became like a lump in your chest. And then she ran off, then she would have a shawl over her shoulders, then she ran around and onto the stage again. So she had a lot to do, Helen, Christel Rönn says.
Helen Sjöholm – Kristina from Duvemåla
What has Kristina from Duvemåla meant to you?
– The period with Kristina was extremely important to me, it has meant a lot! To be able to work with an original set, be involved in creating something from scratch and to be able to live with a character and performance for five years. It was a role that gave me a great challenge and taught me a lot – both about the profession and about myself. The playing time was incredibly fun, but very demanding. It was all about strength, that is, everything but Kristina ended up far down the list. But magic lifted us. The whole creation was an artistic bubble that brought you on a journey every time. It was an incredible ensemble. It was dizzying on all levels and something you can only experience once in a lifetime, Helen Sjöholm says to Aftonbladet.
How was the time around the premiere in Malmö?
– I remember the premiere as concentrated and big. There was so much expectation, both from us in the ensemble and everyone outside. It was nervous but pleasurable, a little unreal, it was almost impossible to take how many eyes and ears were turned towards Malmö at that time. The weeks before the premiere were so intense with reworkings to the end, there were big changes just days before and small even the same day! It was intense in such a way that I couldn´t really take anything outside the theater, which was perhaps a good thing. And then – the reception! Totally amazing.
Anders Ekborg – Karl-Oskar, husband of Kristina
What has Kristina from Duvemåla meant to you?
– It´s almost difficult to put into words, it has meant an incredible amount. It changed my whole career and my life in general changed at the same time, as I had children. It went hand in hand with Karl-Oskar to become a father. It was a milestone in life and a fantastic gift to be part of such a historical thing. It was great fun that according to every leaflet it was a total success, Anders Ekborg says to Aftonbladet.
How was the time around the premiere in Malmö?
– It was very hectic and an incredibly big pressure on everyone, that now this would be made into a musical. It was difficult to grasp how much interest there was from all over the world. Moberg’s Utvandrarna is our national epic, you wanted to shoulder the responsibility. Björn and Benny, everyone felt that this must be good. We had been working on this very improvisationally for a few months and before the premiere the material was 6.5 hours long. The last few weeks we deleted the most, the hard part was remembering what had been deleted – is this left? Once we stood there in front of the audience at the premiere, we hadn´t done the final version more than once or twice. Then it was extremely tiring too, in the beginning we played six shows a week, and this show was four and a half hours, so we were completely finished. Plus you might not sleep that much. It was like a fog there at first, but it was amazing, you loved it every time you went to the theater.
Peter Jöback – Robert, brother of Karl-Oskar
What has Kristina from Duvemåla meant to you?
– I learned a lot during the “Kristina” period. It was a fantastic group work led by the ingenious Lars Rudolfsson, Björn and Benny’s lyrics and music and all my wonderful colleagues, everything was at a level I longed to end up in. It was also the start of my international career in musical theater. I’m extremely grateful for that. We got so close and I made friends for life! I am extremely impressed and inspired by the people I met, Peter Jöback says to Aftonbladet.
How was the time around the premiere in Malmö?
– I enjoyed every second – I loved the creation and the fact that we got to be part of shaping a new musical theater work on a world level. There was a lot that was changed and deleted and rewritten all the time. It was tough and frustrating at times – but if you love the creation and the nerve that is present in those contexts, it was like a dream!
Åsa Bergh – Ulrika in Västergöhl
What has Kristina from Duvemåla meant to you?
– It has been very important to me. Just having been in an original set and just the set that was so good. I´m very fond of Moberg’s books and the characters, it´s a part of our history and a great masterpiece. I’m still so in love with the work, we didn´t get tired of the material even though we played it for so long, Åsa Bergh says to Aftonbladet.
How was the time around the premiere in Malmö?
– It was nervous, of course, but it was damn cool when the premiere was. It was so fun to work with this material and be part of their creative process, and it went on almost until the premiere. It’s exciting to be part of an original set and that they wrote while we rehearsed. Everyone was also so concerned that the work would be good, when you manage to get everyone in the same direction, it becomes such a damn strong energy, it becomes so powerful.
Peter Jöback, Benny Andersson, Helen Sjöholm, Anders Ekborg, Björn Ulvaeus and Åsa Bergh during a press conference in 1995. Photo and © Lars Rosengren
(The entire report is not reproduced for copyright reasons)