{"id":1853,"date":"2013-05-10T19:35:15","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T17:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/?page_id=1853"},"modified":"2022-03-06T19:03:03","modified_gmt":"2022-03-06T17:03:03","slug":"world-class-helen","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/press-clips\/reviews-2009\/world-class-helen\/","title":{"rendered":"World class, Helen"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Aftonbladet
\n<\/strong>The shortened version of \u201cKristina\u201d was received with standing ovations by
\nthe audience at Carnegie Hall in New York. Helen Sj\u00f6holm\u2019s routine and
\nempathy makes the story sparkle, N\u00f6jesbladet\u2019s Jens Peterson writes.
\nThe next step should be to stage the whole musical on Broadway.<\/em><\/p>\n

Aftonbladet 090925<\/strong><\/p>\n

By: JENS PETERSON
\nPhoto: PONTUS H\u00d6\u00d6K<\/p>\n

The New York audience stood up and cheered. 15 cents, it says on the stamp with Helen Sj\u00f6holm\u2019s face. But \u201cKristina\u2019s\u201d poster name is worth much, much more. Helen Sj\u00f6holm lifts Bj\u00f6rn and Benny\u2019s songs to heavenly heights. She writes entertainment history on a historical stage.  <\/strong><\/p>\n

Not that Helen Sj\u00f6holm seems all too taken by the gravity of the moment. In the audience are powerful Broadway people, in the walls echoes of all the legends who performed at Carnegie Hall can be heard. But Helen Sj\u00f6holm does not appear to be more nervous than if she was standing in the People\u2019s House in Sundsvall. She sings so people get tears in their eyes, and after her stunning rendering of \u201cYou Have to be There\u201d the audience jumps up into a standing ovation and shout bravo. The applause would never cease. A remarkable experience.<\/p>\n

The story sparkles  <\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s not just that Helen Sj\u00f6holm sings better than everyone else. She has an acting experience and insight that makes \u201cKristina\u201d and the story sparkle. The translation into English is excellent. The Swedish expressions have been replaced by American with the same poetic charge. \u201cWarm spring evenings\u201d have become \u201cTwilight images calling\u201d, and instead of the Astrakhan there is a scent of \u201cSummer Rose apple tree\u201d. In this shorter version \u201cKristina\u201d is two hours and fifteen minutes. It\u2019s basically songs only, but some parts are told by the performers. [On the wall] behind the stage black and white photographs appear, and occasionally a rolling text explains the time and place.<\/p>\n

Fantastic songs  <\/strong>
\nLars Rudolfsson has given \u201cKristina\u201d a taut and stylish setting. In the last touching scene an apple tree is shown in the background and while the music fades out the photograph slides over into color. Beautiful and dignified. It\u2019s not only Helen Sj\u00f6holm that impresses. Russell Watson matches her \u200b\u200bwell as Karl-Oskar and he has an interesting voice that can move from opera to pop without losing credibility. Kevin Odekirk gets the evening\u2019s second standing ovation when he does \u201cGold can Turn to Sand\u201d and Louise Pitre is strong as Ulrika. Both when she sings and when she dramatizes the plot as the narrator. Above all these talented artists highlight what an amazing collection of songs this is. \u201cKristina\u201d is a rich musical with many expressions and temperament. One can discover and rediscover the melodies and loops in the powerful musical fabric.<\/p>\n

Waiting for the musical  <\/strong>
\nAt times it\u2019s also funny, although the basic story is heavy and full of sorrow. \u201cTo think that men like he can be,\u201d which in Swedish was a word game about language problems, has become \u201cAmerican Man\u201d. A funny homage from the women to the cleaning, cooking priest. The concerts at Carnegie Hall stresses that \u201cKristina\u201d is a strong musical also in English. The next step should be that it\u2019s staged for real. On Broadway. With Helen Sj\u00f6holm. World class is what we usually call our highest rating when we review. Sj\u00f6holm is beyond world class, as one poet put it in the emotional storm after \u201cKristina\u2019s\u201d premiere.<\/p>\n

\n

+++++  <\/strong>
\nKristina  <\/strong>
\nCarnegie Hall, New York
\nDirection:<\/strong> Lars Rudolfsson, with Helen Sj\u00f6holm, Russell Watson, Louise Pitre etc.
\nAudience:<\/strong> 2 800.
\nBest:<\/strong> Helen Sj\u00f6holm
\nWorst:<\/strong> Sometimes hard to hear the lyrics when the choir sings.
\nQuestion:<\/strong> When do we get to see the whole musical?<\/p>\n

\n

\"Aftonbladet
\nBenny Andersson gave Helen Sj\u00f6holm a hug.<\/em><\/p>\n

Back<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The shortened version of \u201cKristina\u201d was received with standing ovations by the audience at Carnegie Hall in New York. Helen Sj\u00f6holm\u2019s routine and empathy makes Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1848,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1853","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1853\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}