icethesite – Benny Andersson news site | Page 6 | ABBA, CHESS, BAO, Kristina från Duvemåla and more…

2 May 2018

CHESS press night at The London Coliseum

CHESS is officially up and running again in London's West End. The Benny Andersson, Tim Rice and Björn Ulvaeus musical has finished its previews at the home of the English National Opera and last night launched to the press. We had a chance to chat with some of the cast and creatives about their involvement in this epic revival. Benny Andersson and Tim Rice Benny told us: "This is how Björn and I have always envisioned CHESS. A large and wonderful orchestra, a powerful choir and a great rock band form the backbone of the score. Then add in…

22 Apr 2018

Benny Andersson talks CHESS, ABBA avatars and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Cassidy Janson, Sir Tim Rice, Michael Ball, Benny Andersson and Alexandra Burke at CHESS rehearsals Benny Andersson has been in London this weekend on both CHESS and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again duties but broke off from his busy schedule for a few words with icethesite. Have you heard much of CHESS while you have been visiting the ENO? Yes, I spent all day at the Coliseum yesterday and I have to say that from a musical and sound aspect, I am more than happy. To hear 50 or so musicians in a theatre playing your music so…

12 Mar 2018

An interview with Görel Hanser

Görel Hanser We recently caught up with Görel Hanser and had the opportunity to chat about her incredible career and her approach to work and business. Görel started working at the offices of Stikkan (Stig) Anderson’s publishing company Sweden Music and the record company Polar Music in September 1969. She worked her way from being Stig's secretary to Vice President of Polar Music. During the ABBA years she handled the contacts with the many labels around the world who released the group’s records. She also became ABBA’s personal manager, dealing with the press and accompanying them on their tours…

23 Feb 2018

2018 proving popular for major CHESS productions

This year sees a host of new professional productions of the Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice musical CHESS on both sides of the Atlantic. Ramin Karimloo and Ensemble in Chess. Photo by Teresa Wood. Washington D.C. In February, the Tony Award winning producer, Michael Meyer, presented a new semi-staged concert version of CHESS at the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C., to open the theatre’s ‘Broadway Center Stage’ season of short-run shows. The five night only production which featured a revised book by Emmy Award winning writer, Danny Strong and a re-ordering of the musical’s songs, was staged…

20 Dec 2017

Merry Christmas from icethesite

Thank you to all our followers on the various social media channels as well as here on the main site. As this was the year of 'Piano', Benny Andersson's latest solo album, we hope you really enjoy this little something extra!