BJORN PLANNING TO TAKE FRIDA'S LIFE TO THE STAGE

ABBA star BJORN ULVAEUS wants to create a new stage show based on the life of former bandmate ANNI-FRID LYNGSTAD. The WATERLOO songwriter believes Lyngstad's transformation from an infant orphan into a princess is perfectly primed for a sweeping musical. He says, "Out of all four of us, she had the most dramatic life. Her life is the classic from rags to riches story. "First she grew up as an orphan and then it turned out that she was a product of the Lebensborn programme." During Germany's World War Two occupation of Norway, Nazi officers were encouraged to conceive children with 'racially suitable' Scandinavians in a bid to expand the Aryan - blonde hair and blue eyed - 'master race'. Following the premature death of her mother shortly after the war's end in 1945, Lyngstad was sent to Sweden to be raised by her grandmother. She believed her father had died in the war, until the true nature of her parentage was revealed by a German magazine in 1977. Ulvaeus adds, "Her German father was found and awkward family reunion took place." In 1992 she married German PRINCE RUZZO REUSS VON PLAUTEN - her third husband. He died of cancer in 1999 but she still carries the title Her Serene Highness.

08/06/2006 07:56

Source: Contact Music

This story is an out-of-context quote from an interview that appeared (in German) in the Swiss newspaper Weltwoche:

[Serge Simonart:] I want to mention another "hot potato". If there is something from ABBA that would make good material for a theatre play or a musical, than the life of Anni-Frid alias Frida - don't you agree?

[Björn Ulvaeus:] You're right. Of all four of us, she had the most dramatic life. When I heard that the musical «Mamma Mia» is about a young girl who doesn't know who her real father is I called Anni-Frid to reassure her. You will understand, that I don't want to say much about the issue and I can't speak for Anni-Frid. But you're right: her life is the classic from rags to riches story. First it appeared that she was an orphan, then it turned out that she was a product of the Lebensborn-Programme. [When the Nazis occupied Sweden, they tried to "breed" perfect Arians or at least better Swedes with select Swedish women and Nazi officers] Her German father was found and an awkward family reunion took place. Then Anni-Frid's daughter died in a car crash. Then she married a German prince and he died of cancer. From orphan to princess. I never thought of it like that, but now that you mention it I can just picture the scenes and the cliffhangers. Maybe this play will appear 100 years from when all those involved are no longer there. But now it would be too delicate.

This translation by ABBA fan Samia Jamal sent to the ABBAMAIL list on 25 May 2006, and was consequently scattered around the internet. Björn clearly states that he doesn't really want to talk about the issue. Nowhere does he say that he intends on writing such a musical, though he admits that it would make a good story "after all those involved are no longer there", i.e. after they have all passed away.

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