Although I will agree that it's not everybody's cup of tea with Honey Honey, it just takes them all longer to admit that everybody loves at least one foot-tapping, arm-swaying, legendary ABBA song. Be it Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia or the slower melody of The Winner Takes It All - you must admit that we go crazy for it every time. And, luckily for us all, that is exactly what The Abba Show, now showing at the Joburg Theatre, brings to us.
This tribute show, performed by Abbasolutely Fabbaulous, pulls out all the stops. Showtime has always presented shows that are precisely like an actual live performance of our favourite band; they want you to feel like you are watching the actual Abba perform. And the best part is that you do. Every little detail is covered, from the legendary Abba helicopter to the glittery and quirky costumes, and the choreography made famous by Abba's Agnetha and Frida. They even went the extra mile and got real life lookalikes of every Abba member (complete with the Swedish accent) and, of course, the music that we love and adore. If you play along and use a bit of imagination, the show makes you forget that you are in a traditional theatre space and gets you on your feet, dancing and singing the night away on at least one, or all 30, of Abba's most memorable hits.
Even with 3250 performances under their belt, the show has no lack of energy or exceptional voice quality - it really takes you back to the wonderful era of the 70s and 80s. The cast truly embodies the essence of Abba and every detail that make us still love them years and years later.
If you want to escape a bit of reality or indulge in the inescapable fun, glitz, glamour and disco balls that Abba still brings to the people, this sure does the trick, whether you are a fan or not. It's not only the show itself, but the way the different kinds of audience members react to the show that make it entertaining. We say Thank You For The Music.
They keep some of the best songs for last and if you want a guaranteed fun show, stick it out to the very end. After the first half of the show, you might feel as if you've had enough, but get a glass of wine, chill out and get your feet ready for some dancing in the second half. You can't go wrong with an Abba song.
The Abba Show runs at the Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg until 5 February, 2012. Tickets range from R140 to R250 and you can even get your favourite Abba impersonator's autograph after the show.
Take a trip down memory lane, jump in your favourite jumpsuit, get your hair done and go and enjoy The Abba Show. Don't miss out.
