The story of a double phenomenon: the group who reinvented the world's perception of pop music in the 1970s, and the show based around their hits which became an entertainment industry legend in its own right, opening in over 180 cities and seen by over 32 million people. This paperback edition ends the story with insights into Mamma Mia! the movie and features fascinating interviews with those involved, plus tons of great photos from the set. Through the stories, recollections and reflections of ABBA, intertwined with the commentary and observations of the MAMMA MIA! team and the inside look at the film, this book is one for all ABBA and MAMMA MIA! fans.

Mamma Mia!, the stage production based upon the wonderful music of ABBA, has become one of the most successful shows of all time - and this special set of Easy Piano arrangements gives you the chance to learn the songs from the show, even at an early stage in your piano development. All 22 songs from the musical spectacular are included here, and each has been carefully arranged and presented to be as accessible as possible to the elementary Piano student, complete with full lyrics and chord symbols. There's no better way to master those all-important musical skills than by playing songs that you know and love, and the music of ABBA remains unbeatable to this day. Song List: - Chiquitita - Dancing Queen - Does Your Mother Know - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - Honey Honey - I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do - I Have A Dream - Knowing Me, Knowing You - Lay All Your Love On Me - Mamma Mia - Money, Money, Money - One Of Us - Our Last Summer - S.O.S. - Slipping Through My Fingers - Super Trouper - Take A Chance On Me - Thank You For The Music - The Name Of The Game - The Winner Takes It All - Under Attack - Voulez-vous

Mama mia! The movie" (2008) was one of the top international box-office hits of its year and the fastest selling DVD in British history. Responses were passionate but polarized: while legions of fans participated in celebratory sing-along screenings, critics dismissed it as a "Super Pooper". The critical split often ran along the fault line of gender, with male critics initially unimpressed by the uninhibited, tongue in cheek frivolity of this rare film, produced and directed by women. This welcome first book on a twenty-first century cultural phenomenon explores these diverse responses to "Mama mia!", along with key issues such as the film's representation of female friendship and its focus on the older female protagonist, as well as its status as queer text.

This story draws together the intertwined tales behind two of popular music's most remarkable stories. The songs of ABBA and the record-breaking show that gave those a fresh life and a whole new audience.

(Piano/Vocal/Guitar Songbook). 17 songs from the film adaptation of the megahit musical featuring the songs of ABBA. Includes: Dancing Queen * Does Your Mother Know * Honey, Honey * I Have a Dream * The Name of the Game * Super Trouper * Take a Chance on Me * The Winner Takes It All * and more.

'A must for all Mamma Mia fans!' Sue Moorcroft on My Mamma Mia Summer Laurel is finally living her own Mamma Mia dream. Now the owner of Villa Athena on a gorgeous Greek island, the last six months have been a whirlwind as Laurel has modernised the guesthouse, discovered how to run her own business, and learned to negotiate the demands of her new family. But as the festive season draws closer, Laurel begins to wonder if Christmas on Skopelos can ever live up to the cosy Yorkshire Christmases she spent with her beloved grandmother, Marnie. And with a travel writer arriving to review the Villa, Laurel needs a touch of festive sparkle - and a little help from some old friends... With critics to impress, Greek feasts to cook, and an ABBA-themed winter wedding on the horizon, can Laurel throw the perfect Christmas for everyone? And will she find her own romance underneath the mistletoe...? Escape to Greece this Christmas for this joyous sequel to My Mamma Mia Summer - perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Jenny Colgan and Sarah Morgan. Readers love My Mamma Mia Summer 'I LOVED it...this book filled me with joy' 'A perfect summer read... Full of humour and emotion, this is just an all-round fabulous fun book' 'I absolutely loved it and can't recommend it enough!' 'Loved, loved this book. A real feel-good happy book' 'Full of hope and sunshine...a fun read which has you reaching for the ABBA CDs and booking holidays to Greece!' 'I loved this book...just the thing to get me in the mood for my holiday' 'Absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down but didn't want it to finish' 'Funny, moving and pure escapism! How can you resist it?' 'I just loved everything about this book - it left me with the same cosy feeling as the film' 'A vibrant, warm and satisfying read' 'Loved the book and felt as if I was in the story' 'Will have you itching to hop on a plane to the nearest Greek island!'

The musical, whether on stage or screen, is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable musical genres, yet one of the most perplexing. What are its defining features? How does it negotiate multiple socio-cultural-economic spaces? Is it a popular tradition? Is it a commercial enterprise? Is it a sophisticated cultural product and signifier? This research guide includes more than 1,400 annotated entries related to the genre as it appears on stage and screen. It includes reference works, monographs, articles, anthologies, and websites related to the musical. Separate sections are devoted to sub-genres (such as operetta and megamusical), non-English language musical genres in the U.S., traditions outside the U.S., individual shows, creators, performers, and performance. The second edition reflects the notable increase in musical theater scholarship since 2000. In addition to printed materials, it includes multimedia and electronic resources.

This critical introduction to British musical theatre since 1950 is the first book to discuss its post-war developments from the perspective of British – as opposed to American – popular culture. The genre is situated within the historical context of post-war British society in order to explore the range of forms through which significant sociocultural moments are represented. Introductory chapters analyse the way British musicals have responded to social change, the forms of popular theatre and music from which they have developed and their originality in elaborating new narrative strategies since the seventies. A key feature of the book is its close readings of twelve key works, from Salad Days (1954) and Oliver! (1960) to global smash hits such as Les Misérables (1985) and The Phantom of the Opera (1986) and beyond, including the latest critical and box-office success Matilda (2011). Also analysed are British favourites (Blood Brothers, 1983), cult shows (The Rocky Horror Show, 1975) and musicals with a pre-existing fan-base, such as Mamma Mia! (1999).

Don't miss Annie Robertson's next feel-good romantic comedy, Four Weddings and a Festival! *** One summer... One dream... One chance to make it happen. Laurel hasn't taken a risk her whole life. Now as summer dawns, she's going to do something that nobody expects of her. Laurel turns to her ABBA albums and her favourite film, Mamma Mia! She grabs her passport, dons her dungarees, and jets off to Skopelos for her own Meryl-inspired adventure... Laurel books into the faded but charming Villa Athena and befriends its eccentric owner. As she explores the island's famous sights, Laurel finds herself feeling strangely at home. So should she return to her life in London, or could this be where she truly belongs? This summer dust off your passport, pack your best dancing shoes, and escape to Greece on your own Mamma Mia! adventure! The perfect summertime read for fans of Karen Swan, Holly Hepburn and Isabelle Broom. **** Readers are loving My Mamma Mia Summer: 'I LOVED it...this book filled me with joy' 'Full of hope and sunshine...a fun read which has you reaching for the ABBA CDs and booking holidays to Greece!' 'I loved this book...just the thing to get me in the mood for my holiday' 'A vibrant, warm and satisfying read'

This volume in the Routledge Key Guides series provides a round-up of the fifty musicals whose creations were seminal in altering the landscape of musical theater discourse in the English-speaking world. Each entry summarises a show, including a full synopsis, discussion of the creators' process, show's critical reception, and its impact on the landscape of musical theater. This is the ideal primer for students of musical theater – its performance, history, and place in the modern theatrical world – as well as fans and lovers of musicals.