TULSA, Okla. — Tribute bands have been honoring great musicians for decades.
MANIA- The ABBA Tribute band tours the globe performing the nostalgic tunes of the Sweden group, ABBA.
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The original ABBA pop band was formed in 1972 by two married couples Björn and Agnetha and Benny and Anni-Frid. In 1974, the Swedish pop group won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Waterloo. ABBA is one of the top-selling music groups of all time, topping the charts with hits like Dancing Queen, Lay All Your Love on Me, Fernando, Mamma Mia, Take a Chance on Me and The Winner Takes it All.
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Ultimately, when the marriages broke up, the band members also went their separate ways in 1982. However, ABBA music would live on through several comebacks. In 1992, ABBA Gold was released with the group’s greatest hits. In 1999, Mama Mia the musical premiered in London’s West End. In 2008, a movie version of the musical Mamma Mia was released starring Meryl Streep. Almost 40 years after ABBA broke up, the album Voyage was released in 2021. Now, a state-of-the-art digital production of Voyage, created by George Lucas’ lighting company and featuring avatars of ABBA’s all four group members, now draws fans to a virtual performance at the ABBA Arena in London, England.
If you can’t make it to Great Britain for the Voyage show, MANIA- The ABBA Tribute band will perform Saturday, Nov. 12 at the COX Business Convention Center in Tulsa.
This tribute band has been celebrating ABBA music since 1999.
Alison Ward stars as “Agnetha” in MANIA- The ABBA Tribute band. Ward is from Liverpool, England. She says the joined the show back in 2010 and has toured Europe and Brazil. Ward relocated to Las Vegas in 2013, joined the MANIA- The ABBA Tribute in the United States and is touring all over the country.
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Ward says the actors all use Swedish accents for their characters.
“Honestly, since the very first show I performed back in 2010, to the one I just did last night, the show is still, everyone loves it, but it’s such a fun show. We just love it! We have such a good time, we have great fans, it’s live music, we’re turning up to wonderful venues. We are, as a cast, so very blessed and love every show that we do,” said Ward. “And obviously, since these crazy few years, we’ve had just being able to perform with live musicians and an audience that are right in front of us, an amazing experience. We’re all just as happy as we were the very first time we performed the show.”
Ward says the concerts draw fans of all ages.
“We definitely are getting younger people. Obviously, since Mamma Mia came out we’ve got a younger group of people, but the show definitely still has all the oldies coming and dancing along,” said Ward. “Everyone has fun no matter who they are because it’s a big party. Dancing Queen gets everyone screaming. Then we have big fans who just love, you know, Fernando and Chiquitita. So being able to be on stage and just see a room, a theater full of happy smiling dancing people and it is quite a fabulous job that I have.”
To learn more about MANIA- The ABBA Tribute at the Cox Business Convention Center’s Legacy Hall this Saturday at 8 p.m., click here.
“Anyone who is coming, we’re going to promise that it’s going to be a great night,” said Ward.
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