ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus presents new musical - and new girlfriend

Beloved children’s book character Pippi Longstocking has been given the musical treatment by ABBA star and Swedish pop impresario Bjorn Ulvaeus. “Pippi at the Circus“, a new circus-themed musical based on the adventures of the fearless and strong red-haired girl who lives without her parents, received its world premiere in Stockholm on Tuesday (July 12). The show, which Ulvaeus and his team created together with the circus company Cirkus Cirkor, is inspired by a short story by author Astrid Lindgren in which Pippi and her friends Annika and Tommy visit the circus, and features new songs written by Ulvaeus. The 77-year old, who co-penned hits like “Waterloo“ and “Dancing Queen“ with fellow ABBA member Benny Andersson and the band’s manager Stig Anderson, wrote the show’s lyrics with Andersson, Vladimir Shainsky and Angel G. Villodo and others creating the music. Ulvaeus also acts as the show’s executive producer. “It’s like an experiment. Nobody has ever done a circus musical before so we’ll see if it works but what I saw, when I saw the last preview, it really worked quite well and I’m proud of it and I hope everyone’s going to like it. But I think they will. Pippi fans, Pippi is a brand, well-known brand all over the world,“ Ulvaeus said at the premiere event at the Cirkus arena in Stockholm’s Djurgarden, just a stone’s throw from the ABBA museum. Ulvaeus, who announced his divorce from his wife of 41 years, Lena Kallersjo in February this year, also presented his new girlfriend, Christina Sas, at Tuesday’s event. “We’ve been dating for a short while and met a short while ago. I don’t want to say exactly how we met, it’s a secret place. We met in a secret place,“ he said. “Pippi at the Circus“ will be staged at the Cirkus arena until August 14.