All About LUV' (past, present, future and more): AbbaCaDaBra (Dutch TV version): 35th anniversary

The Dutch cast of "ABBACaDaBra" including Marga Scheide, José Hoebee, Bonnie St. Claire, Ron Brandsteder and Benny Neyman

35 years ago exactly, on March 16th, 1985, TROS/Nederland 2 broadcast AbbaCaDaBra, a TV musical based on songs in Dutch from the Swedish pop group "ABBA". The story included classic fairy tales characters. Among the performers were two ex-Luv' singers José (Snow White) and Marga Scheide (Carabosse) as well as Bonnie St. Claire (Sleeping Beauty), Ron Brandsteder (Werewolf) and Benny Neyman (Prince). This musical was conceived long before the revival of interest in ABBA's music: ABBA-esque by Erasure (1992), ABBA Gold compilation (1992), Mamma Mia! musical (1999), Mamma Mia! movies in 2008 and 2018, Madonna's mega-hit Hung Up sampling Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (2005) and Dancing Queen (Cher's album including cover versions of ABBA songs - 2018).

Here's the story of AbbaCaDaBra, a wonderful project which was initially French...

The original French project (1983/1984)

In 1983, the members of ABBA broke up after dominating the charts for almost ten years. At the time, the media and the public were not ready for nostalgia for the group's music. Two French songwriters and record producers, Alain and Daniel Boublil, conceived a children's musical entitled AbbaCaDaBra based on songs from the "Swedish Fab Four". Alain Boublil, the lyricist of Les Misérables, knew the pop quartet from the days he worked for Disques Vogues, a Parisian label which distributed ABBA records in France in the 1970s and early 1980s. He even produced the French version of The Winner Takes it All known as Bravo Tu As Gagné and performed by Mireille Mathieu (featuring Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Frida Lyngstad as background vocalists). Boublil approached ABBA's manager Stig Anderson to ask permission for his opus. The musical was produced for French television and targeted a young public. It was the perfect program for Christmas Holidays. The first episode aired on TF1 on December 21st, 1983.

The story was based on classic fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White and others. The original cast featured famous singers in France like Fabienne Thibeault, Daniel Balavoine and Plastic Bertrand. Frida was invited to play the part of La Belle au bois dormant (Sleeping Beauty) and recorded Belle (a cover of ABBA's 1976 instrumental track Arrival) as a duet with Daniel Balavoine. A funny fact: French feminist politician Clémentine Autain (who was then 10 years old) was part of the cast.

The original cast of AbbaCaDaBra (including Frida, Daniel Balavoine and Plastic Bertrand)

Daniel Balavoine as the Prince & Frida as Sleeping Beauty

Plastic Bertrand as Pinocchio

A soundtrack album entitled AbbaCaDaBra: Conte musical was released simultaneously. According to liner notes on the album cover, arrangements and musical direction were provided by Raymond Donnez and production by Alain Boublil with assistance by Donnez, Daniel Boublil and Françoise Pourcel. The album was released by WEA Filipacchi Music in France and WEA Music of Canada in Québec.

Three songs taken from the soundtrack album were released as singles: L'Enfant Do by Stéphane et les enfants d'Asnières which peaked at #12 on the French singles chart and went gold in France, Belle (the duet performed by Daniel Balavoine and Frida) and Mon Nez, Mon Nez by Plastic Bertrand.

Click here to see all the AbbaCaDaBra records released in France, the UK, the Netherlands and Portugal.

L'Enfant Do by Stéphane et les enfants d'Asnières

Belle by Frida and Daniel Balavoine

Press clippings in the French press (click on the images to enlarge them):

Article published in Podium magazine in 1983

Article in Platine magazine in 1994

Excerpt from the book entitled "ABBA, la légende" by Jean-Marie Potiez:

A follow-up LP entitled "La fusée de Noé" came out in 1984. It featured the legendary singer Henri Salvador, the humorist Michel Leeb and the French TV personality Stéphane Collaro.

The English stage version (1983/1984)

Cameron Mackintosh (who was in charge of the West End and Broadway musical Cats) decided to produce an English version of the show with lyrics by David Wood, Mike Batt and Don Black. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus in association with Wood and Black wrote a new song entitled I Am The Seeker. Frida recorded Time, the English version of Belle/Arrival as a duet with B. A. Robertson.

Frida & B.A Robertson performing "Time" (Arrival)

The musical premiered on December 13th, 1983 at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London to mixed reviews and full houses for 8 weeks, closing on January 21st, 1984. Among the actors were Elaine Paige, Michael Praed, Finola Hughes, B.A. Robertson, and Jenna Russell. Elaine Paige recorded Like An Image Passing By, a cover of ABBA's My Love, My Life.

De Telegraaf's article announcing the launch of the AbbaCaDaBra musical - published on September 28th, 1983:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Excerpt from De Telegraaf's article mentioning Frida involved in the AbbaCaDaBra musical - published on December 10th, 1983:

The Dutch version (1984/1985)

In late 1984, José's husband, Will Hoebee and Joost Timp translated AbbaCaDaBra in Dutch and supervised the recording sessions. Among the performers were José (Snow White), Marga Scheide (Carabosse), Bonnie St. Claire (Sleeping Beauty), Ron Brandsteder (Werewolf) and Benny Neyman (Prince). Indisc released the Dutch LP in the Netherlands and Belgium. The song Wij Zijn Vrij taken from the album was released as a single.

7" single "Wij Zijn Vrij" (from the "ABBAcadabra" album)

Album credits:

LP released by Indisc.

Tracklisting:

A side:
1 Als Ik Later Groot Ben (When I Kissed The Teacher) 1:59
2 Wij Zijn Vrij (The Visitors) 4:07
3 ABBAcadabra (Take A Chance On Me) 3:54
4 Me Neus, Me Neus (Money, Money, Money) 3:51
5 Het Liedje Van Alladin (Super Trouper) 4:07
6 Spiegel (I Wonder) 3:56

B side:
1 De Kokende Spoken Show (Dancing Queen) 4:04
2 Toen Ik Een Wolfje Was (I Let The Music Speak) 5:08
3 Naar Huis Toe (Fernando) 3:17
4 Geef Die Banden Terug (I'm A Marionette) 3:53
5 Bij Mij (Arrival) 4:00
6 Laat Het Feest Beginnen (Thank You For The Music) 3:57

Co-producer – Gerda Felleman
Composed By – Alain Boublil, Daniel Boublil
Lyrics By – Joost Timp, Will Hoebee
Music By – ABBA, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, Stig Anderson
Producers – Joost Timp, Will Hoebee

Vocals – Benny Neyman (tracks: B4 to B6), Bianca Folkers (tracks: A2, A3, B6), Bonnie St. Claire (tracks: B5, B6), Joost Timp (tracks: A3, A4, B2), José Hoebee (tracks: A2, A6, B6), Marga Scheide (tracks: A1, B1, B4, B6), Nancy Dubbeldam (tracks: A2, A3, B6), Nico Haak (tracks: A2, B6), Peter Koelewijn (tracks: B1), Ron Brandsteder (tracks: A1, A4, B2, B3, B6), Werner Duijn (tracks: B2, B5, B6), Willem Duijn (tracks: A2, A5, B6)

Recorded at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands.

Articles announcing the recording of the Dutch AbbaCaDaBra album and the broadcast of the TV musical:

Click on the images to enlarge them:

Het Vrije Volk - December 7th, 1984

Het Parool - December 13th, 1984

Ad for TROS Kompas in De Telegraaf - March 13th, 1985

Trouw - March 15th, 1985

Het Vrije Volk - March 15th, 1985

Leeuwarder Courant - March 15th, 1985

Nieuwsblad van het Noorden - March 16th, 1985

Nieuwsblad van Het Noorden - March 16th, 1985

De Telegraaf - March 16th, 1985

TROS/Nederland 2 broadcast the musical on March 16th, 1985. Rien van Wijk directed it and Jef Nassenstein produced it. Willem Duijn (who took part in the recording of the album and played the role of Alladin) did not appear on TV and was replaced by Joost Timp. Click here and here for information about ABBACaDaBra.

TROS/Nederland 1 reran AbbaCaDaBra on April 3rd, 1985 as part of the program Tijd Voor Marijke.