Mamma MIA! How Can I Resist You?: The Inside Story of Mamma MIA! and the Songs of Abba

This book tells the story behind Mamma mia, one of the most successful stage musicals of all time. Judy Craymer, a theatrical producer, had the idea for a musical based around Abba's songs, but the idea would never have gone anywhere if she hadn't met the right people along the way. She once worked with Tim Rice, who also worked with two ex-members of Abba (Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus) on another musical, Chess, so Judy eventually got to know Bjorn. He made it clear to Judy that if her idea was to become a reality, it must not be based on the story of Abba (that would only re-open old wounds for him and the other ex-members of the group), that whatever story was written must stand on its own merit, and that any songs used in the musical must fit the storyline. Anybody who has seen Abba - the movie knows that it was really just Abba's greatest hits on film with a few segments between each song, but whatever had happened then, Bjorn certainly didn't want a musical that was just a feeble excuse to get more life out of the old Abba songs, but he was willing to support the project if Judy could find a playwright who was able to write a script that met Bjorn's highly exacting requirements. In those circumstances, he would allow any of Abba's songs to be used in the project. Much of the book is devoted to the songs and their history. Interesting as this is, it is frustrating on one level because only the songs finally used in the musical are discussed. Perhaps another book could be compiled that gives this information for all their popular songs, whether or not they were used in the musical, but since this a book about the musical, we can`t complain about the omission of the other songs. Of the songs mentioned, some of the comments are fascinating.. I didn`t know that Name of the game was actually written about a woman in a psychiatrist`s chair - Bjorn had written the lyrics for a scene in Abba - the movie. In his comments, Benny said that the song wasn't a big hit anywhere, but everybody's entitled to the occasional mistake; it was one of Abba's number one hits in Britain. On the subject of Honey honey, it appears that Abba wanted this to be released as the follow-up to Waterloo, but their British record label (unlike their labels in some other countries) decided to go instead with Ring ring. Honey honey then became a top ten UK hit for Sweet dreams, while Ring ring was a minor Abba hit. After that debacle, Abba took much greater interest in what their record labels were doing with their music. The rest of the book covers the history of the musical from Judy's idea to reality, with success way beyond expectations. Catherine Johnson, a single mother of two children who struggled to make ends meet, became the playwright. The book explains some of the problems involved in development. Catherine says that there were some songs that she would have liked to include, particularly Fernando, but they just wouldn't fit into the story she planned to writ

A great read, I couldn't put it down. The information it provided gave a great insight as to what went into creating the show. I had no idea that Donna was originally intended to have a boyfriend or songs like "Rock Me", "Summer Night City" and even "Fernando" were at one point in the script or that even "Waterloo" wasn't even added to the encore until the show hit Toronto. I was however surprised that Judy Craymer, when they were developing the movie, wanted "I Do, I Do" out of the script. To me, that is one of those movie moments that are so cheesy that its sweet and romantic. Still wishing that "Under Attack", "One of Us" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" were included in the film. Maybe they're saving those songs for the unlikely but highly rumored and discussed sequel.

Great book. I've already passed it along to my mom. We both loved it. A must for ABBA fans.

After reading the 1994 book "ABBA-The Complete Recording Sessions" by Carl Magnus Palm, I thought I read all I ever would about how ABBA recorded some of their best known songs. However, this coffee table size book delves into greater detail on the origins of the 22 ABBA songs in the worldwide smash musical "Mamma Mia!" as well as great detail on the origins of the musical itself. It also goes into great detail on the foreign language versions of the musical. Any dismissive critics of ABBA (and you know who you are) would have to admit that Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (the two "B"s of ABBA) really knew what they were doing when they recorded all of those songs, based on all of the comments the 2 former ABBA members made regarding the ABBA recordings in this book. Hopefully it will be updated to include more info on the Russian language version that opened in Moscow in the fall of 2006. And yes, the book contains plenty of photos of ABBA and the Mamma Mia! musical!!! I also hope they update the book for the summer 2008 release of the film version. Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnin will star!!!

I admit it. I love Mamma Mia! Nothing makes me happier than watching the show. Reading this informative and loving book about the show, its beginings and its ongoing success takes you right back to your seat in a theater where you first saw Mamma Mia! on stage. The photos are lush, colorful and interesting. The text is easy to read and gives a thorough account of how the show came to be and how it remains a constant night after night success around the globe. It isn't often that something so dear to me personally gets such a loving treatment in book form. This is one of those rare times and it allows the reader to enjoy the celebration that IS Mamma Mia! over and over at their fingertips. The large book is very reasonably priced considering its quality and the fine color photos throughout. If you love Mamma Mia! you'll enjoy reading and owning this wonderfully adoring companion piece.