Abba Reunite!

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...-premiere.html

Pop supergroup Abba have reunited for the first time in 22 years for the premiere of hit musical Mamma Mia!

The band, which had a string of hits in the 1970s and 80s, joined film stars Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan for the gala screening in Stockholm, Sweden.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad - known as Frida - and Agnetha Faltskog danced on the red carpet with Streep to the cheer of thousands of waiting fans.

Moments later, Benny Anderson, 61, and Bjorn Ulvaeus, 63, joined them on the cinema's balcony to wave to fans.

Streep and co-star Brosnan wanted the Abba musical, which premiered in London and Berlin this week, to have a special showing in the band's home country.

The full reunion was not certain until the last minute because of the reclusive lifestyle of 58-year-old Agnetha, the former blonde bombshell of the group which sold 370million records.

In 2004, the singer pulled out of a performance to mark the 30 years since the group won the 1974 Eurovision Song contest with the hit Waterloo.

The foursome split in 1982 and last performed together in public in 1986, although there were reports they sang together at a private birthday party for a friend in 1999.

They were once reported to have been offered $1billion to reunite for a concert tour.

At news conferences, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth enthused about Abba's music while discussing the challenges of singing and wearing figure-hugging Spandex costumes for their roles.

'Once I started singing, I kind of rather enjoyed it,' said Brosnan, better known for James Bond films than musicals.

'The Spandex was a bit of a challenge and the boots were. But I had the time of my life making this movie.'

Co-star Firth, star of two Bridget Jones's Diary films, said the most frightening aspects of the film were also the most motivating.

'There's an old Miles Davis quote which I've always cherished, which is "Don't play what you know, play what you don't know",' Firth said.

Ulvaeus had high praise for the actors' vocal abilities. 'Most of them don't think they can sing, but they can, I assure you.'

The Spandex outfits were a different matter.

'You're going to get bulges that you didn't want and not really developments you did want,' said Firth, who performed as Mr Darcy in the BBC mini-series of Pride And Prejudice.

Streep said she had been excited by the prospect of singing since she had performed in high school musicals such as Oklahoma!.

'That was my beginning so it was kind of like coming home to the thing that I loved very, very much,' she said.

The movie follows the success of the stage musical Mamma Mia! which features 22 Abba songs, including Dancing Queen, Take A Chance On Me and The Winner Takes It All.

Oscar winner Meryl Streep heads the cast playing single mother Donna Sheridan. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård play the three potential fathers of Donna’s daughter Sophie, played by Amanda Seyfried.