"I remember Tim telling me that he had an idea for a musical and he said to me that he was hoping that ABBA would be writing the music, which I thought was a pretty wild idea because they were obviously known very much as pop writers"

Elaine Paige reflects on an early moment in the conception of a groundbreaking musical, recalling a conversation with Tim, likely referring to Tim Rice, the renowned lyricist. Tim confided in her his ambition to create a musical and shared the bold vision of commissioning ABBA to write its music. At the time, ABBA, consisting of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, were famous worldwide for their pop hits, dominating charts with catchy, polished tunes. Their reputation centered firmly on the pop genre, not musical theatre, which made Tim’s proposal unconventional and daring.

Paige’s reaction, describing the idea as “pretty wild”, captures the prevailing attitude of the era toward musical theatre composition. Theatre scoring was traditionally the domain of composers with theatrical, classical, or jazz roots, like Andrew Lloyd Webber or Stephen Sondheim. Bringing in a pop band known for infectious, danceable songs suggested a major departure from standard practice, raising questions about whether ABBA could translate their songwriting talents to a different artistic medium.

Yet, the idea also hints at a sense of excitement and innovation. Tim’s openness to collaborate with artists outside the traditional theatre sphere suggests a desire to break boundaries and reinvent the musical form, anticipating the eventual mainstream crossover between pop and stage (seen later in productions like “Mamma Mia!” and even “We Will Rock You”). Elaine Paige’s recollection is tinged with the skepticism and surprise such unconventional ideas often provoke, but history reveals that such risks have shaped the modern musical landscape.

Paige’s anecdote underscores the significance of genre-crossing collaborations, reminding us that what once seemed “wild” or improbable can, in hindsight, become genre-defining. The merging of ABBA’s pop style with the theatrical ambitions of Rice and his collaborators was a visionary move, contributing to the evolution of both pop music and musical theatre.