In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Swedish pop music group ABBA achieved worldwide success with catchy tunes and stage outfits that featured glittering hot pants, sequined jumpsuits and platform heels.
Their iconic sound, if not the clothes, will come to Binghamton on Saturday, Oct. 26, for a 7:30 p.m. concert presented by the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Broome County Forum Theatre.
The concert will feature the orchestra playing the music of ABBA along with the group Jeans ‘n Classics, known for its fresh re-imaginings of classic pop and rock with orchestra.
The Philharmonic has wanted to do a show with a touring rock group for some time, said Paul Cienniwa, the orchestra’s executive director. The timing is fitting because it marks the 50th anniversary of ABBA winning the first Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Waterloo,” he noted.
ABBA’s trademarks were catchy melodies, vocal harmonies between the group’s members, layered production and innovative arrangements. The group blended acoustic and electronic sounds into their tracks by incorporating orchestral elements, synthesizers and pop instrumentation into their performances.
“The thing about ABBA is that it’s real music, pre-digital,” Cienniwa said, noting that the quartet’s songs are perennial pop favorites.
The Oct. 26 concert will include songs from “Fernando” and “Waterloo” to “Take a Chance on Me” and the title track, “Dancing Queen,” in “a dynamic fusion of rock and the full force of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra,” a Philharmonic release states.
The concert is the first concert in the Philharmonic’s 2024-25 Visions Federal Credit Union Pops Series.
As for ABBA-style outfits, audience members are welcome to wear them. (An interesting aside is that, according to ABBA: The Official Photo Book, the band’s style was influenced in part by Swedish tax laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be deducted against taxes as long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street.)
“Dancing Queen: The Songs of ABBA” promises to be “a fun evening,” Cienniwa said. Tickets are going fast, he emphasized.
IF YOU GO: The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will present “Dancing Queen: The Songs of ABBA” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct 26, at the Broome County Forum Theatre, 236 Washington St., Binghamton Tickets are $28 to $69. Kids 17 and under attend free, thanks to Pops Series Sponsor Visions Federal Credit Union. For more information, call the Binghamton Philharmonic box office at 607-723-3931 or visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
— George Basler
