Review Roundup: Livet Är En Schlager

Based on the movie with the same name, Peter Jöback and Helen Sjöholm stars in the new Swedish musical LIVET ÄR EN SCHLAGER. (English title: Once In A Lifetime) It follows the schlager music (hit songs frequently represented at Eurovision Song Contest) obsessed Mona Berglund who steals and submits her employer's, a cerebral palsy sufferer's, self composed song. A song, which qualifies for the finals and leads Mona to stardom.

The world premiere in Stockholm took place on Saturday 11 September.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Dagens Nyheter: "This is truly a musical that manages to be both professional and inclusive , comical and deadly serious at the same time. There are maybe one or two obsolete humor elements that could have been curbed , but it is also dynamic - fluctuations between tears and laughter- that makes this contemporary tale so strong. Life is not a pop - life is a completely... completely wonderful musical by Jonas Gardell"

Aftonbladet:
This is not a "schlager song"
A schlager is short. The musical is way too long. It feels more as a variety show in places.
Jonas Gardell embraces his inner "Åsa-Nisse". But Helen Sjöholm and Peter Jöback are excellent.

QX:

LIVET ÄR EN SCHLAGER is a luxurious and fresh musical with brilliant new songs, a must-see-Jöback, a lovely Helen Sjöholm, plus a bunch of good and fun acting efforts, which should definitely be seen. It is a show with a nice message, that everyone has value and can fulfill their dreams no matter what kind of shape they are in. You are guaranteed to go out from the theatre with a smile on your face after the finale. 12 points for it. Straight up.

Upsala Nya Tidning:

The script has now been rewritten to a rather successful musical. The combination of Jonas Gardell empathetic and humorous twists and the Eurovision king Fredrik Kempe's music has become an amusing and often touching performance, although it - like so many other musicals - is slightly too long and just do not have too many musical highlights.

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