Story Times: Spotlight

Published February 13, 2016

Abba is back together — but for a restaurant!

Well kids, you may not know much about this legendry band of the 70s with hits like Mamma Mia! and Dancing Queen which still are played behind some sitcoms and ads. But your parents may know quite a lot about them; the four Swedish band-mates got together for the opening of a restaurant in Stockholm where people can eat while watching a show based on the group’s songs.

Abba is one of the most commercially successful music groups in history, but Abba haven’t been glimpsed as a group together for over seven years.

Group members, Agnetha Fältskog, now 65, Björn Ulvaeus, 70, Benny Andersson, 69, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, 70, were last pictured together in 2008, when they walked the red carpet at the film premiere of Mamma Mia!, based on the musical of the same name.

Abba formed in Sweden in 1972 and topped the charts worldwide from 1975 to 1982. They won the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 at the Dome in Brighton, UK, giving Sweden its first triumph in the contest, and were the most successful group ever to take part in the competition.


Barbie gets a new look, again

Yes, after many years of criticism that Barbie had created unrealistic expectations for girls, Mattel, the maker of the iconic plastic doll, said it will begin selling Barbie in three new looks — taller, petite and more girlish. The doll will be available in seven skin tones, 22 eye colours and 24 hairstyles.

The El Segundo, California, Toy Company will also continue to sell the original Barbie. The doll has changed in some ways already. New skin tones and looks were added last year. And Barbie’s foot was movable for the first time. That allowed her to kick her heels off and wear flats.

Mattel has been searching for ways to recharge sales of Barbie. Sales fell four percent in the most recent quarter as “want lists” from girls increasingly include iPads and other things.

Whether kids will pick up the new dolls remains to be seen. But Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni said previous changes were ‘positively received.’ Mattel would not provide sales figures, but some marketing experts say more will have to be done to return Barbie to glory.

Dolls with the new look are available for preorder at shop.mattel.com. They will start to show up on US store shelves in March and roll out in the rest of the world after that, Mattel Inc. said.


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