Pasadena Symphony & Pops is offering a musical extravaganza with “Waterloo: A Tribute to ABBA” on Saturday, July 13, at the LA County Arboretum. The concert, starting at 7:30 p.m., will feature the world’s premier ABBA tribute group performing alongside the orchestra under the baton of Larry Blank.
Attendees can expect a night filled with ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Waterloo,” and “Dancing Queen.”
“We’ve been wanting to program this ABBA tribute as part of our Summer POPS series for years,” said Marisa McCarthy, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Pasadena Symphony and Pops. “We’ve heard such rave reviews of them by fellow orchestra colleagues, and we were lucky that our schedules this summer happened to align.”
The event aligns with the organization’s mission to produce high-quality orchestral concerts while celebrating a wide range of popular music, according to McCarthy.
The LA County Arboretum, located at 301 N Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia, provides a unique backdrop for the concert, offering picnic dining options and a view of the Sierra Madre mountains.
“POPS Concerts at the Arboretum are the best outdoor dinner party in town, with several dining options,” McCarthy explained.
Organizers are preparing for a full-capacity audience, which requires additional logistics such as more tables, food and beverage services, and restrooms.
The ABBA tribute group brings 12 musicians and dancers, necessitating extra dressing rooms and a quick-change area near the stage for multiple costume changes.
“Of course it’s ABBA, so we’ll be putting up a disco ball!” McCarthy said.
The concert is part of the Rusnak Summer POPS series, which relies heavily on sponsor support to cover the expenses of such large-scale outdoor events.
Pasadena Symphony and Pops has a history of successful tribute concerts, with last summer’s Queen tribute being their highest-grossing concert ever. Future events include Principal Pops Conductor Michael Feinstein performing a Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra tribute on July 27 and Michael Cavanaugh presenting a Singer Songwriters concert featuring the music of James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Neil Diamond on Aug. 10.
McCarthy also hinted at exciting tributes coming next summer, which will be announced later this month.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for pre-concert picnicking. Interested attendees are advised to call for ticket pricing information, as specific prices were not provided in the source material.
For more details and ticket purchases, visit https://pasadenasymphony-pops.org/concert/waterloo-tribute-to-abba/.
