In a news release from the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault,
You can dance, you can jive! Come to the Paradise Center for the Arts in historic downtown Faribault for the time of your life! The Paradise is proud to present fABBAulous--The ABBA Tribute this Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 pm. This talented cast of Southern MN’s finest musicians collaborate to recreate the entire ABBA Gold album in a dance party style.

Kristen goes on to say in the release that fABBAulous is an ABBA Tribute band from Rochester, MN who plays ABBA's greatest hits. Fronting the band is Dianna Parks from Parks & Kleist and Mary Lieser from Incognito. Dianna Parks was lead for Can't Let Go--Linda Ronstadt Tribute and also performed at the Paradise Center for the Arts 10th Anniversary Celebration. Several of the members of fABBAulous were part of the Linda Ronstadt ensemble. Joining Kleist and Lieser for fABBAulous are Jay Peterson from LP & the 45s on drums, Carl Stephenson, Michael Carlucci, Kevin McGarry, and Kevin Reid from Incognito, John Wheeler from Six Mile Grove, Kevin Kleist from Parks & Kleist, and Becca Stiles-Nogosek and Paul Scott from the Linda Ronstadt and Pink Floyd tribute bands. Whether you come out to dance or just listen, ABBA's music will make you smile.

"I think people are surprised by the number of ABBA songs they know. It's music that has this lasting quality--I can't tell you the number of times I find myself singing 'Dancing Queen'," says Kristen Twitchell, Paradise Center for the Arts executive director. "Working in a theatre I am of course aware of Mamma Mia, but I didn't realize that musical, is the ABBA Gold Album."

Dianna Parks is a personal friend and colleague of Twitchell's. Parks is the executive director of Good Earth Village, a camp and conference center in Spring Valley, MN where Twitchell served as the director of leadership before coming to the Paradise. fABBAulous was originally started as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester and has continued to support other SE Minnesota nonprofits like Good Earth Village and The Children's Museum of MN with their shows. Parks is good-natured about balancing her busy nonprofit schedule along with performing regularly in Rochester and other SE MN venues: "If I would've known I'd be pushing 50 doing the Thriller Dance to an ABBA song in Faribault, MN I would've looked forward to getting older in a whole different way."

The “Dancing Queens” light up the stage with their amazing vocals and sizzling ABBA style this Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 pm at the Paradise Center for the Arts. Come in disco costume or as you are. Tickets are $20 for Members,$25 for Non-Members, and $12 for Students (including college students with a valid student ID).

 

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