Loving Life Blog

Friday late afternoon. Sitting down trying to collect my thoughts and get focus and spirit to complete what I want before the day is over, and music came to my mind and voice. “När en vild röd ros slår ut…” I realize it was a long time ago since I sang.

When a wild red rose blooms, the whole forest is filled with aroma.

Around the whole world, in all various spots, red rose leafs.

I want to let love grow in the wild.

It is a beautiful song in Swedish by Eva Dahlgren, please enjoy.

It made me think of a coming musical with a similar theme – art and love – The Read Rose Girls. Can’t wait to hear about the progress.

Have you ever had a friend realizing a big dream? How did you support? Did you feel joy? Was it almost like you yourself did it? A little bit? Did it make you work on your own dream? Was it maybe part of your dream too?

The first example I think of is when I dove in to promote “Rhapsody in Rock and Robert Wells” in San Diego 2005. Dove in. All extra time that there was. We used all resources and engaged every volunteer that was willing to help. The Scandinavian community is powerful! We executed on almost every idea that we got. And they were not few.

The dream: for my friend Ylva to perform on stage with Robert Wells in one of the major sites in San Diego.

The challenge: 6 weeks to the show, 8 tickets sold, site that takes an audience of 2,000, tickets priced $75, $85 and $95, artist widely known in Sweden and China (see performance at the 1 year count down for the Olympics), artist unknown in the US, no marketing budget.

I am just saying: if you know where you want to head – there are so many ways to reach there. I think we, the team of three, wanted it so badly to happen so we where high on the fumes.

Initially we got engaged to get 100 in the audience. In the end, the show wouldn’t happen if we didn’t have 1,000 tickets sold.

I think you can imagine my smile behind the camera, when I November 13 2005, filmed the movie below. Ylva Elias on the stage with Robert Wells, Rhapsody in Rock musicians, the Vocaletts, Peter Jöback and American Idol winner Ruben Studdard in San Diego Civic Theatre.

Part II :

Now I am excited about my friend Brian Dorsey’s project: a musical being written in this very moment to hopefully reach Broadway. Just another stage. Same same, but different… 😉 The Red Rose Girls – an uncommon story about art and love. Just make a note to self.

Bloom people, bloom! Let us smell the roses!

Johanna