Anna Myrra Malmberg (born 20 December 1966) is a Swedish singer, dancer, songwriter, and photographer.
Myrra Malmberg | |
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Birth name | Anna Myrra Malmberg |
Born | Farsta, Sweden | 20 December 1966
Occupation(s) | Singer, dancer, songwriter, photographer |
Website | myrramalmberg |
Early life
editAnna Myrra Malmberg was born in the Stockholm suburb of Farsta,[1] and spent her childhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota and her teenage years in Stockholm, Sweden. She graduated the Stockholm High School of Music and immediately embarked upon a theatrical career. Early on she took on roles such as Maria in West Side Story, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof and Grizabella in Cats, but also straight acting roles such as Poppy in Noises Off.
Career
editIn London's West End, where she was cast as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera by director Hal Prince, Malmberg also played Cosette in Les Misérables, Estella in Great Expectations and The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She caught the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber and joined the cast of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at St Paul's Cathedral and elsewhere. Malmberg also appeared in the Royal Variety Show, broadcast by the BBC from the London Palladium, BBC's Blue Peter, GMTV and the BBC series Showstoppers, opposite Gary Wilmot.
Other roles include Eva Perón in Evita at the Gothenburg Opera, Emma Carew in Jekyll and Hyde at Stockholm's China Theatre and Maria in West Side Story at the Rome Opera in Italy and the Gothenburg Opera, Sweden.
Malmberg's Swedish TV credits span drama, including Fallet Paragon, to popular entertainment shows, such as Allsång på Skansen, Go'kväll, Söndagsöppet and Så ska det låta. She also appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy (which she won) and participated in Melodifestivalen (Eurovision Song Contest). She has also performed as a special guest star in Russia's own Eurovision in the early 1990s to 80 million viewers.
Her discography includes a Stephen Sondheim retrospective, Myrra Malmberg Sings Sondheim: What Can You Lose, Lloyd Webber's music accompanied by a string quartet on Myrra Malmberg Sings Lloyd Webber: Unexpected, a handful of bossa nova albums especially successful throughout Asia, the singer/songwriter album Serendipity, plus various cast albums and soundtracks. She has been awarded a Grammy.
Malmberg's latest recording is the classical crossover, Another World. Together with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and internationally renowned conductor Paul Bateman she explores the musical territory between the classical and popular music genres.
Malmberg has lent her voice to a long list of Disney characters in their Swedish incarnations, including Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Wendy in Peter Pan, Megara in Hercules and Norma Jean in Happy Feet.
She has written songs and lyrics for other recording artists and has translated lyrics and scripts into Swedish from English, French and Danish, including Jekyll and Hyde – the Musical for Malmö Opera.
Her photography includes portraits and album covers for various recording artists such as Benny Andersson, Berndt Rosengren, and The Sweet Jazz Trio. Malmberg has also held solo exhibits of her work.
On 14 March 1998 Myrra Malmberg competed at Melodifestivalen in Malmö with the song Julia, ending up third.[2]
Selected stage performances
editYear | Production | Role | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Cats | Grizabella | China Theatre, Stockholm |
1990 | Fiddler on the Roof | Hodel | Stockholms Stadsteater & Riksteatern |
1992 | Noises Off | Poppy | Theatre Folkan, Stockholm |
1993 | The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber | Cirkusbygningen, Copenhagen, Denmark | |
1994 | St Paul's Cathedral, London | ||
Great Expectations | Estella | Apollo Theatre, London | |
1995 | Les Misérables | Cosette | The Palace Theatre, London |
1997 | The Phantom of the Opera | Christine | Her Majesty's Theatre, London |
1999 | West Side Story | Maria | The Gothenburg Opera |
2000 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat | The Narrator | UK |
West Side Story | Maria | Teatro dell'Opera, Rome | |
One Touch of Kurt Weill | Theater Kilen in Kulturhuset, Stockholm | ||
2001 | Evita | Eva Perón | The Gothenburg Opera |
2002 | Cirkus, Stockholm | ||
2003 | Myrra & Helen | Bit by Bit | The Malmö Opera |
2005 | Riksteatern | ||
2006 | West Side Story | Maria | The China Theatre, Stockholm |
2008 | Jekyll and Hyde | Emma Carew |
Filmography
edit- 2019 – Toy Story 4, "Mom" Disney
- 2018 – Ralph Breaks the Internet, "Ariel and Princess Jasmine" Disney
- 2014 – Song of the Sea, "Bronagh" Cartoon Saloon
- 2012 – Secret of the Wings, "Healing Fairy" Disney
- 2011 – Happy Feet Two, "Norma Jean" Warner Bros
- 2010 – Toy Story 3, "Mom" Disney
- 2009 – Hannah Montana: The Movie, "Lorelai" Disney
- 2008 – Kiki's Delivery Service, "Mrs Osono" Studio Ghibli
- 2008 – Deep Sea, "Narrator" IMAX
- 2008 – The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, "Ariel" Disney
- 2008 – Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, "Princess Jasmine" Disney
- 2007–2009 – Phineas and Ferb, "Mom" Disney
- 2007 – Kim Possible, "Shego" Disney
- 2007 – Happy Feet, "Norma Jean" Warner Bros
- 2006 – Underdog, "Polly" Disney
- 2005 – The Emperor's New Groove 2: Kronk's New Groove, "Miss Birdwell" Disney
- 2005 – Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus, "Brietta" Universal Pictures
- 2002 – Peter Pan II: Return to Never Land, "Wendy" Disney
- 2000 – The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, "Ariel" Disney
- 1999 – The Magic Sword: Quest for Camelot, "Kayley" Warner Bros
- 1998 – Mary Poppins, "Mary Poppins" Disney
- 1997 – Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, "Angelique" Disney
- 1997 – Hercules, "Megara" Disney
- 1997 – 101 Dalmatians, "Anita" Disney
- 1996 – Aladdin and the King of Thieves, "Princess Jasmine" Disney
- 1994 – The Return of Jafar, "Princess Jasmine" Disney
- 1994 – Fallet Paragon, "Ulrika" Swedish Television Drama
- 1993 – Peter Pan, "Wendy" Disney
- 1993 – We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, "Elsa and Dr. Bleeb" Amblin Entertainment and Steven Spielberg
- 1992 – Aladdin, "Princess Jasmine" Disney
Discography
editSolo albums
editAlbum | Year | Label |
---|---|---|
What Can You Lose: Myrra Malmberg sings Sondheim | 1995 | Arietta Discs |
Unexpected: Myrra Malmberg sings Lloyd Webber | 1997 | Arietta Discs |
Julia | 1999 | Musikverkstan |
Sweet Bossa | 2003 | Spice of Life Records |
Serendipity | 2004 | BMG |
Bossa Kiss Pop | 2006 | Kang & Music |
Bossa Volym 1 | 2007 | Arietta Discs |
Bossa Volym 2 | 2007 | Arietta Discs |
Another World | 2011 | Warner Music |
Cast recording & soundtracks
edit- 2009 – Bröderna Lejonhjärta, Naxos
- 2009 – Disney: En magisk värld, Egmont
- 2001 – Evita, Swedish cast, BMG
- 1997 – Hercules – Swedish soundtrack, Buena Vista
- 1995 – Great Expectations – Highlights Cast Recording, TER records
- 1994 – Aladdin: The Return of Jafar – Swedish soundtrack, Buena Vista
- 1993 – Aladdin – Swedish soundtrack, Buena Vista
Compilations
edit- 2010 – 100 Moments Lounge
- 2005 – Svenska Musikalfavoriter
Guest appearances
edit- 2005 – My Rubber Soul/Peter Nordahl Trio, BMG
- 1998 – Easy Listening för Masochister/Carl-Johan Vallgren, Twin