Sølvi Wang
Encyclopedia
Sølvi Valborg Wang was a Norwegian
singer, actress and comedian.
She was born in Bærum
, Akershus
, to the jazz musician Yngvar Wang and the singer Marie Gulbrandsen. Already at an early age she sang with her father's orchestra on the radio and in concert. She met Egil Monn-Iversen
while in school, and in 1948 she joined his vocal group The Monn Keys. Wang debuted as a recording artist in 1950, in a duet with Arve Opsahl
. Later she recorded solo albums, and was responsible for 18 releases in the years up until 1955. She combined her solo career with performances with The Monn Keys, which now also included the singers Nora Brockstedt
and Per Asplin
. In 1954 the group performed their first variety show
, Over alle grenser, at Chat Noir
in Oslo. She worked at Chat Noir in the years 1959 to 1963, then at Edderkoppen
from 1963 to 1964, before moving to Det Norske Teatret
.
In addition to making recordings and performing in variety shows, Wang also performed in musicals, on television and in movies. For 25 years she was the leading lady of Det Norske Teatret, where she played the lead roles in such musicals as West Side Story
, Fiddler on the Roof
, Annie Get Your Gun
and The King and I
. She also acted in musicals composed by her husband Monn-Iversen, most prominently among these Bør Børson Jr.
, based on a novel
by Johan Falkberget
. Among her many shows for television, That's Entertainment from 1966 gained her a measure of international attention when it won an award at the Montreux Comedy Festival
. The award earned her a chance to perform at The Ed Sullivan Show
, and to sing with Jack Parnell
's orchestra at the London Palladium
. Wang had the lead role in movies such as the 1964 comedy Pappa tar gull and the 1978 drama Hvem har bestemt?.
Sølvi Wang acted in a production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof
in 1987. This performance marked her retirement from the public stage; since then she has not made any public performances. As a singer, even though she mastered the soft, subdued style of ballads in recordings, her vocal style has been described primarily as belting
. This powerful, often sharp way of singing was a necessity in the world of live musical performance prior to the introduction of miniature microphones
. Wang has been called the only master of the style in Norwegian theatre history.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
singer, actress and comedian.
She was born in Bærum
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
, Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
, to the jazz musician Yngvar Wang and the singer Marie Gulbrandsen. Already at an early age she sang with her father's orchestra on the radio and in concert. She met Egil Monn-Iversen
Egil Monn-Iversen
Egil Monn-Iversen is one of the most influential modern composers in Norway. He has had many important roles in Norwegian music, film, opera, television, comedy and theater...
while in school, and in 1948 she joined his vocal group The Monn Keys. Wang debuted as a recording artist in 1950, in a duet with Arve Opsahl
Arve Opsahl
Arve Opsahl was a Norwegian movie and stage actor, singer and stand-up comedian.Opsahl began his career as a comedian in 1942, and played numerous roles both on stage and in more than forty movies. He was then chosen to be the head of Olsenbanden, Egon Olsen...
. Later she recorded solo albums, and was responsible for 18 releases in the years up until 1955. She combined her solo career with performances with The Monn Keys, which now also included the singers Nora Brockstedt
Nora Brockstedt
Nora Brockstedt is a successful Norwegian singer, born on 20 January 1923. She first entered a professional stage at the age of 20, namely the highly reputed Chat Noir in Oslo. During the next two decades, she managed to become one of Norway's most famous and beloved singers and entertainers...
and Per Asplin
Per Asplin
Per Asplin was a Norwegian singer, composer and actor. He co-starred in a handful of films as well as participating in Melodi Grand Prix five times in the 1960s...
. In 1954 the group performed their first variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
, Over alle grenser, at Chat Noir
Chat Noir
Chat Noir is a cabaret and revue theatre in Oslo, Norway. It was established in 1912 by Bokken Lasson. The current director is Tom Sterri.-Establishment:...
in Oslo. She worked at Chat Noir in the years 1959 to 1963, then at Edderkoppen
Edderkoppen Theatre
The Edderkoppen Theatre is a theatre located at St. Olav's place in Oslo, Norway.From 1967 to 2003 it was called the ABC theatre. The theatre is known for varied entertainment, ranging from comedy to musical shows.-History:...
from 1963 to 1964, before moving to Det Norske Teatret
Det Norske Teatret
Det Norske Teatret is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabløs. It opened in 1913, touring with two plays, Ervingen by Ivar Aasen and Rationelt Fjøsstell by Hulda Garborg...
.
In addition to making recordings and performing in variety shows, Wang also performed in musicals, on television and in movies. For 25 years she was the leading lady of Det Norske Teatret, where she played the lead roles in such musicals as West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
, Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
and The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
. She also acted in musicals composed by her husband Monn-Iversen, most prominently among these Bør Børson Jr.
Bør Børson Jr.
Bør Børson Jr. is a 1974 Norwegian musical film directed by Jan Erik Düring, starring Rolv Wesenlund, Britt Langlie and Sølvi Wang. The film is based on a novel by Johan Falkberget....
, based on a novel
Bør Børson
Bør Børson jr. is a satirical novel from the boom period during World War I, written by Norwegian writer Johan Falkberget. It was first published as a feuilleton in the satirical magazine Hvepsen in 1917, then again printed as a feuilleton in the newspaper Nidaros, and issued as a book in 1920...
by Johan Falkberget
Johan Falkberget
Johan Falkberget, born Johan Petter Lillebakken, was a Norwegian author.-Life and career:Johan Falkberget was born on the Falkberget farm in the Rugldal valley in the Norwegian copper mining municipality of Røros.In 1891, he began to write his Christianus Sextus trilogy, though it was not...
. Among her many shows for television, That's Entertainment from 1966 gained her a measure of international attention when it won an award at the Montreux Comedy Festival
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
. The award earned her a chance to perform at The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, and to sing with Jack Parnell
Jack Parnell
John Russell Parnell was an English bandleader and musician.-Biography:Parnell was born into a theatrical family in London....
's orchestra at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. Wang had the lead role in movies such as the 1964 comedy Pappa tar gull and the 1978 drama Hvem har bestemt?.
Sølvi Wang acted in a production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
in 1987. This performance marked her retirement from the public stage; since then she has not made any public performances. As a singer, even though she mastered the soft, subdued style of ballads in recordings, her vocal style has been described primarily as belting
Belt (music)
Belting refers to a specific technique of singing by which a singer produces a loud sound in the upper middle of the pitch range. It is often described as a vocal register although some dispute this since technically the larynx is not oscillating in a unique way...
. This powerful, often sharp way of singing was a necessity in the world of live musical performance prior to the introduction of miniature microphones
Lavalier microphone
A lavalier microphone or lavalier is a small electret or dynamic microphone used for television, theatre, and public speaking applications, in order to allow hands-free operation. They are most commonly provided with small clips for attaching to collars, ties, or other clothing...
. Wang has been called the only master of the style in Norwegian theatre history.
Select filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Brudebuketten Brudebuketten Brudebuketten is a 1953 Norwegian comedy film directed by Bjørn Breigutu, starring Randi Kolstad, Lalla Carlsen and Per Aabel.-External links:* at Filmweb.no... |
Singer |
| 1954 | Troll i ord | Singer |
| 1962 | Operasjon Løvsprett | Head nurse Florence |
| 1964 | Operasjon Sjøsprøyt | Eli Sæter, assistant doctor |
| 1970 | Balladen om mestertyven Ole Høiland Ballad of the Masterthief Ole Hoiland Ballad of the Masterthief Ole Hoiland is a 1970 Norwegian drama film directed by Knut Andersen, and starring a broad cast of notable Norwegian actors, headed by Per Jansen as Ole Høiland. Ole Høiland was an actual Norwegian Robin Hood-figure in the early 19th century. He steals from the rich and... |
Hilda Hauge |
| 1972 | Norske byggeklosser | Mrs Valle |
| 1974 | Bør Børson Jr. Bør Børson Jr. Bør Børson Jr. is a 1974 Norwegian musical film directed by Jan Erik Düring, starring Rolv Wesenlund, Britt Langlie and Sølvi Wang. The film is based on a novel by Johan Falkberget.... |
Laura Isaksen |
| 1974 | Ungen | Hønse-Lovisa |
| 1978 | Hvem har bestemt? | Mrs Nelson |