The Badding Musical: Paratiisi by Finnish Music Theatre (Fin)

Rauli Badding Somerjoki is the undisputed king of Finnish rock, a true legend. He is known as the man who laid the groundwork for Finnish rock. Some of his most famous songs include “Fiilaten ja höyläten,” “Ja rokki soi,” “Paratiisi,” “Ikkunaprinsessa,” “Tähdet tähdet,” “Pilvet karkaa, niin minäkin,” and “Laivat.” Rauli Somerjoki was born in 1947 in Somero and died in 1987 in Helsinki, at the young age of 39. The musical tells Badding’s life story; he spent his childhood in modest conditions but rose to become the king of rock in the early 1970s. His life was overshadowed by stage fright and heavy alcohol use. Badding experienced a resurgence in popularity in the early 1980s, with the band Agents backing him. The musical covers Badding’s eventful life until his death. Other key figures in the musical include Rauli’s mother, sisters, M.A. Numminen, Topi Sorsakoski, Muska Babitzin, Timo Kojo, and Badding’s greatest idol, Elvis Presley. Show more