By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)
As hard to believe as it may be, Mamma Mia!, the ABBA hit jukebox musical is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. It continues to enthrall fans of the Swedish rock group with its fast-paced and cleverly written book by Catherine Johnson that brings the hit songs of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus to life on stage.
The Saenger Theater is playing host to the national tour this week and the crowd is so engaged with the work that many of them are singing along with the professional actors on stage. While this violates protocol at a Broadway theater, the New Orleans audiences are just more laid back when it comes to this musical and one can hardly blame them.
Mamma Mia! is one of the most successful shows to ever hit a Broadway stage, having played 12 years at the Winter Garden Theatre from 2001 till 2013 and before transferring to the Broadhurst Theatre for an additional two years. There have been several national tours and worldwide tours through the past quarter of a century and a residency was established in Las Vegas for the show that still holds the record for the most successful full length Broadway show to ever play the Strip.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd with choreography by Anthony Van Laast, Mamma Mia! stars Christine Sherrill in the role of Donna Sheridan and Amy Weaver as her daughter Sophie.
Growing up on a remote Greek island and being raised by a single mother, Sophie is curious as to who her father is, but her mother has not been forthcoming about it. In fact, she is so tight-lipped that Sophie finds her mother’s diary from jut before the time of her birth and she pares down the list of potential fathers to be one of a trio of choices: Harry Bright (Bob Marnell), Bill Austin (Jim Newman) or Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace).
Preparing for her upcoming wedding, Sophie invites all three of her possible dads to the ceremony without consulting or informing her mother (“I Have a Dream”), which creates confusion and tension between the men and a flummoxed Donna. It also complicates the wedding ceremony because eventually the men figure it out and each tries to step up as father figures to Sophie.
Back in the Disco Era, Donna and her two best friends Tanya (Stephanie Genito understudying the role usually played by Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove) sang and performed as Donna and the Dynamoes with costumes featuring huge bellbottoms and bright feather boas. The three reunite on the island in the time leading up to the wedding and perform “Dancing Queen” and later “Chiquitita.”
Sophie also has her two best friends – Ali (Haley Wright) and Lisa (Caro Daye Attayek understudying the role usually played by Lena Owens) who, like Donna and the Dynamos, often break into song together.
Sophie’s intended, Sky (Grant Reynolds and understudied by Collin J. Bradley), tries to be understanding. But Sophie does not read him into the whole “three possible fathers” scenario nor that she has invited them to the wedding. This creates some trust issues and eventually he has to confront his would-be bride about why she is so disturbed.
But before he does that, he and his fellow Greek islanders engage in some robust and energetic dancing in pre-wedding rituals that involve a lot of drinking and cavorting. Among the best of these well-choreographed pieces are “Lay All Your Love on Me” and “Voulez-Vous.”
Yes, it’s a bit on the silly side. But who said a musical has to make sense?
Trying to help Donna, even though they don’t quite understand why she is having a meltdown, the Dynamos go all in, encouraging her to open up. They chalk it up to pre-wedding jitteriness, but the real reason is she is being confronted by the three men who all might be her daughter’s father and she’s never seen them, let alone intimated the fact to them.
Jim Newman, Rob Marnell and Victor Wallace and Rob Marnell each play the three older characters of Bill Austin, Sam Carmichael and Harry Bright, respectfully. They each play their roles convincingly, although it might be said that one candidate emerges as a favorite to be Sophie’s actual dad.
Another key factor to understanding the allure of this 25-year old musical is that it is entertaining on face value. The snappy repartee enjoyed by the older adults, especially the men with the older ladies, proves that even Boomers can have a love life after 40. That’s somewhat refreshing news, albeit it is 25 years later than when it was first going around.
The musical conductor and keyboardist Matthew Croft and his six other ensemble members all do an amazing job of conveying the ABBA hits into superb arrangements by Martin Koch. The sound is also designed very well by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken. Mark Thomson heads up the functional design on the stage, which alternates as interior and exterior scenes. Howard Harrison’s lighting designs move the action forward and are especially effective in Act II’s dream sequence in “Under Attack.”
The national tour of Mamma Mia! finishes its run at the Saenger Theater, 1111 Canal Street in New Orleans tomorrow, Sun., Feb. 16. Few tickets remain, but may be secured in person at the box office, by telephone at 504-287-0351 or by clicking here.
