Photo by Joan Marcus via Marcus PAC
Mamma Mia! touring company
Jalynn Steele, Christine Sherrill, and Carly Sakolove in ‘Mamma Mia!’
Mamma Mia! Here we go again! My, my, it’s been 25 years since Mamma Mia! the musical—featuring the songs of ABBA—came to life on the stage. And the current run at the Marcus PAC is just as fun and high-energy as ever.
The cast is top-notch. The dancing is phenomenal. And the music? Well, in a word; timeless. Sweden’s super trouper group remains as popular as ever, based on opening night’s capacity crowd. But given ABBA’s gorgeous harmonies, catchy melodies and generally upbeat tunes, how could anyone resist them?
Since the songs came first, the book by Catherine Johnson had to be constructed around the songs and in particular, the lyrics. For the most part it works. The storyline has Sophie, getting married on a Greek island where she lives with her single mother Donna. Sophie—and her mom—don’t know who Sophie’s bio dad is. So, Sophie secretly invites Her mother’s three former lovers to the wedding to figure it out.
What works in Mama Mia! the musical is the comedic silliness that’s mined for all it’s worth in numbers like “Chiquitita” combined with the classic “Dancing Queen.”
Donna (Christine Sherrill) is upset about the men showing up. So, her besties from her former girl group, the Dynamos, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove), tease Donna in the best possible way. The excellent staging by Director Phyllida Loyd makes the comical antics contrast perfectly with the serious lyrics. Ditto for the number “Lay All Your Love on Me” as Sophie (Lisa Melendez) and her fiancée, Sky (Grant Reynolds), profess their love while Sky’s buddies tease him, turning the song into yet another funny bit.
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The three father candidates do just as well as their female counterparts, Bill (Jim Newman), Harry (Rob Markell) and in particular, Victor Wallace as Sam, the first lover to leave Donna. His powerful vocals turned songs like “Knowing Me, Knowing You” into a regretful remembrance of past mistakes.
And then there’s all that amazing dancing with such a talented ensemble. Mamma Mia! Is one nonstop celebration of music and dance brimming with life, like the hot Greek sun that shines down on them all.
Thank you for the music, ABBA. It lives on—onstage and in our memories. The winner takes it all, and in this case, it’s this terrific production of Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! runs through February 25 in Uihlein Hall at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Run time: hours, 35 minutes with one intermission. For more information, call: (414) 273-7121, or visit: marcuscenter.org,
