By Aliza Gans, Staff Writer
As the last rays of summer sunshine began to fade, Yeshiva University students traded the city streets for the Greek island of Kalokairi, at least for a few hours, to see Mamma Mia at the Winter Garden Theatre. The musical follows Sophie Sheridan, a young bride-to-be who, unsure of her father’s identity, invites all three possible dads to her wedding. What ensues is a hilarious story, brought to life through the iconic music of ABBA.
Before going, I did some homework and watched the Mamma Mia movie (2008) on Netflix. If you do the same, you’ll notice that the film changes a few details and removes a couple songs. One notable exclusion is the Act 2 opener, “Under Attack,” where Sophie has a strange dream fueled by her emotions leading up to the wedding. This number helps the audience understand the frantic emotions Sophie feels that later lead her to postpone her wedding. In the movie, this decision is more sudden, and Sophie’s motivations are unclear in light of her excitement for the wedding up until that point. The musical also does a better job creating chemistry between Donna, Sophie’s mother and Sam, one of Sophie’s possible fathers, so when Donna decides to marry him, the audience understands how this couple’s love was rekindled. In the movie, it feels like the characters barely know each other. To fans of ABBA or the Mamma Mia movie (or both), the stage musical is a much better experience, both plot- and music-wise.
Mamma Mia is what the theater world calls a jukebox musical, one with an original plot built around preexisting songs. Shows like & Juliet, Jersey Boys and Moulin Rouge are other examples. These types of shows differ from other musicals not just because of the reliance on already existing music but also because of their appeal to a greater audience. Jukebox musicals are a big hit with tourists, who are attracted to a big Broadway experience but enjoy a soundtrack that feels familiar to them. The familiar aspect of musicals like Mamma Mia allows for a greater range of audiences to feel connected to the theater, as not everyone enjoys more new and niche material like Maybe Happy Ending or something reminiscent of classical musical theater like Ragtime or Gypsy.
Unlike a Broadway revival, when a show is brought back to the stage under a new director and often a new vision and interpretation of the source material, this production was performed by the touring cast, stopping only temporarily at the Great White Way before continuing across the country. As a result the set design is slightly smaller than what is seen on a usual Broadway stage because it needs to be easily assembled and disassembled as well as suitable for many different theaters with varying levels of backstage technology. While the set is smaller, that in no way took away from the show, which shone with its vocals and dance numbers.
The show immediately makes you want to get on their feet, starting right after the overture with the fun-filled number “Honey Honey,” where Sophie and her friends read her mother’s old diary. In numbers like “Money, Money, Money” and the titular song “Mamma Mia,” the production keeps you dancing in your seat all the way to intermission and beyond. Using the music of a band with as widespread popularity as ABBA in Mamma Mia allows the audience to come in feeling familiar with aspects of the show, which can make it more fun.
Some memorable moments from the show include a hilarious scene in which Sky, Sophie’s fiance, and his friends dance clad in flippers and diving suits at his bachelor party in “Lay All Your Love” and Donna’s stunning showstopper “Winner Takes It All.” Having grown up hearing the songs of ABBA from my parents and knowing how much my mom and aunt loved the show Mamma Mia, the experience felt like coming full circle for me. This tour will allow a whole new generation to discover both the iconic music of ABBA and its place in a well-loved musical.
The energy in the theater during Mamma Mia was electric. While it is always exciting to discover new, original music, there is something unique about everyone knowing the songs too. It created an even greater shared experience than what is normally felt at a theater. You could tell the audience was hooked before the music even started by just looking around at all the Mamma Mia-inspired outfits in the crowd, from Sophies to Rosies to Tanyas from “Donna and the Dynamos.” By the time it was curtain call, featuring a sing-along to “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo,” the theater had turned into one big celebration of music and the arts.
Mamma Mia is a fun-filled night perfect for theater-lovers, tourists and casual theater-goers alike. Whether you are an ABBA expert or are hearing these songs for the first time, the music is guaranteed to pull you in and have you humming the songs by the end of the show. While Broadway tickets can be quite pricey, one does not need “Money, Money Money” to see this show. Head to the Telecharge Lottery + Rush site and enter the lottery for the chance to win $49 tickets to the show. Mamma Mia will be at the Winter Garden Theater until February 1, so don’t let this opportunity slip though your fingers and say “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” to Mamma Mia!
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