First, you have to understand a little about Mamma Mia to understand why it is so amazing. The entire musical is set from start to finish to songs by sensations from the 70's ABBA. This includes favorites such as "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take a Chance on Me", "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" and so many other absolute favorites. Of course you cannot forget its namesake "Mamma Mia".
The story itself is hilarious, somewhat sad, and full of the juicy grit you really want out of your shows. What makes the story is that it is told to the music of ABBA songs, which means you get one great show. The story embraces everything you have come to expect from a great story, friendship, love, and of course, the side-splitting laughter.
It all starts in Greece with a 20 year old, soon to be married, woman named Sophie. It is so easy to love her, she is exactly what you expect out of a young woman on the night before her wedding. However, the twists really start when she finds a diary of her mothers. Within this diary, she finds out that there is a possibility that not one, but three different men could be her father.
She invites all three men to her wedding, unbeknownst to her mother Donna. The three men Sam, Harry, and Bill join in on the story that has more twists and hilarity to come. Throughout this truly remarkable story, we see everything that a "real" wedding generally is. We see the fun and laughter, thanks to a bachelorette party, three men who are convinced they could very well be the father and want to walk her down the aisle, and then the pre-wedding jitters when the fiancé finds out what Sophie has done.
In the end, will the wedding happen? Yes, a wedding happens, but it is not the wedding you think. Mamma Mia! Truly is a remarkably original story that is set to one of the most loved songs of all time. It will pull at your heart strings, your funny bone – that really is funny in this case, and give you the opportunity to really feel like your part of the show as you sing along to the classics.
Mamma Mia History
Mamma Mia began its long run in 1999 in London. It has since made history on Broadway as the 17th longest running show. Thirty million people have flocked to see this musical and from all over the world. The show is currently running in not only Broadway, but also in Las Vegas, Barcelona, Berlin, Essen, Gothenburg, Istanbul, London, Nagoya, Oslo, Paris, and Stockholm. Of course, there are many Off-Broadway venues as well.
The Cast
The cast features 13 "main" actors and actresses, along with ensemble of 13 and a swing ensemble of 3. Of the cast, the most prominently known actor is possibly Robert Townsend, who plays Father Alexandrios. Robert has performed in many shows such as Miss Saigon, Guys and Dolls, Grease, and Camelot.
Other cast members include:
• Rose Sezniak as Sophie
• Rebecca Covington as Ali
• Nicole Laurenzi as Lisa
• Michelle Elizabeth Dawson as Tanya
• Kittra Wynn Coomer as Rosie
• Susie McMonagle as Donna
• Geoffrey Hemingway as Sky
• Adam Michael Kaokept as Pepper
• Anthony Cefala as Eddie
• Michael Aaron Lindner as Harry
• Martin Kildare as Bill
• John Hemphill as Sam
These characters and their portrayers all work charmingly together to form an amazing group of people. You can see the fun in their every movement and lines. You can tell that they truly enjoy performing such a monumental show in musical history.
If you ever have the chance to catch Mamma Mia, either on Broadway or off, and you have a love for music and laughter, this is definitely something you do not want to miss.
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