THE CAMPY ABBA FEST IS BACK
Still an over-the-top, campy, family-friendly entertainment, the 25th Anniversary North American tour of Mamma Mia!, currently at The Kennedy Center Opera House, is the feel-good, powerhouse musical romantic comedy that will thrill ABBA fans.
Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Christine Sherrill (Donna), Carly Sakolove (Rosie)
For those unfamiliar with the plot, the story is set on a Greek island on the eve of Sophie’s wedding. Sophie is Donna’s only daughter and although she doesn’t know who her father is, she wants desperately for him to walk her down the aisle. Sophie discovers her mother’s diary from the time period when she was conceived and narrows her father down to three men her mother had relations with at the time. On a whim, she invites all three to her wedding, to her mother’s surprise.
Grant Reynolds (Sky) and the Company
Agreed, this is a tenuous storyline on which to erect a full-length musical, but book author Catherine Johnson has done a noble job of injecting 22 ABBA songs by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson into her tale. Although all the songs were written separately, Johnson makes them fit naturally into the story. The unaware spectator could easily accept that the songs were actually composed as a cohesive score specifically for the show; some of the most infamous include “Dancing Queen,” “Honey Honey,” “Take a Chance on Me,” and of course, the group’s 1975 chart-topper “Mamma Mia.” The music is invigorating, catchy, and just plain fun. A seven-piece band laid down a solid soft rock accompaniment. However, as often happens with national tours, the hyper-beat sound system, designed by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken, was too loud, which tended to drown out the vocals, making it tough to discern lyrics. How unfortunate, given how talented the singers are.
Alisa Melendez (Sophie) and Christine Sherrill (Donna)
As can be expected, the star of the show – Christine Sherrill, who plays Donna Sheridan– has the strongest voice and dominates the stage, especially when singing alone in ballads like “SOS” and “The Winner Takes It All.” A close second is Alisa Melendez, a silky alto, who plays her daughter, Sophie. Her rendition of “I Have a Dream” is sensitive and powerful. Both have expressive, powerful voices and strong acting chops and their mother-daughter conflict near the end of the show is stirring and credible.
Jim Newman (Bill), Victor Wallace (Sam), and Rob Marnell (Harry)
The rest of the large ensemble cast is strong and propels the raucous plot along. The three suitors – Harry, Bill, and Sam – played by Rob Marnell, Jim Newman, and Victor Wallace, respectively, add the right comedic touches, as do Donna’s over-the-top single best friends Jalynn Steele as Tanya and Carly Sakolove as Rosie, in from out of town, and the groom Sky, played by hunky Grant Reynolds, and his bachelor buddies.
Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Christine Sherrill (Donna), and Carly Sakolove (Rosie)
Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Carly Sakolove (Rosie), Christine Sherrill (Donna)
The play’s humor is corny and campy, at best, but is sure to put a smile on even the biggest cynic’s face. Especially hilarious is Anthony Van Laast‘s choreography during the bachelor party scene where scores of Sky’s buddies, dressed in scuba gear and flippers (costumes by Lucy Gaiger) flopped around the stage doing synchronized high kicks like well-trained frogs. The choreography also shone in the big production numbers that were instant crowd pleasers, such as “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and “Voulez Vous.”
The Company
The set, beautifully designed by Nancy Thun, mirrors any Santorini skyline with a large, looming romantic moon, and simple villa structures that fluctuate between bright and soothing colors according to the tone of the scene and song, thanks to lighting designer Howard Harrison. However, a possible criticism of the play — and not this production, directed by Phyllida Lloyd — is that it seems the story was better told on screen, since on stage it’s hard to recreate the fantastic scenery prevalent in the 2008 movie, starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried. The Opera House is such a large venue that it is difficult to experience the intimacy of the storyline. Even with that handicap, this production is highly successful and brings the audience along for a hilariously bumpy ride.
Patrick Park (Pepper), Jalynn Steele (Tanya) and the Company
It’s easy to see why this show has been bringing audiences to their feet and clapping for 25 years. If you’re considering attending this production, well, as one of ABBA’s songs states, “Take a Chance on Me.”
photos by Joan Marcus
L’Oréal Roaché (Lisa), Alisa Melendez (Sophie), Haley Wright (Ali)
Mamma Mia!
national tour
ends September 1, 2024 at the Kennedy Center Opera House in D.C.
for tickets ($49-$209), visit Kennedy Center
tour continues; for dates and cities, visit Mamma Mia! The Tour
for worldwide dates and cities, visit Mamma Mia!
Grant Reynolds (Sky) and Alisa Melendez (Sophie)
