Last night,
Lyric Arts opened their joyful production of the perhaps the most beloved jukebox musical, Mamma Mia!, and the entire run is already sold out. This is extremely rare, and speaks to both the draw of this great little theater in the 'burbs, and the popularity of
Mamma Mia! Although it didn't win a single Tony Award, it ran for 15 years on Broadway, making it the 9th longest running Broadway musical (soon to be eclipsed by
The Book of Mormon), and was adapted into a movie starring no less than Meryl Streep, which also inspired a sequel, and potentially a third movie to come. Why do people love
Mamma Mia! so much? Maybe because it's chock full of familiar (to people of a certain age) songs from ABBA that are upbeat and endlessly singable. Maybe because it's set on a Greek island that we'd all love to escape to, especially after a long and difficult Minnesota winter. But I like to think that the reason we love
Mamma Mia! is that the central love story is between a mother and a daughter, and between female friends. At its heart, inside the silly and contrived story of a young woman looking for her father, it's a story of friendship, community, and family, especially those that look different from the norm. It's a feel-good heart-warming musical that appeals to all generations. And Lyrics Arts' production, with a talented and gorgeously diverse cast, is a great one.
If you don't already have tickets to the show, you're probably out of luck, but you can call or email the box office to inquire about cancellations. Here are some highlights of the show:
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Sky (Jordan Dewayne-White Keung) and
Sophie (Raquel Ponce, photo by Molly Jay) |
This is the most intimate and immersive production of Mamma Mia! I've ever seen, bringing the
audience right up close to the story (beware of flying flippers if you're sitting in the front row), the cast running up and down the aisles and singing right next to you. Director Kassy Skoretz (making their debut at Lyric) makes great use of the space, both onstage and the multiple aisles, and covers scene transitions nicely with the ensemble dancing and singing as they make changes to the set for the next scene. The show is high energy, joyful, and funny.- Lisa Vogel is a fantastic Donna, and it's so great to see her take center stage after playing supporting roles on stages all over town. She fully owns all of Donna's drama and humor, and her soaring belt on "The Winner Takes It All" is a highlight.
- I don't recall seeing Raquel Ponce on stage before, and she's an absolute delight as Sophie. So sweet and open and innocent, with a lovely voice. And her Sky, Jordan Dewayne-White Kueng, also a newcomer, is a charmer, with an easy chemistry between them.
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Donna (Lisa Vogel) with friends Tanya (Holli Kingdon)
and Rosie (Emily Jabas, photo by Molly Jay) |
Highlights in this across the board strong cast are many, but to name a few: Holli Kingdon as
Donna's vampy friend Tanya and Emily Jabas as the funny one; Sophie's potential dads: Eric Lee as Donna's true love, France A. Roberts as the sweet former headbanger Harry, and Keith Reilly as the adventurer Bill; Sophie's adorable BFFs Daze Bishop and Malea Hanson; and Jack Moorman as Tanya's young love interest, with eager puppy energy.- I really love seeing not just racial diversity, but also body diversity in this cast, which sadly is something we don't often see on Broadway, except maybe for a curvy woman playing the comedic sidekick. The diversity extends even to accommodating an ensemble member in a boot with a knee walker. It's so refreshing to see real people in all their beautiful variations populating this world.
- The choreography (by Michael Terrell Brown) is fun and high energy and fills up the stage, dancing to music from the off-stage seven-piece orchestra conducted by JJ Gisselquist, making it hard not to sing along.
- The set (designed by Michaela Lochen) transports us to the Greek island, with the help of warm lighting design (by Andrew Vance). The facade of a very Greek-looking taverna dominates the stage, with stairs up to a second floor, and clever compartments that open to reveal a bed, closet, or bar.
- Last but not least, the many many costumes are colorful and tropical and make me long for summer! Shorts, floral dresses, wedding wear in tones of pale blue, lilac, and cream, even gorgeously draped dresses for the dream sequence, everything is gorgeous and character-appropriate. Costume designer Caroline A. Zaltron could put out a vacation line of clothing and do quite well!
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| photo by Molly Jay |
