An old friend has made a welcome reappearance at the Fox Theatre. The original staging of Mamma Mia! has returned during the show’s 25th anniversary tour. The production is as delightful as ever.
The plot is set in motion by Sophie Sheridan, who is about to get married. She wants to find out who her father is so he can walk her down the aisle. While going through her mother’s diary, she identified three men who might be the one she is looking for. She sends each of them an invitation to the wedding, which will be take place on a Greek Island at the taverna owned by Sophie’s mother, Donna. The invitations say they are from Donna, but the three men’s arrival on the island is complete surprise to her.
The men from her past are Bill Austin, an Australian travel writer; Harry Bright, a British financier; and Sam Carmichael, an American architect whose drawing was the inspiration for Donna’s taverna. The most serious of Donna’s relationships was the one with Sam.
The other wedding guests include Rosie and Tanya, the backup singers in the band Donna fronted before she built the taverna.
The story moves forward with plenty of charm and drama. The action is integrated with songs originally composed for the Swedish pop group, ABBA, by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Some of the songs were written with Stig Anderson. The book is by Catherine Johnson.
The lyrics are not always a perfect fit with the action, but the songs are compelling in context thanks to the unstinting commitment of the entire company and the outstanding work of director Pyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony Van Laast, and the band conducted by Matthew Croft.
Christine Sherrill is a powerhouse in the central role of Donna. Also in the uniformly excellent touring cast are Jalynn Steele as Tanya, Carly Sakolove as Rosie, Rob Marnell as Harry, Jim Newman as Bill, Victor Wallace as Sam, Alisa Melendez as Sophie Sheridan, and Grant Reynolds as Sophie’s fiancé, Sky.
Mark Thompson’s production design features lavish costumes and a spare set featuring large cuboid structures that can be easily reconfigured for locations inside and outside the taverna. Howard Harrison’s lighting dazzles repeatedly.
Mamma Mia! continues through February 18 at Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard.
—Gerry Kowarsky
Photo by Joan Marcus. Donna and the Dynamos in Mamma Mia! From the left: Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Christine Sherrill (Donna Sheridan), and Carly Sakolove (Rosie).
