“MAMMA MIA”

“Mamma Mia” the jukebox musical is making its 25th Anniversary North American Tour. This week it landed in San Diego at the Civic Theatre\downtown. 

“Mamma Mia”! has been performed in more than 40 countries and across five continents, including: Belgium, Greece, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.  The first non-English production started in Hamburg, Germany, on November 3, 2002.  Many international tours have run over the past several years.

It’s  a fun musical with the songs and music of Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus written originally for ABBA and are the main attraction. The book by Catherine Johnson, is so ho hum that after a while, you just look forward to hearing the music which is made to fit around the story of the young Sophie Sheridan (locally grown Alisa Melendez “I Had a Dream) who is planning a conventional wedding to the handsome and muscular Sky (Grant Reynolds)  “Lay All Your Love On Me”) and always dreamed about having her Dad walk her down the aisle. 

Jalynn Steele, Christine Sherrill, Carly Sakolove

No problem for those who know who their Dad is. Not so in the life of Sophie. You see her mother Donna (Christine Sherrill), feisty, forty- something and who used to be part of a singing group called the “Dynamos”. She is still single but way back then she had a tryst with three different young men when they were all young and foot loose.  It all happened somewhere on a small Greek Island 21 years ago. 

Donna never told Sophie about them but for the sake of expediency Sophie gets hold of an old diary of her Mom’s. After reading it Sophie finds out the names of  three men in her mom’s life, who at that time she was gaga over and possibly had affairs with. Without consulting her Mom, she sends all three an invitation  (that was supposed to come from Donna) to the wedding.

Jim Newman,Victor Wallace, Rob Marnell

The mystery: Donna knows nothing of this and the three men, now into the same forties as Donna are flummoxed as to why they have been invited to a wedding of someone they know little about.There is Sam (Victor Wallace ...“Knowing Me Knowing You”), Bill, (Jim Newman and Harry (Rob Marnell). All three left the island leaving Donna behind. She now runs a nice little hotel and cantina and ekes out a living for both herself and Sophie.  

None knew she was ‘with child’ and now they, all three potential Dads’ show up thinking Donna invited them. She’s as confused as they, especially after Sophie asks all three to walk her down the isle.  (“Thank You For The Music”)Needless to say, it all works out; conundrum aside, and ABBA fans get to hear no less than 23 favorite songs including “Dancing Queen”, “Mamma Mia”, “Take A Chance On Me”, “Winner Takes It All” “Voulez-Vous”, “Knowing Me, Knowing You”, and  “Slipping Through My Fingers”,  among others all under the direction of Phyllida Lloyd, and his high energy, uniform dancing with choreographer Anthony Van Laasy, brilliant lighting  by Howard Harrison, sound designers (too loud) Andrew Bruce and Bobby Atki

Grant Reynolds and Alisa Melendez

The production is filled with a combination of youthful energy and mature and over the top funny/ hysterical shenanigans.  The night I attended the entire ensemble was on top of their game that left the audience on their collective feet when the whole cast came out for curtain call in their full on pull up Lycra costumes coordinated by Lucy Gaiger.

Melendez looking heavenly in her wedding dress, hrr credits include“Almost Famous” and “Rent” has a lovely and even  (“I Have A Dream”) voice and with acting credits to go along; “I want my Dad to walk me down the aisle”  bit. 

There is strong chemistry between Christine Sherrill’s  Donna and Melendez’ Sophie that lends credibility to their mother daughter relationship. (“Slipping Through My Fingers”). Sherrill  has the right chops for the Abba sound and uses them to her advantage. 

Donna’s old girlfriends and singing buddies (the “Dynamos”) Tanya and Rosie (Jaylynn Steele and Carly Sakolove) who were also invited to the wedding helped steal the show with their antics and good humor, (“Dancing Queen”) 

Sakolove is a hoot as the prankster of the three and her little shtick with Newman’s Bill is a hoot. (“Take A Chance on Me”)

Other than that, the three ‘fathers’ are about as exciting as watching grass grow. They come, they go, and they bring little pieces of forty- year history with them that refuses to be reconciled any time soon.  

Victor’s Sam and Sherrill’s Donna dance a dance but seem miles apart until the last scenes (no spoiler here in case you’ve never seen the show). He wants to talk, she wants to have nothing to do with him, or so it seems. (“The Winner Takes It All”) 

Cast

The talented ensemble of young people, who do a good amount of dancing (and with fins on their feet to boot) create some semblance of excitement on the island with Patrick Parks ’s Pepper making a big pass at Tanya as she plays him like a violin. 

But it’s the dancing along with the 23 or so Abba songs that give this particular musical most of its pizzazz. It takes a village to mount a show filled with this much youthful energy, mature and hysterical shenanigans and over the top and funny performances that follow.

So?What’s not to like? In this reviewer's opinion, nothing. 

Go, see, enjoy, sing along and have fun, it’s  Abba after all.  

See you at the theatre.

Dates: Through Nov. 12

Tickets: $39-$169

Phone: 619.564.3029 

Production Type: Jukebox Musical

Photo: Joan Marcus

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre Downtown, SD

3651 4th Avenue San Diego, CA 92103